Assembly Update September 2003 <http://nat.uca.org.au>
Just a thought
The last six weeks have been a very
demanding time for many members of the Uniting Church. There have been feelings of anger, confusion and pain. We have had to hear from each other out of these emotions and that has sometimes been a hurtful experience.
Since the Assembly we are getting a glimpse of the kind of church we are. There have been significant signs of the fruits of the Holy Spirit love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5: 22f). And there have been signs of the works of human nature (Galatians 5: 19 21). We really are a mixed bag of people. Yet even as we have experienced that, in many different situations over the years, we have found ourselves bound together by a common faith in the importance of Jesus and a shared vision of serving God together.
I suspect that the crucial issue for us in this whole debate is not what we think about the presenting issue. It is not whether we take the Bible seriously in shaping our lives because I know that we all do that. The question for us is what kind of church we want to be. The Assembly is holding out before us a radical vision of a people who are united through their faith in the triune God as revealed through Jesus Christ. We are invited to believe so much in the reconciling power of the gospel that we can be a community that creates a space where people can meet and share their lives - including their encounters with God and under the influence of the Scriptures, Holy Spirit and tradition of the Church be willing to be surprised and remade by God.
I want to be part of a church that can be humble enough to recognise when it does not have all the answers, is gracious enough to live in fellowship with people of faith who hold differing opinions, and which is hopeful in the power of the Spirit and the gospel to sustain unity in a diverse group of people who seek to move on in the fellowship of Christ.
Terence Corkin, Assembly General Secretary
What can be found in this edition of Assembly Update?
Decisions from the ASC
Decisions from the recent ASC (Assembly Standing Committee) meeting includes decisions regarding Proposal 84 as well as new tasks groups to be established, appointment of reference committee, FWCT (Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga) and Assembly Publications.
Assembly 2003 continued&
In this edition of Assembly Update we will see some of the goings on that happened at Assembly. The Assembly Media team who reported daily on all aspects of the Assembly have written the articles. The Media team produced a daily paper called A la carte as well as a take away special which highlighted the best bits of Assembly. To see more stories and the official assembly publications visit the 10th Assembly Website at <http://nat.uca.org.au/assembly2003/newsmedia/>
Other news from Assembly&
In this edition of Assembly Update other articles include:
? An update on the Gift of Grace rose project,
? Resources from Multicultural Ministry and Theology and Discipleship,
? Upcoming conference from Uniting Education,
? Books for Unitings
? Positions Vacant both here in the Assembly office, throughout Australia and abroad.
Dates for your diary
Decisions of the Standing Committee 22-24 August 2003
ASC decisions regarding Proposal 84
The Standing Committee:
Apologised to members and ministers that more was not done to make them aware in advance of the Tenth Assembly that matters of membership, ministry and sexuality would be considered by the Assembly;
Acknowledged with regret that the way proposal 84 was reported to the church had caused suffering, hurt, pain and confusion;
Clarified proposal 84 by deleting two paragraphs from the original proposal which referred to two sexual ethics held by members in the church. ASC said these were used to illustrate some differing views held by church members and neither of them have been endorsed by Assembly;
Rejected assertions that the concept of Right relationships was adopted by the Assembly;
Maintained that each presbytery has the right and responsibility to ordain or place people in ministry on a case by case basis as has always been the case in the Uniting Church;
Said each congregation and church council can state a particular sexual ethic after prayerful consideration and study of the Scriptures - provided there is respect and acknowledgment for those who hold different views and does not prevent consideration of candidates for ministry on a case by case basis;
Received a petition but nevertheless strongly rejected the assertions within.
Copies of all the decisions and related material can be found at: <http://nat.uca.org.au/home/ASC>
Task Groups
The Assembly authorised the establishment of a number of task groups. They include reviews of aspects of the Code of Ethics; the specified ministries the understanding of them, the inter relationship between them and related matters; review of the sexual misconduct regulations and review of current polices related to multicultural ministry in the Uniting Church and how they are operating. Attention was given to the appointment of these groups.
