Uniting Mission and Education is the Mission Resourcing division of Synod Mission Services.

Following Synod 2023, the Mission team began to reflect on how we might better align to the Future Directions and specifically the six core commitments.

These discussions have led to an internal reorganisation within UME with the creation of a new team focusing on the commitments to ‘Living cross-culturally as a multicultural, intercultural Church’ and ‘Stewardship of the Earth. The Mission Enablement Team and Growth and Innovation Team have merged to focus on our commitment to working with Presbyteries to cultivate healthy congregations and to grow in discipleship, relationship, number, and impact.  Pulse and Saltbush will retain their focus areas that already closely align with Future Direction core commitments. Nathan Tyson, Director of First Peoples Strategy and Engagement, will join UME leading our Walking Together commitment.

In summary the Mission Team of UME will now look like this:

• Saltbush, led by Rev. Mark Faulkner with the key focus of reimagining ministry in and with rural and regional areas.
• Pulse, led by Mrs Joanna Drayton with the key focus of reaching and empowering people in the first third of their lives.
• First Peoples Strategy and Engagement, led by Mr Nathan Tyson with the key focus of walking together with First Peoples and to our covenant with Congress.
• Intercultural Ministry and Climate Action, led by Rev. Alimoni Taumoepeau holding responsibility for  resourcing the church in our ongoing and active commitment to the Stewardship of the Earth and advocating for climate justice along with living cross-culturally as a multicultural, intercultural church.
• Mission, Growth & Innovation, led by Rev. Dr Cameron Eccleston. Working with Presbyteries to re-organize to promote growth in and through our churches, with the key focus of developing a flourishing blended ecology.

Uniting Mission and Education is deeply committed to collaboration – both within Uniting Mission and Education and across the church. It is our hope that this alignment to Future Directions will better serve the whole Synod as we work together to become a contemporary, courageous and growing church.

Find out more about Future Directions here.