NEWS/MEDIA at the 10th Assembly

NCYC will celebrate its 50th anniversary

National Christian Youth Convention or NCYC will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the next NCYC to be held in Adelaide. NCYC’s vision is to see people discover and explore life in Christ.

Rev John Mavor with NCYC 2005 coordinator, Al Brocklehurst. John Mavor hs been to 14 NCYCs. His first was in 1966.

The first NCYC was an initiative of the Methodist Church to launch an evangelistic campaign. It was held at the Sydney Royal Showgrounds in 1955. More >>

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Tuvalu is sinking

Tuvalu, the smallest nation on earth is disappearing into the Pacific Ocean. Tuvalu is a group of atolls, none of which are more than five metres above sea level. Within a very short time these atolls will all be submerged as sea levels rise because of global warning and climatic change. One island has already disappeared. More >>

Deacons to get more support

The diaconate attracted more interest and enthusiastic discussion at Assembly in the debate on closer relations with the Anglican Church than it did on proposals related to the review of the diaconate. In fact, Assembly was quite lukewarm to the diaconate until it seemed the authors of “For the Sake of the Gospel” weren’t treating the ministry of Uniting Church deacons with sufficient respect.

Responses to discussion of the report from the Task Group on the Ministry of Deacon even indicated a willingness to remove the diaconate, rather than review it. More >>

Assembly opts for flexibility with elders and church councils

A proposal relating to elders and church councils attracted little discussion after its introduction on Sunday July 13. But it was gutted of its major content before Assembly passed it on Friday.

The proposers said elders needed to be members of the church council in order to fully exercise their office and calling. They said elders also needed a conciliar structure in which they might be accountable for the exercise of their ministry and from which they might gain support as they exercise their ministry. More >>