The Uniting Church WA calls on the Western Australian Government to work closely with the LGBTQA+ community and survivors of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts (SOGICE), including people of faith, to introduce legislation to protect people from harmful ‘conversion therapies’.

This practice, which encourages efforts to directly and indirectly attempt to change or supress a person’s sexuality or gender identity, has caused serious, ongoing, and tragic harm to those affected. Continue Reading

The Uniting Church WA calls on the Western Australian Government to commit to ending preventable deaths in custody, noting the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in WA’s justice system, particularly among young people.

The church also calls on the government to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody; embed culturally appropriate mental health support in police lockups, prisons and places of detention; broaden cultural awareness training for police, juvenile justice and prison officers; and work with Aboriginal Elders, community leaders and organisations to co-design an Aboriginal Justice Agreement.Continue Reading

Each year, the Social Justice Commission of the Uniting Church WA resources the church for Sustainable September by preparing and distributing worship material for congregations within the WA Synod.

This year, the theme is ‘Earth, Sea and Sky’, which focuses on nourishing and caring for our natural resources. The worship materials, including a full liturgy outline, sermon reflections and PowerPoint slides, cover the four Sundays in September.

Each Sunday concentrates on a different aspect of the theme – soil, waters, skies and humankind’s relationship with the Earth.

Wendy Hendry, Uniting Church WA Social Justice Officer, said, “We are encouraged to know that congregations set aside the month of September to reflect, pray and take action on issues of sustainability and our Christian call to care for creation.

“The statement made at Assembly back in 2006 is as relevant in 2021 as it was back then, and continues to underpin the work we do, including our focus on Sustainable September.”

The statement, For the Sake of the Planet and All its People, said “we renew our commitment to move towards sustainable non-exploitative living, believing that God’s creation — the Earth itself and all the life that it supports — is precious and the Earth’s resources exist for the good of all now as well as future generations.”

Wendy said “We’re thankful for the work Rev Gordon Scantlebury has done in creating so much of the resource material, which are designed to be a user-friendly package for churches with or without a minister in placement.

“Worship leaders can use the material as is or adapt according to their congregation style. We encourage you to get creative with it, connect with relevant examples of sustainability and environmental issues in your community, and facilitate discussion within your congregation.”

Sustainable September 2021 worship resources are available to download at ecochurcheswa.net/worship-resources.

For more information, contact the Social Justice Unit at social.justice@wa.uca.org.au

Mikaela Turner