Frontier Services celebrates 102 years in the bush

Media Release – 

Friday, 26 September, marks the 102nd anniversary of Rev John Flynn being commissioned to head the Australian Inland Mission.

Flynn’s vision was to spread across the Inland a ‘Mantle of Safety’, bringing aviation, radio, medicine, spiritual comfort, gladness and rejoicing to the lonely and isolated people of the outback.

All these years later, ...

Synod gathering to debate a range of issues

The 11th meeting of the Uniting Church’s Synod of Victoria and Tasmania will be held at La Trobe University, in Bundoora, from September 19-24.

Over the six days of the gathering about 300 Synod members will receive and discuss more than 50 reports as well as a range of proposals from presbyteries, congregations, and Church commissions.

Items listed for ...

Free at last

The Uniting Church in Australia joyfully welcomes the safe release of the 45 Fijian peacekeepers serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on the border of Israel and Syria.

The peacekeepers, referred to as the Golan 45, safely crossed into Israeli-held territory on Thursday, having been held captive by Islamist militants for two weeks.

The President of the ...

This mother and daughter were among thousands to flee the Islamic State after militants overtook Iraq’s second city of Mosul, finding shelter and clean water at a temporary displacement camp next to a Kurdish checkpoint in Kalak, Iraq. This edition of Crosslight is dedicated to children both here in Australia and around the world who are innocent victims of ...

The future of peacemaking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Chip Henriss

Pax Christi, an organisation that has for more than 40 years played a vital role in promoting issues of peace and disarmament, is looking to its future.

Its dedicated members, who have engaged with issues such as the Vietnam War, nuclear ...

‘We’ll Love Muslims 100 years’

Uniting Church leaders from across Australia joined interfaith and ecumenical friends last month in a statement of solidarity with Australia’s Muslim community.

Uniting Church in Australia President Rev Professor Andrew Dutney was one of more than 150 faith and community leaders who declared:  ‘We’ll Love Muslims 100 Years.’

The statement is a reference to the banner headline in the Weekend ...

International concerns

The Uniting Church in Australia has expressed its deep concern at the continuing persecution of Christian minorities throughout the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria.

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Professor Andrew Dutney, said the communities were being impacted by war or directly persecuted to the point of annihilation.

“Our concern is not just ...

More pressure needed on pokies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this year Uniting Church members wrote letters to the Victorian Government, at the urging of the synod’s Commission for Mission, asking that the Government not allow pokie venues to introduce controversial loyalty schemes.

Unfortunately at the end of July the Victorian ...

Movement & Rest

The forthcoming Synod meeting will be held at La Trobe University in Bundoora from 19-24 September.

The theme for the meeting is Movement & Rest: signs of God in us.

Over the six days of the gathering members will receive and discuss more than 50 reports as well as a range of proposals from Presbyteries, congregations, facilitation groups and ...

A welcome rejection of bigotry

Provisions that protect the community from racial hatred remain in place, for now, following the Federal Government’s announcement to shelve plans to amend Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.

Uniting Church President Rev Prof Andrew Dutney welcomed the announcement that proposed changes to the Act were taken off the table.

“I thank the Prime Minister for his leadership on ...

Passion with a purpose

By Audrey Schueren

A record turnout of more than 150 people attended the Justice and International Mission (JIM) unit’s 2014 convention on Saturday 9 August.
The theme was “We’ve Boundless Plains to Share,” and focussed on refugees and asylum seekers.

The event, held at the Centre for Theology and Ministry, commenced with some powerful poetry, stories and a song ...

Sold into slavery: A call to action

The synod’s Commission for Mission has requested Uniting Church members to engage in letter-writing to the Thai and Australian Governments regarding Burmese asylum seekers being been sold into slavery in Thailand.

In Burma, in October 2012, “ethnic cleansing” and crimes against humanity were committed by security forces against the Rohingya ethnic group. Hundreds of Rohingya were murdered and more than ...