Christ has called us into a community of justice where all are free to contribute and to share one another’s burdens. The Uniting Church respects the rights and dignity of our first people.
At the heart of our justice work is the Uniting Church’s efforts to bring First and Second Peoples of Australia together and to support First Nations Peoples, primarily through our covenant relationship with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC).
In 1994 the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) formally entered into a Covenant with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress so that together we may contribute to a more just church and nation. On behalf of the Second Peoples of the UCA, the Uniting Church’s 7th President Dr Jill Tabart read a statement acknowledging past wrongs and making a new commitment to the relationship. On behalf of First Peoples of UAICC, Congress Chairperson Pastor Bill Hollingsworth responded acknowledging past pain and looking to future with hope. Pastor Hollinsworth also presented to the UCA, a Covenant Painting. The full Covenanting Statement from the 7th Assembly, 10 July 1994 is available from the UCA website.
(Uniting Church in Australia, Assembly, Covenanting in the Uniting Church)
At its 43rd Annual Meeting of the Synod of WA the Uniting Church WA agreed to support the 2017 Statement from the Heart, and urged the Commonwealth Government to listen to it and establish a First Nations’ Voice in the Constitution, and the Makarrata Commission – to supervise a process of agreement making between governments and First Nations, and provide a means for truth-telling about the history of Australia’s First Peoples. The full media release of this decision can be found on the our website – Uniting Church WA calls for a First Nations’ Voice
The Social Justice Unit supports the Covenanting Commission, a joint body between the Synod and the WA Regional Committee of UAICC. Any matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are discussed with members of Congress, including the following:
Learn more about Covenanting in the Uniting Church on the Assembly website.
The Congregation Covenanting Guide ‘Walking together as First and Second Peoples’ has been prepared by the Covenanting Commission for use in congregations. The resource has been developed to provide a simple list of suggested actions congregations can take to progress their Covenanting journey. We encourage all congregations to use the guide and continue to take steps in walking together as First and Second Peoples.
The observance of a Day of Mourning on the Sunday before 26 January arises from a request from the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) which was endorsed by the 15th Assembly in 2018. Congregations are invited to hold a worship service on or around Sunday 22 January that reflect on the effects of invasion, colonisation and racism on First Peoples.
