Synod 22 Day 1: 24th June 2022

Friday 24th June, 2022

Synod Meeting: Day 1

Welcome to Country by Ivan Copley

Ivan acknowledged that the meeting was coming together on the traditional land of the Peramangk people of the Adelaide Hills.

Noting that it was the Prussians that originally came to Hahndorf. Prussian women befriended the Peramangk women and they taught them how to survive in this landscape. This relationship between Aboriginal women and non-Aboriginal women was formed so closely as they worked together for survival.

From the venue you can see some of the Mt Lofty Ranges which have been the inspiration for some of the oldest cultural stories that currently exists around Adelaide.

This place is a living culture of the First Nations people of this area..

Moderator Sue Ellis, also welcomed National Assembly President Rev Sharon Hollis and National Assembly General Secretary Colleen Geyer to the meeting.

Worship

Members were asked to contemplate the beautiful view from the windows of the conference room and to connect with and acknowledge the presence of God with us at this time.

Rev Dr Denise Champion expressed her disappointment that she could not be with the Synod members today and that she prepared a video which was viewed at the meeting.

View video

Members were called upon to sing the song as a community and Rev Ann Phillips (Minister, Yorke Peninsula) then spoke the opening prayer.

John 15 was read by Isaac Prior.

Song: God is Here Today

Trad Mexican: trans by C Michael Hawn 1999 Choristers Guild, CCLI No 165755. Used with permission under copyright CCLI License 288522

Statement from the Moderator Bronte Wilson

Acting Moderator Rev Sue Ellis read a statement from the Moderator Bronte Wilson.

Proposal Number 1: Procedural

Procedural proposal brought to the meeting by Rev Sue Page, General Secretary in relation to meeting procedures, and to roles and responsibilities.

Consensus

Conclusion of Placement of General Secretary
Rev Felicity Amery

The Synod noted the statement that had been given about the conclusion of the placement of Rev Felicity Amery as General Secretary and past Moderator Deirdre Palmer offered prayers for all concerned.

In Memoriam

The following Ministers have passed away since the Meeting of the Synod February 2021:

Rev Neeltje Elisabeth van Dyk
Rev William Robert Maitland Dow
Rev Douglas Walter (Bill) Hancock
Philip Eugene Houston (Lay Pastor)
Rev Dr Ian Ross McKenzie Parsons
Rev William Thomas Rothwell
Rev Bryan Malcolm Young

We formally recognise the extensive number of people who have faithfully offered lay leadership and who have passed away since the 2021 Meeting of the Synod.

Assembly Report

Rev Sharon Hollis, National Assembly President and Colleen Geyer, National Assembly General Secretary co-presented an Assembly Report and confirmed that it was a privilege for them to be in attendance at the Synod of South Australia meeting. They also paid their respects to past and present Peramangk people and acknowledged all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people present at the meeting.

Highlights from the re-convened Assembly Meeting included:

Act1
Climate Change
Congress
Aged Care Advocacy
Education and Formation
Gender based violence 'Thursdays in Black' campaign / Development of family and domestic violence resources
National Insurance Program
Resources for special times within the Uniting Church
Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday.

Overall emphasis was placed on the work that needs to be done to challenge, renew and strengthen the faith of the Uniting Church in Australia.

45th Birthday Celebration

Members were asked to write their prayers on strips of coloured paper on their tables. They were then asked to staple the strips into circles and to link them together.

Song: In the Lord I'll be ever Thankful

Litany for the Uniting Church

We are a people saved by grace through faith,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we join our praise with all creation,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we look, with all your people,
for the coming of your kingdom,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we seek, with other churches,
the unity for which Jesus prays,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we cry and groan and work
for justice and reconciliation,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we pray and learn to love
in the dark places of human life,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we long for our own transformation
and for the renewal of all your church,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

As we seek for peace in our homes,
our workplaces and our world,
re-make us as your people, Lord.
Free us for witness and service.

May your kingdom come,
And your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Song: God the Father, Son and Spirit

Words: Keith Pearson, Tune: Ode to Joy, public domain.
Words freely available on the UCA Assembly website.

Proposal 5: Presbytery Restructure Review Report S1.4

It was noted that it is difficult to report on the impact of the presbytery restructure without taking into consideration the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presbyteries looked for new ways of doing mission as well as continuing to embrace some of the old ways.

As community life was lived on screens the grief of this period was acknowledged, understanding that the Body of Christ still went out in word and deed in all presbyteries.

The proposals to affirm the people of God in presbyteries were heart-felt. Mission Resourcing received increased support as churches sought new ways of operating.

Resourcing - picks up on two tasks - the challenge of resourcing and to also consider the effectiveness of the funding model.

Noted that there are different pathways to presbytery formation and different responses to this and certain things in common with all presbyteries:

Lack of Uniting Church knowledge
Leadership shortfalls
Leadership meetings
Property reports and their consequences
CRM and privacy concerns
Funding of Mission Resourcing
Workload and shared responsibilities.

