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 …

Understanding the ministry transition process

Congregational worship at Leichhardt Uniting Church, in Sydney's inner west. A guide for Baptist ministers transitioning to the UCA (Part 6 of 12) Rod Benson, 17 July 2026 For Baptist ministers, moving into the Uniting Church is not simply a matter of applying for a vacant position. It is a process of vocational discernment undertaken …