Appointment of Reference Committees
Once again it was a great encouragement to the Standing Committee to be able to appoint so many capable people from across the church to serve on the wide range of reference committees and working groups. There are so many people supporting the work of the Assembly in this way that you probably know someone who is involved.
Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga
Major conversations have been ongoing with the FWCT about how to strengthen our long and valued relationship with that church, and with its members in Australia. An ongoing process of consultation is being undertaken within a renewed partnership agreement on how our two churches work together in Australia on areas of common interest in mission.
Assembly Publications
From October 1 2003 all Assembly publications will be available from Mediacom. Mediacom will be known to many of you and the Assembly believes that their experience in dealing through the Internet and directly with retail clients will be a great advantage to you. Of course synods bookshops and resource centres will continue to stock Assembly publications and will be happy to assist you as they have done in the past. The email address for Mediacom is <www.mediacom.org.au> and their phone number is 1800 811311
10th Assembly 2003 Witness the Glory of God
1. President privileged by theatrical installation
The new President of the Uniting Church in Australia described his installation service in the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, July 12, as an incredible privilege .
The passage taken, the theme of the service, was 1 Kings 19:1-18. More than 1400 people including 130 non-Assembly members from overseas and interstate and five busloads from rural Victoria experienced Elijah discovering the glory of God through dance, music, image, preaching & and silence.
After the congregation gathered as flames flickered on a cruciform screen and smoke rose around it the white-clad dancers leaped and tumbled across the stage for the call to worship: Elijah got up and ran for his life.
The running and stumbling of faith was carried into the prayers of confession: Elijah asked that he might die, It is enough; now O Lord, take away my life.
An angel in the form of a tea lady brought dancer Elijah a refreshing cuppa, the uplifting effects of which were passed on to all the dancers. This was the declaration of forgiveness by the touch of the word of Grace: Suddenly an angel touched Elijah and said to him, Get up and eat.
Then Elijah went in the strength of that food for 40 days and 40 nights & and Dr Drayton was installed, receiving the presidential cross and stole in front of family and many close friends.
The scriptures were read Elijah came to a cave and spent the night there and Elijah delivered a monologue about being safe, but alone and longing for God.
Dr Draytons sermon drew on all those references as he mixed his usual passionate delivery with elements of irony and hyperbole, often to the amusement of the congregation.
He concluded with a call for the church to be faithful to the gospel in a time of dryness and to be inspired by a God who keeps surprising us .
Dr Drayton himself might have been surprised that the Assembly members, whom he criticised for being too old, laughed in recognition at his reference to characters in the film The Matrix.
The response to the word was & a great wind Howard, Blair, Ruddock, Bin Ladin, Hussein, Bush but the Lord was not in them. Then the prayers of the people: The sound of sheer silence.
The theatrical service concluded with the blessing and sending: Then the Lord said to Elijah, Go &
2. Church leader accuses government of serial ignorance
The retiring President spoke out against abysmal moral standards in Australian politics and a conspiracy of ignorance on the part of the Federal Government and Opposition.
Rev Professor James Haire, in his farewell to the churchs 10th national Assembly, said, Many things in this nation, frankly, are rotten in foreign policy, in immigration policy and in welfare policy.
And the Opposition federally was as responsible as the Government for this, he said.
He said information emerging that the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq seemed to have been totally false pointed to a self-created serial ignorance among the nations political leaders.
Prof Haire said Australians were living in a time of profound turning away from God in much of their social and national life.
He said, At the time of the last Federal general election I said that I believed that, egged on by both political groupings in the country, we as a nation had reached new depths of political depravity, especially with the duplicity and harshness of the Tampa incident, and the total inability of the Federal Opposition to act as an opposition in the nation, thus depriving this nation of any genuine democratic debate leading up to the election.
What is now emerging from the lead-up to the Iraq War demonstrates yet again the abysmal moral standards within the U.S., U.K. and Australia.
Prof Haire said, In democracies, the military must be totally under the control of the elected Government, and the Government must be entirely transparent to the parliament and the people.
Truth lies at the heart of these relationships. Now that truth has been thrown overboard, our democracy is under a fearful attack from a joint conspiracy of the Government and opposition.
