An introduction to Act2
Belonging to the people of God on the way, praying for the gift of the Spirit and entering into a period of self-examination of our life, we are guided by the vision of the Basis of Union and embody rich and diverse expressions of the Church. Living in a time of significant change, we heed the invitation of the Basis of Union to consider afresh the ordering of our lives so that we can live out our common commitment to the Church’s mission and to demonstrate our unity.
— Statement of the Act2 Task, Assembly Standing Committee
Act2 is a major transformational change project focussed on discerning and deciding on the future of the Uniting Church in Australia. It’s taking place across our whole Church, and we need your voice.
In March 2020, the Assembly Standing Committee - the Assembly’s national governance committee - recognised that the Uniting Church in Australia is living through a time of massive change, opportunity and challenge. Hearing the call of the Basis of Union to always consider our life afresh, and as a Church that continually seeks the leading of the Spirit, the Act2 Project was born.
Led by the national body of the Uniting Church, the Assembly, Act2 is an invitation to every Uniting Church member, council and community to discern together where God is calling us into the future. We are looking at our life and asking: we do we need to do, and what do we need to change, to fully live out our shared identity, unity and commitment to God’s mission?
Through this Project, we’re exploring how faithfully following Christ in our time and place shapes the life of the Uniting Church and our presence in the world. We’re celebrating our strengths and our identity shaped over many decades, and facing our challenges.
In two national surveys, consultation across the Church and many, many conversations over more than two years, we’ve heard what people across the country feel and think about their Church. We’ve listened to the Spirit and to each other.
We’ve heard how we’re proud of the unique identity and faithful witness we’ve grown over time within the one holy catholic and apostolic church in Australia.
We’re proud of our inclusiveness, commitment to justice and equality and Covenant with First Peoples. We’re a church of many nations following Christ, and all are welcome in our communities, where people of all cultures and ages share in faith, prayer, discipleship and service.
We also know we’re facing big challenges.
We know we’re not the Church we were at Union. We’ve heard we need to make our structures sustainable. We’ve heard we need to break down silos and increase collaboration. We’ve heard the desire to centre faith and discipleship in our life. We’ve heard that we need to be more flexible, agile and responsive. We’ve heard we need to change so that we may be a truly inclusive, multicultural and covenanting Church.
To work towards a faithful future, we must be honest about the past and present as we seek to follow Jesus in a radically changed context.
Act2 is here to support and enable the Uniting Church to embody its identity and be a vibrant and sustainable witness in 21st century Australia, and as the Church we are now.
The Spirit is calling the pilgrim people on the way!
We invite you to enter this time of self-examination and look ahead with us in faithfulness and openness, asking: what changes are needed so that we may flourish as a Church, continue to be a faithful witness, make disciples, and nurture local communities of faith, hope and love?
Following the discernment of the 16th Assembly in July 2022, the Act2 Project is heading into a new phase. It now has a national Steering Committee, drawn from across the Church, and a skilled Project Unit. Read about where the Project is heading now, and where we’ve been.