The Congregation's Mission to Work Coordinator, Rev. John Bottomley led worship at Glen Waverley Uniting Church on two Sundays in July 2018.  His sermons are available on podcast with grateful acknowledgement to the media team at GWUC.  The theme for 1 July was 'Discerning Christ’s judgment on institutions haemorrhaging their life-blood and Christ’s solidarity with the powerless: a modern paradox', and on 8 July the theme was 'Heavens above’: discerning Christ’s companionship for trauma ministry'.

  On the 40^th anniversary of the inauguration of the Uniting Church in Australia, Coordinator of the CMN Congregation’s Mission to Work, Rev. John Bottomley laments the work culture of the UCA that seems captive to the violence of Australian corporate culture, and how this culture has caused too much harm and injustice to workers in both church and nation.  Yet in this time of sorrow, John discerns sorrow’s gift: Christ’s authorisation to his disciples to heal the body politic.

The Congregation’s 2017 Lenten Sermon competition, ‘Strengthening Faith at Work’, was won by Revd. Duncan Reid, an Anglican priest who has worked in parishes and theological education in both South Australia and Victoria. Duncan is priest in charge at St George’s Flemington Anglican Church, where he preached a sermon series on the nexus between faith and work during Lent 2017.  The panel of judges awarded Duncan the prize for two sermons he submitted, one for 5 March and the second for 2 April.

Duncan completed a doctorate in Germany under the supervision of Juergen Moltmann, whose influence may be apparent from these sermons.   He has served on a number of ecumenical and interfaith dialogues, including 15 years on the International Anglican – Orthodox dialogue.  He is currently head of Religious Education at Camberwell Girls Grammar School.

“The judges also awarded an ‘honourable mention’ to Rev. Dr. William Harvey Ives, a retired UCA minister, for a sermon prepared for 2 April.  Bill was ordained to the ministry in the Presbyterian Church in 1956 and continued in regular parish ministry for 48 years. He was concurrently involved in theological education for thirty years and engaged in part-time teaching in homiletics, pastoral theology and field education.  He was Moderator of the Uniting Church NSW Synod 1986/7.  While Bill says he live in retirement, his sermon demonstrates his great passion continues to be ministry.”