Why Ken loves Adelaide

Ken Hayes and his wife, Barbara, love Adelaide, their adopted city. Now they’re selling Adelaide to members of the Uniting Church.

Ken is in charge of visitors program for the 9^th national assembly of the Uniting Church, which will be held in Adelaide from July 15 to July 22^, this year. He and Barbara have been in Adelaide since 1974.

"We’re really country people," he said. "We come from Hamilton in Victoria and we lived in Melbourne for several years.

"We love Adelaide. There are lots of interesting places to visit and lots of interesting things to do. And it’s so easy to get around Adelaide. We love the relaxed atmosphere.

"When we retired, people said: ‘Will you go back to Hamilton or to Melbourne?’ We said: ‘No way!"

Ken said visitors to the assembly will be able to attend any of the assembly sessions, although, of course, they will not be able to vote.

"The visitors program will be interesting and diverse. It’s a balanced program. It is a unique opportunity to get a sense of the national church.

"There’ll be electives for the visitors. They’ll deal with many of the issues in the life of the church at the moment."

Ken said that the visitors could really shape their own programs to fit their needs.

"They could make it an educational program to learn more about the church," he said. "Or they could treat it more like a sight seeing holiday. They have the option. It would depend on what they choose to take up from what’s being offered.

"They could go to workshops, electives and attend sessions. Or they can spend their time sightseeing with pleasant company. Or they can make it a combination of both.

"They’ll have the opportunity to meet the president and the president elect. They’ll meet the children and youth involved here in Adelaide. They’ll meet international visitors."

Ken enjoys talking about Adelaide.

"Adelaide’s quieter than some of the other capital cities. It’s a relaxed place to live in. Getting around the city isn’t a hassle.

Adelaide’s a beautiful city. It’s still the city of churches, as far as I’m concerned. It’s got some great history and some great buildings. We’re incorporating the historical side of Adelaide in the visitors program.

"Then there are places like the Adelaide Central Market. It’s so bustling and exciting and the food’s great."

Ken said the visitors’ program will be an opportunity to meet other people from the church from around Australia, and people from overseas.

"If you’ve met someone it’s a lot easier to support them by prayer — and that’s something worth stressing.

"This is a chance to be at the hub of the national church, to be there when major decisions affecting the future of the life of the church are being made. Even though you can’t vote, you can be a part of the prayer life. And you can be part of the discussion and the decision-making by talking to assembly members."

New Times, SA (February 2000)