Together we need to make space for the future

The Moderator Rev. Simon Hansford today announced that Rev. Jane Fry is officially appointed to the role of General Secretary, a role she has been acting in for the past 12 months.

“Thank you for the affirmation and for the confidence that you have placed in me. I want you to know that you have not only placed it in me, you’ve placed it in us, because we can’t do this Church unless we do it together,” said Rev. Fry in her opening statements.

“I’m quite good at asking questions and if we can sort out the right questions to ask we can go on that journey together. I think we need to regain the respect of the wider community because if we don’t do that we can’t engage emerging generations in God’s transformative work in the world. And we need to do that so that fellowships of reconciliation can be genuine places of sanctuary and hope in a divided and a dividing world.”

Rev. Fry reiterated that she had a strong commitment to the life and witness of the Uniting Church in all of its diversity and complexity. But she noted there’s room for improvement in a variety of areas and across the board. Rev. Fry believes that building momentum for renewal and change is a collective task.

“We need to change our language so we are future focussed and hopeful in the way we speak among ourselves and the world that we are in. We need to stop telling yesterday’s story,” she continued.

“We are in this together and it will require constructive collaboration. In order to do that we need to work together, to lift our game in working together across the councils of the Church. The Uniting church needs to offer a prophetic voice in challenging times. We need to lift our game in engagement across the Church. I hope you have heard a strong commitment to the life and witness of the Uniting Church. There’s room for improvement across a whole range of areas. Building momentum for change is a collective task.”

Perseverance commitment and sacrifice will be needed, and said Rev. Fry “I’m up for the challenge of you are up for it!”

“I’ve worked in the Secretariat for five years and I understand the size of this office. I understand the complexity of this organisation. I’m cautiously excited about being a midwife of sorts to whatever God is doing among us, but you guys will have the do the huffing and puffing.

“The big agenda for me, is how can we work together to make space for God’s future. How can we work together to strengthen and grow the ministry of the Uniting Church that is alive and responsive to the word of God and active in our world.”

The Rev. Jane Fry will be officially installed as General Secretary on the last day of Synod.

Adrian Drayton