National Update

Your snapshot of the Uniting Church in Australia

Featured Story

Hannah Jackson appointed the Assembly’s inaugural Director for Advocacy and Justice

The Assembly is delighted to announce the appointment of Hannah Jackson to the newly created role of Director, Advocacy & Justice.

Hannah brings nearly two decades of experience in advocacy, public policy, communications and government affairs, together with a lifelong commitment to the Uniting Church. She joins the Assembly from Diabetes Australia, where she led external affairs and advanced the organisation’s national advocacy and strategic direction. Previously, she served as a Chief of Staff in the Queensland Government.

Hannah has also served on the UnitingWorld National Committee, her local church council and is a lay preacher.

She will commence her role with the Assembly in September.

Satara’s story: listening for justice

At 24, Satara Uthayakumaran has already become a respected voice for justice, serving as Australia’s Youth Representative to the United Nations. But her commitment to advocacy didn’t begin on the world stage. It was shaped by faith, family and a church community that taught her to listen before speaking and to see every person as bearing God’s image.

In this latest addition to our Humans of the Uniting Church series, Satara shares on the experiences that have shaped her journey, the role her faith continues to play, and why hope begins with listening.

MULTICULTURAL CHURCH

Korean National Conference inspires a collective story

The Korean National Conference recently gathered for a time of worship, fellowship and discernment, highlighting the vibrant contribution of our Korean members.

The conference’s theme, “This is my story, this is my song”, invited delegates to reflect on the journeys that have shaped their identity as migrants, pastors and members of the wider Uniting Church. Read and watch conference reflections here.

ECUMENICAL

Preparing for Season of Creation

Each year from 1 September to 4 October, Christians around the world join in the Season of Creation – a time of prayer, worship and action celebrating God as Creator and caring for our common home.

The Assembly’s 2026 Season of Creation celebration guide will be released soon. Register today to receive your copy directly in your inbox and prepare your community for this special season.

GLOBAL CHURCH

Leading peacebuilders visit the Assembly

Leaders from the Assembly and the Synods of Uniting Church NSW & ACT, and Uniting Church Victoria & Tasmania, were delighted to welcome Dr Nida Shoughry and Dr Tsameret Levy Daphny to the Assembly’s Sydney office last week.

Former Palestinian lawyer Dr Shoughry and former Jewish academic Dr Levy Daphny are now leading peacebuilding practitioner scholars, visiting Australia to share their personal and professional insights into the vital role women play in building peace across the Middle East. Despite often being overlooked in public discourse and excluded from formal decision-making, women continue to create spaces for dialogue, hope and reconciliation in communities shaped by conflict.

Rev Lindsay Cullen and Rev Dr Sunny Chen from the Assembly, NSW and ACT Synod Moderator Rev Faaimata Havea Hiliau, and Dr Mark Zirnsak, Senior Social Justice Advocate with the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, were grateful for the opportunity to listen, learn and reflect together on the Church's calling to be peacemakers.

BUSH MINISTRY

Host a Frontier Services Sunday church service

Frontier Services Sunday is a dedicated day, this year on 30 August, when church communities across Australia come together to stand with the people of rural and remote Australia and our Bush Chaplains and Outback Links volunteers who walk alongside them.

For people living in isolated parts of the country, distance can mean going without the support, connection and care that many of us take for granted. Frontier Services exists to change that, and Frontier Services Sunday is your congregation’s chance to be part of it. Hosting a service gives your community the opportunity to hear these stories, reflect on what it means to care for our neighbours in the bush, and help ensure that no one is left too far to matter.

We’ve made hosting simple. A free Order of Service and worship resources are ready to download, and your service doesn't need to fall on 30 August itself if another date suits your congregation better.

Ready to bring Frontier Services Sunday to your church? Contact Anne Jones, Donor Relations Officer, to register or ask any questions.

The funeral for the late Rev Dr John Brown will be held at Canberra City Uniting Church this Saturday, 1 August, at 10am. A committal service will follow at 1pm at the Gungahlin Memorial Crematorium. A livestream will also be available via the website of William Cole Funerals.
The Northern Synod is staging the inaugural Rev Dr Michelle Cook Lecture and Workshops this October as it honours the legacy of the gifted theologian, educator and leader. Click here for info.
ICYMI: Join lay preachers, worship leaders and church leaders from across Australia for the National Lay Preachers’ Conference this September in Melbourne. Click here for more info and to book!
The General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches has issued an open pastoral letter urging the Pacific to resist militarisation, uphold the Blue Pacific as an Ocean of Peace, and ensure decisions about the region’s future are guided by transparency, inclusion and the wellbeing of all creation.

Join us in prayer for...

Hannah Jackson as she prepares to join the Assembly in her new leadership role.
The next generation of leaders among our congregations.
The vibrant and faithful Korean communities across the Uniting Church. May we continue to embrace and welcome them, being attentive to the wisdom of their unique stories.
Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda as part of the WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle.