Assembly Standing Committee

The Assembly Standing Committee is the representative body that sits between each Triennial Assembly. The Triennial Assembly is held once every three years, but three times each year, usually March, July and November, the Standing Committee meets to conduct interim business.
Eighteen voting members are elected at each Assembly to sit on the ASC for the following three years. There are also six ex-officio members, made up of the ex-President, the President, the President-elect, the General Secretary, the National Administrator and the Chairperson of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.

Current Members of the Standing Committee for 2006-2009 are:

1. Bruce Binnie (QLD Synod, lay)
2. Chris Budden (NSW/ACT Synod – minister of the word)
3. Sue Clarkson (Vic/Tas Synod, lay)
4. Isabel Thomas Dobson (Vic/Tas synod, lay)
5. Bev Fabb (WA Synod, deacon)
6. Kathleen Fraser (Northern Synod, minister of the word)
7. Sue Gormann (Vic/Tas Synod, minister of the word)
8. Mata Havea (NSW/ACT Synod, lay)
9. Elise Honey (Vic/Tas Synod, lay, under 25)
10. Andrew Johnson (QLD Synod, lay, under 25)
11. Jason Kioa (Vic/Tas synod, minister of the word)
12. Stuart McMillan (Northern Synod, lay)
13. Jim Mein (NSW/ACT Synod, lay)
14. Heidi Stabb (NSW/ACT Synod, lay)
15. Allan Thompson (Vic/Tas synod, minister of the word)
16. Jan Trengrove (SA Synod, lay)
17. Liva Tukutama (NSW/ACT Synod, minister of the word)
18. Robert Watson (WA Synod, lay)

The Assembly Standing Committee is the representative body that sits between each Triennial Assembly. The Triennial Assembly is held once every three years, but three times each year, usually March, July and November, the Standing Committee meets to conduct interim business.
Eighteen voting members are elected at each Assembly to sit on the ASC for the following three years. There are also six ex-officio members, made up of the ex-President, the President, the President-elect, the General Secretary, the National Administrator and the Chairperson of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress.

Current Members of the Standing Committee for 2006-2006 are:

Bruce Binnie (QLD Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Bruce brings a wide range of experience, particularly in the areas of finance and administration and holds a Bachelor of Business and is a certified practicing accountant. He has been a member of the Standing Committee from 2000-2006; the Synod representative on National Finance Committee from 1991; Chairperson of the National Finance Committee 2001/2003; Chairperson of the National Finance and Audit Committee from 2003-2006; Member and Chair of Church Council - Beenleigh Congregation; Director, Financial and Property Services, Queensland Synod since 1991; Employer appointed Director and Chairperson of Uniting Church Superannuation Pty Ltd.

Chris Budden (NSW/ACT Synod – minister of the word) | Back to Top

Chris is the current Minister of North Lake Macquarie Congregation and the past General Secretary (NSW Synod). He is also past Chair of Assembly Doctrine Working Group and a member of ASC Covenant Continuation Group. Chris has been a member of all but one Assembly meeting since 1985 and part of three Standing Committees. Chris' concern is for the Church's capacity for clear theological reflection, justice, support for congress and being a hospitable and inclusive church.

Sue Clarkson (Vic/Tas Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Sue is a Specified Youth Worker and has been member of Assembly in 1991, 2003 and 2006 and a member of the Assembly Standing Committee from 1991¬to 1993 and during the last triennium. She is an active member of the Church of All Nations in Carlton and currently in placement as the Youth Ministry Coordinator in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. Sue has been involved in national activities such as NCYC, where she was past coordinator), AboutFACE and Interns in Mission (South Africa). She is passionate about the Church's future issues of mission, new ways of being church, leadership development and the engagement of young people in the life of the Church.

