The Synod of Queensland or Queensland Synod is a state council of the Uniting Church in Australia.
Synod also describes the regular meeting (every 1.5 years) of representatives of the state-wide church. These meetings are known as the Synod in Session.
Overview The Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia is the national council of the Uniting Church, headed by the President of the Uniting Church, with a general secretary as chief executive officer. The six geographically based synods are responsible for overall support and resourcing of the church in their area especially in community services, mission planning, theological education and other educational services, administration relating to ministers, and property and financial services. The elected head of each synod is the Moderator, and a general secretary is usually appointed as the chief executive officer.
The Moderator is the spiritual head and the main spokesperson for the Uniting Church in Queensland. As of 20 October, 2023 the moderator is Reverend Bruce Moore, who was inducted at the 37th Synod on 20 October 2023.
Presbyteries The Synod of Queensland contains several presbyteries within its bounds. A presbytery is a council of the Uniting Church which has oversight of congregations, ministries and programs within a region. Ministers of the Word and deacons are responsible to their presbytery, which has the duty of caring for them and ensuring their work is carried out faithfully. Presbytery meetings include ordained ministers, lay pastors, and elected lay persons from every congregation.
The Synod of Queensland has seven presbyteries.
Bremer Brisbane Presbytery Carpentaria Presbytery (formerly Calvary Presbytery and North Queensland Presbytery) Central Queensland Presbytery Mary Burnett Presbytery Moreton Rivers Presbytery South Moreton Presbytery The Downs Presbytery
Education Trinity College Queensland provides theological education for ministers and laypeople. Degree courses are accredited by the Australian College of Theology.
Raymont Residential College is a residential college for tertiary students. It is co-located at the Uniting Church Centre in Auchenflower, Brisbane with Trinity College Queensland. Grace College is at the St Lucia campus of the University of Queensland and caters only for women.
Moderators The following individuals have served as the Moderator of the Queensland Synod: Ordinal Officeholder Term start Term end Time in office Notes Rev Prof Rolland Busch 1977 1979 years Rev Ronald Elvery 1979 1980 years Rev Duncan Harrison 1980 1981 years Rev Dr Douglas Brandon 1981 1982 years Rev Dr Lewis Born 1982 1983 years Rev Alan Kidd 1983 1984 years Rev Eric Moore 1984 1985 years Rev Ray Hunt 1985 1986 years Rev Barry Dangerfield 1986 1987 years Recognition withdrawn in 2019 Rev Ray Thompson 1987 1988 years Rev John Mavor 1988 1989 years Rev Don Whebell 1989 1990 years Dr John Roulston 1990 1991 years First lay person to be Queensland Moderator Rev Bryan Gilmour 1991 1992 years Rev Cecil Schloss 1992 1993 years Rev Don Whebell 1993 1996 years First full time Queensland Moderator Rev Dr David Pitman 1996 1999 years Rev Dr Ray Reddicliffe 1999 2002 years Rev Allan Kuchler 2002 2005 years () Rev Dr David Pitman 2005 2008 years Rev Bruce Johnson 2008 2011 years Rev Kaye Ronalds 2011 2014 years First female Queensland Moderator Rev David Baker 2014 2020 years Rev Andrew Gunton 2023 24Rev Bruce Moore2023CurrentCurrent
References
External links
Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Queensland Records 1862-1995; State Library of Queensland Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Queensland Records 1936-1990; State Library of Queensland Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Queensland Records 1879-1993, State Library of Queensland