At the Synod meeting in 2016, the Uniting Church in NSW & the ACT resolved to support and advocate for the decriminalisation of illicit drugs. Since 2018, the Fair Treatment campaign has been led by Uniting NSW.ACT along with 70 partner organisations.
By treating drug use as a health issue, instead of a criminal justice issue, lives can be changed for the better. People experiencing drug dependency can be treated with care and compassion, supported with options for harm reduction and treatment, and deaths from overdose can be avoided. Deaths like the son of Marion McConnell, Uniting Church member and Fair Treatment Advocate.
We’re asking Uniting Church congregations to take a moment in their service on Sunday 30 June to reflect, pray and take action for the Uniting Church Synod of NSW & the ACT’s Fair Treatment campaign.
This is the Sunday after Support. Don’t Punish Day on Wednesday 26 June – a global day of action aligning with the values of the Church and our Fair Treatment campaign. We believe in meeting society’s most vulnerable wherever they are, with care and compassion, and a focus on their value as someone loved by God.
How to take part
Reflect
Watch our 5-minute Faith and Fair Treatment video, featuring the Moderator Rev. Mata Havea Hiliau and Dr Marianne Jauncey, Medical Director of the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre.
If you would like to incorporate this into your service further, you can use our theological reflection Reducing the Harm to prepare a sermon or guided discussion for your congregation.
Pray
Pray the Fair Treatment Prayer, written by past Moderator Rev. Simon Hansford avialable here.
Take action
Take some action to support the Fair Treatment campaign. This may include:
- Taking a photo with a sign and posting it to your church’s social media pages
- Following Fair Treatment on Facebook and Instagram
- Writing letters to your local MP about a 5-day Parliamentary Drug Summit
Would your congregation like to participate?
Register your interest by emailing Jono Row (Church Collaboration Lead – Advocacy) at jrow@uniting.org or 0403 242 360.
We’ll send you our Fair Treatment Resources for Congregations package with everything you need for your service.
Can’t take part next Sunday, but you’d like to incorporate this into a service on another date? You can still register your interest and we’ll get in touch with you.
For congregations in the Greater Sydney area, Jono is also available to preach at your Sunday service. Please get in touch if this is of interest to you.
Photo by Pexels.com, Ric Rodrigues.
