SCHOOL OF FAITH
ASSEMBLY OF CONFESSING CONGREGATIONS
OF THE UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA
REV ANNE HIBBARD
Anne was ordained as a Minister in the Uniting Church in Australia in 1996, spending time in ministry at Annandale and Liverpool Uniting Churches. She is secretary of the National Council of the ACC, the national coordinator and founder of Uniting Prayer and Fasting and also the prayer coordinator of the ACC. She has been on the ACC National Council for several years. She is married with two grown up children and lives on the Central Coast of NSW. She is currently a candidate for the Doctorate of Ministry through Tabor Adelaide. Her supervisors are Dr Stuart Devinish and Dr Keith Suter. In 2020 she is conducting a research in Uniting Church Congregations in NSW entitled "Reconciling Word and Deed for Genuinely Christian Mission."
UNITING CHURCH’S MISSIONAL RESPONSE TO CULTURAL CONTEXT
SECULARISATION PLURALISATION AND GLOBALISATION - ANNE HIBBARD
This essay seeks to explore the Uniting Church in Australia’s (UCA) response for mission in the
context of secularisation, pluralisation and globalisation. If follows systemically through each
of the three sections, by looking at the history, nature, and Christian response to mission for
each cultural framework. It then focuses upon the UCA and seeks to explore: the UCA thinking
regarding each ideology; the response for mission; why is this response happening in the UCA;
implications; and finally, what would be an appropriate Christian response for evangelicals
within the UCA to this context. It will be seen that in each area, especially pluralism, the UCA
has appropriated at least some of the worldview indiscriminately in ways that have significant
impact upon the mission, faith and life of the church.
HOLISTIC MISSION
THE FRAGMENTATION AND INTEGRATION OF "FRESH WORDS AND DEEDS" IN UCA - ANNE HIBBARD
Despite, the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) having aspects of holistic mission in both her pre-union heritage and her Basis of Union (Basis), the integration of word and deed for mission in the UCA is mostly fragmented. Evangelism and social justice have become increasingly polarized, treated with suspicion by opposing
camps. To understand this split and to seek to address it, it is necessary to recognize that this problem is not specific to the UCA. Bosch (1991) himself says that one of the “most thorniest areas in the theology and practice of mission” is the relationship for mission of “the evangelistic” and “societal dimensions”. The study of biblical, historical, theological and practical theology will help in comprehending the complexity of this debate. Then, because of the UCA’s Methodist heritage, Wesleyanism will be explored as an example of authentic holistic mission. The relationship between evangelism and social concern within the UCA will be
addressed, focusing upon heritage, the Basis, theology and practice. And finally a model will be proposed for holistic mission that seeks to integrate not only evangelism and social responsibility but also other aspects of Christian growth.
Rev Anne Hibbard
A 40 day Devotional booklet based on the book of Ephesians on the theme of Life Overflowing. It includes 6 bible studies with links to videos.
