UTC
eNews 2013 July Break
FROM THE FACULTY - UTC DEVELOPMENTS
The last week has seen a few transitions at the College. Clive Pearson’s Placement concluded on 30 June. The College Council will organise a farewell for Clive in due course. Clive remains an adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Theology, continuing with his research higher degree supervisions as well as some teaching. The Principal's mantle has now fallen to Carolyn Thornley who holds the position in an acting capacity.
Also concluding her service to the College is Gwen Rosolen, who worked mainly with the ordination candidates but was well known across the College community. Parts of her job have been shared around liberally, but much falls to Rohan, who is the new face in the UTC/CSU administration area. The now enlarged reception team will take on much of the administration for the various groups now based in the Centre for Ministry.
You will see some new people in the previously vacant offices around the Centre, and also in the now temporarily refitted G4 classroom. The Church's Uniting Mission and Education staff have been relocated to the site as of Thursday last, allowing for better use of the facility and a greater synergy between the different teams and personnel. This has meant that a few people have had to change offices: Suzanne Cullen is now in the office that Gerard Moore filled, while Gerard is in the far corner room that previously housed the photocopier and other printing paraphernalia, and which has now been moved to Suzanne's old office. David Holden has also moved office, to the East wing. If you are looking for someone in particular, just ask at Reception or Student Reception and our friendly admin people will point you in the right direction.
UPCOMING EVENTS
UTC Hosted Event -
Ecumenical Service/Prayer Gathering for the WCC Busan Assembly, Tuesday 9 July
2013 -
UTC, in partnership with the Korean Presbytery/Ministers Association/Korean
Community, will be hosting the visit of dignitaries from the WCC Busan Assembly
in Korea, at the Centre for Ministry. Programme:
5.30pm Dinner with
guest speaker, Dr Sang Chang (former Prime Minister, former Chancellor of
Ewha Women’s University) & Co-Moderator of the Korea Host Committee
7.00pm Worship in St
Andrew’s Chapel - led
by UTC & Synod leaders
You
are warmly invited to join this gathering to affirm and develop our ecumenical
relationships with the Korean churches and Christian universities/partners. For catering, please RSVP Suzanne Cullen on
8838 8915 or suzannec@nsw.uca.org.au
FROM THE LIBRARY
Opening Hours Session
2 -
In view of the new staffing quotas, the Library will need to close on an
additional evening per week. As there are no classes scheduled for Wednesday
evenings, the library will close at 5pm.
So
the hours for Session 2 will be:
Mon, Tues 10.30-6.30
Weds 10.30-5.00
Thurs 10.30-6.30
Fri 10.30-5.00
CHAPEL
SERVICE & COMMUNITY LUNCH - is in recess during
the academic break.
LECTIONARY FOR SUNDAY
7 JULY
Pentecost
7: 2 Kgs 5:1-14, Ps 30, Gal 6: (1-6), 7-16, Lk 10:1-11, 16-20 (Green)
SYNOD NEWS
Kentigern Sale - 80%
off all stock
Sale extended until
Wednesday 31 July
Cash
or credit card only
Mon-Sat
9.00am-5.00pm
Some
titles available:
Is the Father of
Jesus the God of Muhammad, Timothy George, now $4.00
Slightly Bad Girls of
the Bible, Liz
Curtis Higgs, now $4.00
When Choice Matters, Mark W Worthing,
now $4.00
From Sands to Solid
Ground,
Michael Morwood, now $5.00
Setting Hearts on
Fire,
John Chapman, now $4.00
Uprising, Erwin Raphael
McManus, now $5.00
ASSEMBLY NEWS
An Open Letter from Australian Religious
Leaders:
As people of faith, we draw attention to one of the
most urgent moral issues facing us in the upcoming election.
The International Energy Agency and other
influential bodies are now warning us about an unthinkable 4 degree Celsius
rise in temperatures if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. Recent
experiences of extreme weather events, both here and overseas, are a mild
foretaste of what this will mean. We are despoiling the world given to us as a
sacred trust for future generations.
The world is already moving to take strong
preventative action. Ninety countries, representing 90 per cent of global
emissions, have carbon reduction programs in place and Australia now has a
price on carbon. However our country continues to be a significant contributor
to the problem. With our small population, we are among the world’s 20 largest
emitters and one of the two largest coal exporters.