He said, When truth becomes a commodity manufactured by spin doctors, and aided and abetted by Government departments and political minions afraid to tell it like it really is& and then on that basis so manipulate public opinion, to send people to war where killing is inevitable, then, indeed we are in a parlous moral state.
3. President-elect: we are a terrific church
The new president-elect of the Uniting Church is Rev Gregor Henderson. He will serve as president from 20062009.
We are a terrific church, he said. He then went on to list about 15 reasons for this respect including our willingness to address hard questions, our breadth of services to the Australian community, our multi-culturalism, our solidarity with Aboriginal and Islander people, our comparative lack of factionalism, and our consensus-decision making process.
Gregor was Assembly general secretary for 12 years and he assured the present incumbent, Revd Terence Corkin, he knew the difference between the two roles.
Grateful for three years to prepare for the presidency, Gregor thanked Assembly for this further opportunity to serve Christ and Christs church.
4. Assembly votes for closer relations with Anglicans
The 10th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia took the first step toward union with the Anglican Church of Australia. Having received a report on mutual recognition of ordained ministries, For the Sake of the Gospel , the Assembly approved a statement on the essentials of faith and ministry. It also approved summary statements on apostolic faith and ministry and a declaration of agreement on the essentials of faith and ministry as a basis for further conversation with the Anglican Church.
It decided to take all possible and necessary steps toward a covenant of association and inter-communion . Because a key sticking point for Assembly members was the different understanding of deacon in the two denominations, a Uniting Church deacon will be a member of a newly appointed joint working group. Rev Professor Robert Gribben, a Uniting Church member of the working group, said the churches decision to work together to resolve differences would help to address the problem of diminishing congregations and clergy, and better serve the needs of local churches, particularly in rural communities, he said.
Rev Professor Chris Mostert, co-chair of the joint working group, introduced the report to the Assembly. He said clearly there were differences between the churches but there was an enormous amount of agreement in their understanding of ministry. In particular, we recognise differences in polity (the way we exercise authority and government), but we affirm that through the ordained ministries of our churches the Word is truly and effectively proclaimed, the sacraments are authentically celebrated, and a pastoral ministry is exercised in an accountable way.
The report recommended four stages for progress:
? A statement of agreement on essentials of faith and ministries (part of what the Assembly was asked to approve.)
? A covenant of association and inter-communion (the Assembly was asked to take the necessary steps toward entering into such a relationship.)
? A concordat of communion (the fullest kind of communion possible between separated churches; the Assembly is not asked to consider this.)
? Full organic union (the churches are not at this point.)
Professor Mostert said entering into a formal covenant of association on the mutual recognition of ordained ministries might seem a rather large step but considering the Uniting Churchs history, its commitments and hopes, it was an important first step, without which the more important and more difficult second step could not be taken!
He said, Clearly, the fact that we dont have bishops is a very significant difference between us, which has to be overcome in some way. That is a discussion we have to have, but within an on-going dialogue!
Other members of Assembly had concerns about the recognition of ministries, for instance of ordained women and lay ministers. Professor Mostert said the report was primarily about the mutual recognition of ordained ministers. There would be no compromise on the ordination of women.
When the proposal came back to Assembly after deliberation, Malcolm Gledhill, from the Assembly legal reference committee, was concerned that it did not acknowledge the seriousness of differences in the two churches in their understanding of the diaconate. He said deacons were subordinate in the Anglican Church when they were not in the Uniting Church, that Uniting Church deacons had a focus of service to the community, and that in the Uniting Church they were able to preside at the Eucharist.
The proposals was passed only after an adjournment when the proposal could be rewritten. It then excluded reference to the reports broad discussion of ordained ministries and approved for further discussion only the summary references to apostolic faith and ministry and the declaration of agreement on essentials of faith and ministry .
The Assembly decision came shortly after news that the Church of England and the Methodist Church in England had agreed to enter into a similar covenant. In Australia, the Anglican and Uniting Churches have been in official dialogue since 1979.
5. KUCA-A: ready to change light bulbs for the church
KUCA-A (Kids of the Uniting Church in Australia at Assembly) gently poked fun at the church in their presentation to the Assembly.
