On the road to the 17th Assembly
The 17th triennial meeting of the Assembly of the Uniting Church will take place from 11-16 July, 2024, in Sydney
November 28, 2023
Preparations have begun for the 17th Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia which will take place in Sydney from 11-16 July in 2024.
Assembly General Secretary Colleen Geyer said it was an exciting time as Presbyteries and Synods finalise their members and planning begins in earnest for the triennial decision-making meeting of the Church’s national council.
“We are officially on the road to the 17th Assembly!” said Ms Geyer. “National assemblies are always a significant event in the life of the Church as members gather together in worship, form community and discern together the movement of the Spirit in the life of the Church.”
President-elect Rev Charissa Suli is delighted to announce the theme for the 17th Assembly and the next triennium, “Threads of Love, Weaving Christ's Love Across Cultures and Boundaries".
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Inspired by the honoured Tongan tradition of weaving the fala (mat), the theme speaks to our God-given call to weave Christ’s love into the world by building bridges across social and cultural divides.
“Each strand of the fala is important to each other in the same way that the Holy Spirit gifts and empowers all members of the Church to confess Jesus Christ and serve him,” said Rev Suli.
The phrase “Threads of Love” is a reference to Paul's Letter to the Colossians (3:14) and spotlights the transformative power of Christ’s love as it overcomes cultural boundaries and unities us in God’s service.
The President-elect said she was further inspired by the story of the Samaritan woman’s encounter with Jesus at the well in which Jesus traverses cultural and religious divides to engage in deep theological dialogue with the woman, who in turn is transformed by and becomes a beacon of Christ’s love.
“My hope is that the theme inspires us to acknowledge and honour our shared humanity in God our creator, and to act upon our common duty to shape a world that mirrors the love and unity Christ has for us all.”
Nominations for President-elect will be received in the lead up to the Assembly meeting.
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