We must wind back our exports of cheap
coal which are currently hindering the global drive for renewable energy. We
must diminish our reliance on fossil fuels and replace them with clean,
renewable sources of energy. As part of this, carbon pricing must be given
bipartisan support. Only then will Australia be part of the solution.
In the upcoming election we urge all
Australians to give this moral issue the attention it demands. Our world is a
blessing, a gift, and a responsibility. We must act now if we are to protect
this sacred trust.
Signatories:
Rev. Professor Andrew
Dutney, President, Uniting Church of Australia National Assembly
Archbishop Philip
Wilson, Archbishop of Adelaide and Chair of Catholic Earthcare Australia
Dr Ibrahim Abu
Mohammad, Grand Mufti of Australia
Professor Nihal Agar,
Chairman, Hindu Council of Australia
Ajahn Barhm, Chair,
Australian Sangha Association, Abbot of Bodhinyana Monastery
Sr Annette Cunliffe
rsc, President, Catholic Religious Australia
Rabbi Jeremy
Lawrence, Senior Rabbi, The Great Synagogue, Sydney
Rev. Dr Brian Brown,
Moderator, Uniting Church of Australia NSW and ACT Synod
Bishop George
Browning, Convenor, Anglican Communion Environment Network
Professor Neil
Ormerod, Professor of Theology, Australian Catholic University
Mr Hafez Kassem,
President, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Rabbi Jeffery Kamins,
Senior Rabbi, Emanuel Synagogue
Rabbi Shoshana
Kaminsky, Chairperson, Rabbinic Council of Progressive Rabbis
Graeme Lyall AM, President, Amitabha Buddhist Association of New South Wales
Rev. Professor james Haire AC AM, Director, Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture
Rev. Rod Benson, Ethicist & Public Theologian, Australian Baptist Ministries
This letter was coordinated by the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change.
GENERAL NEWS
NAIDOC Week, 7-14 July - this year’s theme We value the vision: Yirrkala Bark Petitions
1963 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the presentation of
the Yirrkala Bark Petitions to Federal Parliament.
In 1963 the Yolngu people of northeast Arnhem Land
presented the petition framed by traditional bark paintings to seek recognition
of rights to their traditional lands on the Gove Peninsula. The Yolngu people
lived on Yirrkala Methodist mission had been assisted by missionaries,
Christians and others in their achievements. On 20 February 1963, upon
discovering that the government was going to reduce the mission land to
half-a-square mile for mining, Rev Edgar Wells telegrammed nine leading
newspapers, individuals and organisations, informing them of the Yolngu people’s
situation - this lead to international publicity. A number of Methodist clergy
and lay people were so convicted of their Christian duty to support the
Aboriginal people of Yirrkala in their quest to be able to make decisions about
the future of their land, they offered personally to finance an appeal.
This year’s theme highlights the foresight,
strength and determination of the Yolngu people who set into motion a long
process of legislative and constitutional reforms for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people. The petitions are an important part of our history as
they were the first traditional documents recognised by the Commonwealth
Parliament and helped to shape acknowledgment of Aboriginal people and their
land rights.They played a key role in advancing changes to the constitution and
the introduction of the Native Title Act.
NSW Ecumenical Council invites you to hear Dr
Tamara Grdzelidze, 15 July -
Dr Grdzelidze of
the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Secretariat will speak on “The
Church: towards a common vision”, 10.00am-Noon Monday 15 July in the Meeting Room, 7th
Floor, 379 Kent St, Sydney
Dr Grdzelidze (Orthodox
Church of Georgia) is a Programme Executive within the Faith and Order
Secretariat of the World Council of Churches, Geneva. She holds a DPhil from
the University of Oxford, a doctorate in Mediaeval Georgian Literature from
Tbilisi State University and an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of
Theology, University of Bern. For details of 15 July meeting contact Kathy
Moroney NSWEC, 9299 2215 (Mon-Wed) kmoroney@ncca.org.au or Doug Hewitt, 4969
6336, doug.isabel@gmail.com
KEEPING
IN TOUCH
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