This was acknowledge as a discussion session only, with the opportunity to vote tomorrow.

Proposal 10: Strategy and Planning Mission and Property Report S1.11

This working group and its report emanated from the February 2021 meeting of the Synod of SA, the Chair of the Resources Board, Rev Rob Stoner and the General Secretary, Rev Felicity Amery when they presented a property report ‘God’s Church and its Buildings - Are they Fit for Mission?' The two tasks of the current working group are:

To develop a future focussed strategy and to determine the number and geographic locations of buildings to house vibrant missional communities.
What is it to be vibrant and missional with regard our properties. Proposal socialised with presbyteries.

Both Proposals 10 and 11 were discussed in table groups, with further deliberation to occur tomorrow.

Proposal 4 - Professional Development Review Report

Ask Rev Philip Gardner EO Placements and Safe Church to set up a Task Group to oversee the strengthening and oversight of Professional Development in the Synod of SA.

Survey was undertaken of Ministers to seek how they used their professional development allowance. From this, a group would do further work, then COVID-19 occurred. Some Ministers are not aware that they are accountable to their Church Council for their professional development and the council has a right to respond to their professional development.

Some Church Councils are not well equipped for these conversations. How can we creatively resource Ministers in their professional development. How do we conduct scholarships, courses at the college and how do we improve professional development opportunities for Ministers.

MediaCom Education

MediaCom provided a brief presentation. Their website is located at this link.

Roman Catholic Uniting Church Dialogue Group

John Hughes presented some information on the Roman Catholic Uniting Church Dialogue Group and the resource 'Crying Out.' Further information is available at this link.

'Crying Out' explores the Statement of the Heart and care for the environment.

Proposal 12 - Faith Communities Beneficial Use

After a conversation with the proposers it was decided that this matter will be addressed in a different way.

Proposal 6 - Formation Panels for Deacons

It is understood within the Uniting Church that the responsibilities of the Ministry of Deacon and Ministry of the Word are equal. However, whilst their ministry does, from time-to-time overlap, the Ministry of the Word (usually) focusses on the gathered church community, whereas the heart of the Deacon yearns to reach beyond the traditional gathered church, out into the community.

The proposal seeks to have a Deacon appear on future Formation Panels.

Consensus

Proposal 9 - Justice for Asylum Seekers

To call on the Commonwealth Government to:

a) replace Temporary Protection Visas and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEV) visas with permanent visas

b) give the same access to tertiary education for refugees and people seeking asylum as is given to Australian citizens

c) immediately increase Australia’s humanitarian, family reunion and refugee intake to 20,000 with annual increases until 35,0000, as well as increasing the intake from Afghanistan to 25,000 excluding the current 449 visa holders here in Australia

d) give urgent priority to processing the immediate family cases of boat arrivals

e) end indefinite offshore processing and instead processes all people seeking asylum onshore fairly and quickly in line with its responsibilities under the Refugee Convention.

Request the Moderator to write to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs to inform them of this resolution.

Pending

S2.11 UAICC Report

Ken Sumner provided the UAICC Report advising that this has been another year of change with Congress in SA. Highlights have been the development of the MOU with the Presbyteries, the Standing Committee approving Congress having the Powers of a Presbytery, the employment of the Theologian in Residence at Yarthu Apinthi, and the approval of the church building plans for Oodnadatta.

Ken particularly gave thanks to the work of staff within the UAICC.

Worship

Yanakanai

Yanakanai, yanakanai,
yankanai wimilangha ikapala. (repeat)

Arrawatanha, Arrawatanha,
Arrawatanha ngarpalangha ikandha. (repeat)

Come, come,
come, gather we will sit together. (repeat)

Translation from Adnyamathanha to English:

Yankakanai - come
wimilangha ikapala - we will sit together in the gathering.
Arrawatanha - Most high.
Ngarpalangha ikandha - is present here.

Rev Dr Denis Champion and Rev Jennifer Hughes
(Used with permission).

Song: Beneath the Southern Cross

Words and music: Catherine Burton and Malcolm Gordon Copyright 2014
Adapted for the Australian context by The Centre for Music, Liturgy and the Arts and Malcolm Gordon Copyright 2021. Used with permission. ONE LICENSE, License #A-730562.

John 15 9-17 was read by Pastor Julia Lennon.

The MOU between the UAICC, Presbyteries and Worship that was to be signed at this time has been postponed.

President Sharon Hollis was asked to lead the prayer for the South Australian Synod and for Congress.

A second video from Rev Dr Denise Champion was shown during the meeting.

View video

Final song: For You, Deep Stillness

Copyright 1997 Robin Mann. Words: Julie Perrin
CCLI No 165755. Used with permission under copyright CCLI License 288522.