The presentation included reflections by the children, prayers, and short skits that depicted the relationships between young people and adults in the church, in which often young people were not listened to or recognised as important.
This was balanced by a section in which the children shared the thing they enjoyed and appreciated about their own congregations such as when older people, children and different cultures come together peacefully, and when everybody recognises you and smiles at you.
Alice Ridge, from Canberra, reflecting on what kind of world she would like to live in, said: I hope that people could work towards a world where everyone is given an education and as many people as possible have the opportunity to be Christians. The last thing we want is a world where everyone is forced to be a Christian, or is only one because they were brought up that way. I believe it is important for everyone to hear the good news in a safe environment, even if they choose not to believe it, she said.
6. Witness the glory of God from the New Testament
Witness the glory of God was the theme for Assembly Bible studies. Rev Prof Dorothy Lee guided the Assembly through each passage. Dr Dean Drayton expressed his appreciation to Dorothy as he said that the studies have focused our attention upon the glory of God and so really have blessed us .
Day 1. John 1:1-18. God touched the world in a new light by the Word becoming human flesh and taking on humanity. It is through Jesus Christ that we see Gods glory. We are called to behold the Glory, to seek the face of God found in Jesus Christ. We are to first witness the Glory of God before we can witness to the Glory of God.
Day 2. Luke 9: 28-36. Christs transfiguration revealed Gods glory in an Epiphany. There are five key symbols in this passage, which point to Gods glory mountains, light/ shining, exodus, figures present and the cloud. This passage shows us that the glory of God is clear and bright as well as hidden and mysterious. We are to be like the disciples and seek the glory of God and reflect the splendour of his glory in our lives.
Day 3. 2 Cor 3:7-18. Paul uses the story of Moses to contrast the glory of God in the old age to the greater glory found in the new age in Jesus Christ. Gods glory of the old age is fading and temporary. In the new age Gods glory in Jesus Christ is steadfast and strong.
Day 4. Mark 13: 24 37. Mark addresses Gods glory being fully revealed in the future coming of Christ. We are to keep awake and be alert as we wait actively, through worship, prayer and action as well as restfully as we wait upon Gods salvation and glory to be fully revealed. Stay awake! So we can witness and bear witness to our God.
Day 5. Revelation 21:9-14, 22-27. This passage describes the city of the New Jerusalem. It illustrates Gods glory as strong, safe, sturdy and deep, for God is the foundation, architect and builder of the city. Gods glory is also found in beauty as God is at the centre of the city and radiates beauty and light. Gods glory can also be found in us as we give ourselves back to God.
The Glory of God dwells among us and we are to witness and bear witness to this Glory as we long for Gods glory to be fully revealed. Come, Lord Jesus!
Full text of Witness the Glory of God studies on the Assembly website: <http://nat.uca.org.au/assembly2003/
newsmedia/biblestudies/>
7. NCYC will celebrate its 50th anniversary
National Christian Youth Convention or NCYC will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the next NCYC to be held in Adelaide. NCYCs vision is to see people discover and explore life in Christ.
The first NCYC was an initiative of the Methodist Church to launch an evangelistic campaign. It was held at the Sydney Royal Showgrounds in 1955. The theme was God Works and key speakers included Dr A H Wood, Alan Walker and Dr Roy L Smith from the United States.
In January 2005, Adelaide will host NCYC with the theme of Live This Life. Speakers will include Rev Gemechis Desta Buba from Ethiopia and Rev Sandye Wilson from Minneapolis. For further details and for the latest updates see the NCYC Adelaide website at <http://adelaide2005.ncyc.com.au/>
or <http://ncyc.info>
NCYC has been held twice since the 9th Assembly. During the NCYC presentaion to the Assembly, delegates rose to give a standing ovation to recognise those involved in NCYC 2003, Newcastle, NSW and 2001, Brisbane, QLD. Rev John Mavor was called to pray for the mission of NCYC, before he did this he invited anyone who had been involved in NCYC over the years to stand up. He exclaimed, the number of people standing is a testimony to what it means across the church.
8. UIW2: Rich imagery, but not too flowery
The new Uniting Church liturgical resource Uniting in Worship 2, described in detail but not launched at the 10th Assembly, will be cheaper and more diverse than the original.
Rev Dr Paul Walton from Theology and Discipleship said the new publication would take multiple forms it will be a book, a CD-ROM and a website. The book will be smaller, around the size of the present UIW Peoples Book. There will also be new editions of the booklets which have been popular in Uniting Churches for decades Holy Communion, Baptism, and Marriage.
The new model will be much cheaper for congregations, as only one copy would be required per congregation, rather than an expensive Leaders Book and multiple copies of the Peoples Book. Congregations will be able to reproduce the Service of the Lords Day through a variety of means: OHT, data projection, or photocopied handouts.
UIW2 will showcase a variety of liturgical styles, and use a wider range of imagery and names for God. Dr Walton used the term middle register language , which he said would be more descriptive and poetic, but not too flowery. He cited liturgical writers such as Dorothy McRae-McMahon and Bruce Prewer as examples of this style.
There will be three Services of the Lords Day, one in the original UIW style, and two new ones, one which has Eastern Orthodox influences.
Other Assembly News&
Grace abounds in 10,000 roses!!
In 2002, 1,500 Gift of Grace roses were delivered to people in all synods. In 2003 from July to November another 8,500 will be delivered.
Have you got yours yet? You can still order them for 2004! Contact the assembly office, Linda or Sue,
t: 8267 4262 to get your order form or download it from the assembly website <http://nat.uca.org.au> or email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
This overwhelming response has been wonderful but challenging. Peter and Kim, the growers in Myaponga, south of Adelaide, have had to find new ways of delivering so many roses in one year! Hence the staggered delivery this year from July to November with advanced roses coming to Victoria, SA and NSW later in the year in special packing. Sue Neilsen, a keen rose grower herself, has joined the assembly to process orders and to assist people with their enquiries about the rose.
Whose rose bloomed first? Tony Davies, patrol minister in Alice Springs claims the first public bloom in 2002, with it appearing in late August! At least it was the first in Alice Springs, which received its very early order of 50 bare rooted roses in July. Lindsay Faulkener carefully nurtured three fabulous blooms to be at their peak in September when the 90th anniversary of Frontier Services was held in the Flynn Memorial church! Other roses were planted next to the church by the Mayor of Alice Springs and in the Old Timers complex and St Phillips college.
Forest Lake Uniting Church in Queensland presented roses to its community rose garden as did Toowoomba. Ipswich planted it in a special memorial garden. Magnetic Island presented roses to the other four denominations on the island as a sign of friendship and relationship. Peak Crossing had a special plaque made with a prayer on it about the rose when they planted it in their church garden.
Anne Hortin in WA planted hers in a large pot as they were not sure whether this home was to be a permanent one. She asked for advice from the growers and it bloomed well. Star St congregation planted them in a vacant plot next to a low cost food centre to beautify it and bring joy and hope. York prepared a special new garden at the entrance to the historic church for their roses.
Chester St Epping in NSW gave roses to its sister congregations of the Anglican and Catholic traditions as a sign of their ecumenical commitment, their TIE (Together in Epping!). Nyngan gave their rose a special blessing by asking the then Moderator, Margaret Reeson, to plant it and say a prayer.
Dont miss out in 2004. Order now!! This rose will remain exclusive to the UCA for another year at least. And please send us your stories and pictures of what you have done with your roses.
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Stephen Webb Media Officer Communications Unit NSW Synod, Uniting Church in Australia Box A2178, Sydney South, NSW 1235, Australia email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Phone: +61 2 82674308; Fax: 92674716; Web: nsw.uca.org.au/cu/ & insights.uca.org.au/ ------------------ The Communications Unit publishes the monthly magazine Insights, conducts public relations for the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church, and provides a variety of communications services. These include writing, editing, web consultation and development, desktop publishing and graphic design, public relations and advertising. For a consultation or free estimate on your project call the Communications Unit at (02) 8267 4307.
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