• The Rev Dr Michelle Cook Lecture & Workshops

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  • Theme: Covenant - our lived experience and renewal of the UCA/UAICC Covenant

    Thursday 1 October 2026


    Workshops 3pm - 5pm: in-person and online available
    Light Refreshments: 5pm-6pm
    Worship and Lecture 6.30pm: in-person and online available
    (All times listed are Australian Central Standard Time)

    https://ns.uca.org.au/


    The Inaugural lecture will be presented by Rev Ken Sumner and Dr Rosemary Dewerse.

    Rev Ken Sumner is a Kukabrak/Ngarrindjeri korni (man) from the Moorundi (River Murray), Mungkanbuli (Lakes), Kurangk (Coorong) & Yarluwar (Southern Ocean) in South Australia.

    Dr Rosemary Dewerse is a practical theologian from Aotearoa New Zealand who is currently Academic Dean and Research Coordinator at the Uniting College for Leadership and Theology in Adelaide. She has taught in a range of areas from missional leadership and innovation to intercultural engagement, spiritual formation, contextual theology, hermeneutics and church history.

    The inaugural Rev Dr Michelle Cook Lecture is a theology lecture in the Northern Synod in memory of Rev Dr Michelle Cook. Michelle was a minister of the church, a scholar and a teacher, but more importantly someone who was formed by an incarnational theology: theology that is lived, not just discussed or imagined: theology that is grounded in, emerges from, and is refined through conversation. This lecture series will keep that intentionality in the hearts and minds of those who attend.

    Michelle's pedagogy was always to demonstrate 'walking together' in 'real' relationships. Both the Lecture and the Workshops will demonstrate First and Second Peoples presenting together and in doing so confront the power of dominant cultural and political narratives. They will give focus to First Peoples justice-based theology, theological education, discipleship, and women in ministry.

    The Workshops and Lecture will be held at Nungalinya College. Join us in-person or online by zoom. Contact the organiser for an online link.

    Workshop Session 1 options (start at 3.15pm ACST):

    • Workshop 1: Rev Yurranydjil Dhurrkay and Rev Djawut Gondarra,
      Galiwin’ku Uniting Church, NRCC, Northern Synod
      Topic: Let’s talk about Covenant
    • Workshop 2: Pastor Kirsty Burgu, West Kimberley Frontier Services Bush
      Chaplain
      Topic: The Story of Mowanjum
    • Workshop 3: Pastor Jill Doolan, Finke Frontier Services Bush Chaplain
      Topic: Covenant in the Centre

    Workshop Session 2 options (start at 3.45pm ACST):

    • Workshop 4: Dr Yane Daminik, Nungalinya College Principal
      Topic: Nungalinya College and the UCA Covenant
    • Workshop 5: Howard Amery, author of “Reckoning with Number: Yolŋu
      languages and ‘foreign number’”
      Topic: Reckoning with Number
    • Workshop 6: Rev Dr Peter Hobson, NRCC Resource Worker
      Topic: Charles Harris and the Holistic Gospel 

    Worship followed by Lecture presented by Rev Ken Sumner and Dr Rosemary Dewerse, start at 6.30pm ACST.

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