Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia

The Synod of South Australia (also known as Uniting Church SA and formerly Presbytery and Synod of South Australia from 2005 to 2019) is the entity of the Uniting Church in Australia covering most of the state of South Australia. It is one of six geographically-based Synods of the church. The leader of the Synod is the moderator elected to the position for a period of three years. The legal entity for the South Australian branch of the Uniting Church is The Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (S.A.)[1]

The Uniting Church has a series of inter-related councils, which do not strictly represent a hierarchy. The National Assembly is responsible for issues of doctrine. Each state has a Synod which is responsible for property. Presbyteries are regional councils responsible for the selection, training and oversight of ministers.

Presbyteries and mission networks

A synod may relate to a number of Presbyteries within its bounds. From the beginning of July 2019, the single Presbytery of South Australia divided into a new Generate Presbytery and another Transitional Presbytery. Both presbyteries extend across the entire Synod geography and congregations had the opportunity to choose which presbytery they would belong to. The larger Transitional Presbytery is expected to further divide into two or three later in 2019 along geographical lines.[2]

The Synod of South Australia previously had seven presbyteries, but in 2005 the presbyteries merged, and the structure simplified so that there was one administration and series of meetings for both the Synod and the single Presbytery.[3] As a consequence of the single presbytery having a quite large geographic extent, a series of "mission networks" were established giving congregations a way of relating to similarly-minded congregations and equipping congregations for mission and ministry.[4]

The mission networks were:[4]

  • Community Outreach[5]
  • Grace Connections
  • Gulf
  • Hope Network[6]
  • Northern Rural
  • Urban [7]
  • Western
  • 3DNet[8]

The original presbyteries in South Australia before 2005 were:[9]

  • Adelaide Northwest
  • Eyre Peninsula
  • Fleurieu
  • Frome
  • Mount Lofty
  • South Eastern (later Presbytery of The Coorong)
  • Wakefield

Education

The Uniting College for Leadership and Theology is the theological college of the synod. It is a component of the Adelaide College of Divinity and draws its heritage from both Wesley Theological College and Parkin College.

There are a number of schools associated with the Uniting Church in South Australia. these are:

Lincoln College is a residential college for university students in North Adelaide close to the University of Adelaide.

Moderators
yearsname
2019–Mr. Bronte Wilson[10]
2016–2019Rev. Sue Ellis
2013–2016Dr. Deidre Palmer
2010–2013Rev. Rob Williams[11][12]
2007–2010Rev. Rod Dyson[11]
2005–2007Rev. Graham Vawser
2003–2005Rev. Dr Graham Humphris[13]
2001–2003Mrs. Jan Trengove[14]
1997–2001Rev. Don Catford[15]
1997–1999Dr. Don Hopgood[16]
1995–1997Rev. Margaret Polkinghorne [17]
1993–1995Rev. Dr Dean Brookes[18]
1991–1993Rev. Neale Michael[19]
1989–1991Rev. John Maddern[20]
1987–1989Mrs. Elizabeth Finnegan [21]
1985–1987Rev. Dr. Charles Biggs
1983–1985Rev. Michael Sawyer[22]
1981–1983Rev. Dr. D'Arcy Wood
1979–1981Rev. Keith Smith[23]
1977–1979Rev. Ian B. Tanner

References
  1. Uniting Church in Australia Act 1977
  2. "Presbytery Restructure Information". Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  3. "Decisions of the Uniting Church in Australia, Presbytery of South Australia" (PDF). 3–7 November 2005. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  4. "Mission Networks". Uniting Church SA. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  5. Community Outreach Network
  6. Hope Network
  7. Urban Network
  8. 3DNet
  9. "Second Assembly of the Uniting Church In Australia - Minutes" (PDF). 13 May 1979. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  10. "Special Synod Meeting". UC e-Update. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  11. "Burnside minister new Uniting Church moderator". Australian Broadcasting Commission. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  12. "Record of Service Reverend Robert Edgar Stephen Williams" (PDF). Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  13. "Controversial issues on the table at Uniting Church Synod". Australian Broadcasting Commission. 20 October 2003. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  14. "48. Minute of Appreciation for Jan Tengrove (Frontier Services)". Hearts on Fire 14th Assembly. Uniting Church in Australia. 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  15. "120th Anniversary". Blackwood Uniting Church. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  16. "About Hopgood Theatre". Country Arts SA.
  17. "South Australian Members of the Order of Australia (P)". Order of Australia Association, South Australian Branch. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  18. "Rev Dr Dean Brookes". The Salvation Army - Australia Southern Territory. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  19. "Church History". One Tree Hill Uniting Church. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  20. "John Maddern". Brougham Place Uniting Church. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  21. "South Australian Members of the Order of Australia (F)". Order of Australia Association, South Australian Branch. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  22. "Early History of Golden Grove Uniting Church". Tea Tree Gully & District Historical Society. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  23. Reports and Papers of the 3rd and 4th Synods 1979-1980, Synod of South Australia, Uniting Church in Australia – via Uniting History SA
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