Being at home in Uniting Church ministry

A guide for Baptist ministers transitioning to the UCA (Part 10 of 12) Rod Benson, 19 July 2026 There comes a point in the life of many ministers when the transition from a previous denomination recedes into the background. They no longer think of themselves primarily as โ€œformer Baptist ministersโ€ or as newcomers learning the …

When God commands the unthinkable

A candid image of Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth (1886โ€“1968). Joshua 11:16-23 After a church service where the great Swiss theologian Karl Barth had preached, a man greeted him at the door and said, โ€œIโ€™m an astronomer, and as far as I am concerned, the whole of Christianity can be summed up by saying, โ€˜Do unto …

The emotional and spiritual experience of transition

The long climb from Pamplona is rewarded with stunning views at the Alto del Perdรณn on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage trail in northern Spain. A guide for Baptist ministers transitioning to the UCA (Part 9 of 12) Rod Benson, 18 July 2026 Discussions of practical matters such as recognition of ministry, candidature, placement processes, …

Advice for newly ordained Uniting Church clergy

Interior of the National Trust-classified St Michael's Uniting Church, 120 Collins St, Melbourne. A guide for Baptist ministers transitioning to the UCA (Part 8 of 12) Rod Benson, 18 July 2026 Ordination within the Uniting Church in Australia, or induction to the Uniting Church for ordained clergy from another denomination, marks more than the beginning …

Choosing a congregation: Service not strategy

A community meeting at Thornleigh Hillcrest Uniting Church, Sydney, in July 2023. A guide for Baptist ministers transitioning to the UCA (Part 7 of 12) Rod Benson, 18 July 2026 In the Uniting Church, candidature for ordained ministry ordinarily arises from within the worshipping and discerning life of a local congregation. A person does not …