Uniting Church in Australia is a Protestant religious denomination in Australia. It is one of the largest Christian denominations in the country.
The beliefs of the Uniting Church come primarily from the Bible and the Apostles’ and Nicene creeds (statements of faith). A document called the Basis of Union, which guided the formation of the church, shapes its government and spirituality. The Uniting Church practices the sacraments (holy ceremonies) of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Communion). It strongly supports Christian unity, human rights, multiculturalism, and making decisions by consensus.
The church is governed by congregational councils; regional councils called presbyteries; and broader councils called synods, which generally correspond with Australian states. In addition, the Assembly, the church’s national council, has determining responsibility in matters of discipline, doctrine, government, and worship. Ordained ministers and deacons make up the clergy of the Uniting Church. The church also encourages lay (nonclergy) members to participate in church leadership, fulfilling such roles as lay preacher and youth worker.
Frontier Services, an agency of the Assembly, provides pastoral and social services to Australians in remote parts of the country. The Uniting Church is also one of the largest nongovernment providers of care for the aged in Australia. In addition, it operates or jointly operates more than 50 schools in Australia. The Uniting Church is a multicultural church and is politically active in support of social minorities, including the Indigenous peoples of Australia and gay people.
The Uniting Church of Australia was formed in 1977, when the Methodist Church of Australasia, most congregations of the Congregational Union of Australia, and the majority of congregations of the Presbyterian Church of Australia joined together. The Uniting Church is a member of the National Council of Churches in Australia, the World Council of Churches, the Christian Conference of Asia, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Methodist Council.