Isabel Thomas Dobson (Vic/Tas synod, lay) | Back to Top

Isabel has wide experience in the provincial and rural church in Victoria and Tasmania. She is currently the Presbytery Minister in Lodden Campaspe Presbytery and an Elder at Forest St, Bendigo. Isabel has been a member of four Assemblies, two Assembly Standing Committees (1997-2000, 2003-¬2006) and is a former Moderator of the Synod of Tasmania. Isabel brings attention to detail, pastoral sensitivity, ability to identify key issues and wisdom to whatever role the church asks her to undertake.

Bev Fabb (WA Synod, deacon) | Back to Top

Bev is a Deacon with 30 years experience of ministry within two Synods. She has ministerial experience in youth ministry, inner-city low income communities, a joint Anglican/Uniting congregation, prison chaplaincy, UnitingCare agencies, Frontier Services patrol ministry, Evangelism and development of new congregations and ministry in the CBD of Perth.
Bev has previously served on the Assembly’s Ministerial Education Commission, the Commission for Mission, the Social Responsibility and Justice Commission and was a member of Assembly Standing committee from 2003-2006.

Kathleen Fraser (Northern Synod, minister of the word) | Back to Top

Kate entered into the life of the UCA in 1984 at the John Flynn church in Alice Springs. She became involved with children's ministry and prison ministry, the Synod Mission Committee and served for three years on the Assembly National Committee on Mission and Evangelism. Throughout this time she worked as an Accountant with Aboriginal communities in central Australia and with Central Land Council. Kate studied theology in Brisbane from 1998-2000 and her first placement was at The Hills Uniting Church. She is currently in ministry at Nightcliff Uniting Church in Darwin, emphasising church relationship to community and post modern mission.

Sue Gormann (Vic/Tas Synod, minister of the word) | Back to Top

Sue is the current Moderator in the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania and has 20 years experience in education and school chaplaincy (lay and ordained) and in both secular and Uniting Church schools. Sue was a member of the Assembly Standing Committee from 2003-2006 and convened the committee that produced the book Sexuality and Leadership in the Uniting Church. Sue has a keen interest in discerning how we communicate the Christian Gospel in our current time and how the church can best structure itself so this can happen.

Mata Havea (NSW/ACT Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Mata is currently in ministry as Mission Development Agent within the Georges River Presbytery in NSW. An accredited Youth Worker, she is a Tongan-born Australian with a passion to address second generation youth issues. Mata has been the Presbytery Multicultural contact for Georges River since 2005, a Synod member from 2002-2005, a member of ACOMP NSW from 2004-2005 and the Assembly Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Ministry Working Group for Second Generation young people.

Elise Honey (Vic/Tas Synod, lay, under 25) | Back to Top

Elise is under 25 with a broad involvement in the life of our church. She is a member of her Synod Standing Committee and is a member has been an active participant in the Synod since 2003. Elise is also an Elder, church councillor, youth group leader and worship and song leader within her congregation and a qualified teacher who actively participates in various aspects of the life of the Uniting Church. She has an overview of the life of the Church and a commitment to the local, regional and national church.

Andrew Johnson (QLD Synod, lay, under 25) | Back to Top

Andrew has been a confirmed member of the Uniting Church since 1995 and holds a
Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science. He is active in Broadwater Road congregation's worship, music and youth activities and a member of its church council. He was a member of the Synods Business Committee in 2004 and 2005 and a member of those Synods. Andrew is employed half-time as the Social Responsibility Advocate and International Mission Consultant for the QLD Synod.

Jason Kioa (Vic/Tas synod, minister of the word) | Back to Top

Jason has been a member of the two previous Assembly Standing Committees, has been the Chairperson of the Vic/Tas Commission for Mission for the last six years and is the incoming Moderator of the Synod. He is currently in placement at Wesley Church, Melbourne and is the former Chairperson of the Synods Multicultural and Cross-Cultural Committee. He is also the former Chairperson of Bourke Presbytery and Chairperson of the Tongan National Conference and has a broad understanding of, and experience in, the UCA, bringing wisdom and pastoral awareness.

