Assembly 2000

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The Uniting Church, Synod of South Australia, has elected a lay woman from the country, Jan Trengove, as its next pastoral leader.

Mrs Trengove — she prefers to be called "Jan" — will become SA Moderator of the Uniting Church during the next full meeting of the church’s Synod, in October 2001.

The church’s present Moderator, Rev Don Catford, announced the results of the election at a Synod meeting at the weekend.

Ian and Jan Trengove farm on a family property out of Spalding, a small rural community in the mid-north of South Australia about 180 kilometres north of Adelaide.

Jan is a member of the church’s lay ministry team at Spalding. She played a major role in the church’s recent national Assembly, which was held in Adelaide in July. She chaired the Assembly’s business committee.

"The Uniting Church does encourage and affirm its lay people," Jan told the Synod in her acceptance speech. "There’s no doubt about that. But the challenge I see is to convince our lay people that the gifts and graces they bring to the church are equally as valuable as those of our wonderful ministers, deacons and youth workers.

"Too often the stumbling block for lay involvement is a lack of confidence and risk taking by the lay people.

"Come on, folks! Together we’re a great team."

The term of Moderator is for two years.

Third woman Moderator

Jan will South Australia’s third woman Moderator and the second lay (not ordained) woman to lead the church.

Mrs Elizabeth Finnegan was Moderator in the late 80s.

Rev Margaret Polkinghorne was Moderator in the mid 90s.

Press Release (October 15, 2000)

Comment

Views expressed in any comments above do not necessarily reflect those of the Uniting Church in Australia.