Stuart McMillan (Northern Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Stuart was called to Northern Synod in 1982 to work with indigenous people and from 1992 was an educator with Community Development Congress – ARDS and NRCC support worker. He was taught by Yolnu elders their language and law to present with them to governments and has journeyed with Congress in covenant conversations with the national church. Stuart has been a board member and chair of the Uniting Church Agency Somerville Community Services from 1982 to 2003 and has served as a Lay Preacher, Elder, Parish and Elders Council Chair, Presbytery representative and on his Synod’s Finance and Property Committee and Trustee Property Trust. From 2004 with his wife Ros, he has provided pastoral oversight at the Living Water Congregation and school chaplaincy. He is active in Darwin’s ecumenical vision and city wide prayer.

Jim Mein (NSW/ACT Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Jim is moderator of the Synod for 2004-2007. He is a former Executive Director with Board of Finance and Property and a Synod member from 1995-2004; former treasurer Uniting Church Overseas Aid; former Chairperson and long term member of the Assembly Finance Committee; member of the Assembly Standing Committee from 1994-2003; Elder at Thornleigh Hillcrest Congregation, Sydney; chartered Accountant; Fellow with the Australian Institute of Management, CEO Institute and CPA Australia and was chairperson of Assembly General Secretary Nominating Committee in 2003.

Jim brings wide and in-depth knowledge of the operations of the Church, a general understanding of the different positions of members of the Uniting Church (theologically and otherwise) and has a strong desire for the Church to be more relevant to the secular world than ever before.

Heidi Stabb (NSW/ACT Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Heidi is a solicitor working for a small Sydney CBD law firm, practising in areas including aged care law and property law. At 28, she is a veteran of 10 Synod meetings (9 Victorian or Victorian/Tasmanian and one NSW) and three Assemblies. Heidi has been a participant in AboutFACE 5, is a former member of the Victorian Commission for Mission and served to two terms on the Vic/Tas Synod Standing Committee.

She is also a current member of the Executive of the National Council of Churches in Australia and was a Uniting Church delegate to the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Heidi is passionate about ecumenical social justice, creative writing and cross-country skiing.

Allan Thompson (Vic/Tas synod, minister of the word) | Back to Top

Allan is Associate General Secretary of Vic/Tas synod and lives in Tasmania. He is a member of last ASC and has wide experience of UCA at congregational, presbytery, synod and national settings and has a passion for enabling inter-related councils to serve the present missionary context. Allan spent 25 years as a congregational minister (19 in rural placements), four years as Director UnitingCare agency and five years as Presbytery Minister. He is currently President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches and Board Member of a UCA school.

Jan Trengrove (SA Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Jan is a farmer from the mid north of South Australia, having trained as a primary school teacher. Jan is passionate about ministry of lay people and is a member of her congregation's Lay Ministry Team. She is an active leader and participant in a number of local community organisations. Previous church experience includes past Moderator SA Synod 2001-2003, past Chair and Secretary of Frome Presbytery, ASC Member 2000-2003, Member Frontier Services Board, immediate past Chair National Working Group on Evangelism Working Group and past Chair UnitingCare Wesley Port Pixie Board.

Liva Tukutama (NSW/ACT Synod, minister of the word) | Back to Top

Liva is currently a Minister at Canberra City Uniting Church and was a member of the past Standing Committee and current Chairperson of the Assembly’s Multicultural and Cross-cultural Reference Committee. He brings to a cross-cultural perspective to the church’s life and work and has a good knowledge of the UCA structure and polity. Liva has served as a member of the NSW Synod and Presbytery committees, is a strong advocate for the UCA to continue to be a church which values diversity and is a passionate proclaimer of the gospel.

Robert Watson (WA Synod, lay) | Back to Top

Robert is Moderator of the Synod of WA, Chairperson of the Presbytery of WA, a current member of the UnitingCare Australia National Committee and a member of the Foothills Uniting Church Congregation. He has worked in ecumenical settings for over 30 years and is the past Chair of the UnitingCare Commission in WA.