Can you imagine the love and reverence with which the angel said Jesus’ name, when the angel spoke to Joseph?

“You are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) 

Australian Christian Churches stand in unity for compassion, justice and dignity for refugees in Manus Island, PNG.

November 24 2017

The National Council of Churches in Australia, Act for Peace and the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce stand together to bear witness to the suffering that Australia’s bipartisan refugee policy in regard to offshore processing, has caused.

Churches to provide support to refugees to prevent them being forced back to danger

Text from Media Press Conference Tuesday 29 August 2017 

The Very Reverend Peter Catt, Anglican Dean of Brisbane has called on Australians to support a network of agencies who will provide necessary shelter and support to refugees whose income support and accommodation has been removed by the Turnbull government.
 

The full Media Release follows.

Easter Messages from Leaders of the Christian Churches in Australia 2017

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. … they ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’

As we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, and hear and receive the accounts of disciples encountering the Risen Lord, may we rejoice that the Lord is truly risen. May we be assured that he has gone before us. Like Mary Magdalene may we with eager hearts tell our sisters and brothers what we have witnessed and may we , like them, meet Jesus on the way.

 The National Council of Churches in Australia wishes all a healthy and holy Easter.

Sr Elizabeth Delaney, General Secretary
National Council of Churches in Australia

The 10 messages follow.

The National Council of Churches writes to the Prime Minister and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection

The President and Board of Directors of the National Council of Churches in Australia published a Media Release asking for cooperation to settle the asylum seekers from Nauru and Manus Islands.

The Media release states "The continuing reports out of both places are a source of deep concern." 

The National Council of Churches urges exceptional national leadership from our new Parliament.

The President and Board of Directors of the National Council of Churches in Australia  published a Media Release calling for Parliamentarians to "...sort out a solution to the issue of Nauru and Manus Island Detention Centres". 

The Media Release also requests our leaders to convene  a Consultation on Peace -making in Australia.

Easter Messages from Leaders of the Christian Churches in Australia 2016

The National Council of Churches in Australia is pleased to publish Easter messages from Leaders of many of the Christian Churches in Australia.

Writing as they do each year, the Church leaders address the significance of Easter, the high point of the Christian calendar, the feast of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a season for rejoicing.

Many of the Church leaders reflect on the myriad challenges facing people in our society, sometimes leading to despair and hopelessness, even death. But they remind us that there is always hope, achieved for us by Jesus Christ who died on Good Friday and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

The National Council of Churches of Australia is pleased to publish Christmas messages from Leaders of the Christian Churches in Australia.

Writing as they do each year, the Church leaders address the significance of the feast of the Nativity which marks the birth of Jesus Christ, reminding people of the historic event which took place in Bethlehem. It is a season for rejoicing.

Easter 2015
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’. (John 20:18)

Easter Messages from Leaders of the Christian Churches in Australia

Sr Elizabeth Delaney, a Sister of the Good Samaritan (SGS) of the Order of St Benedict, was commissioned on 4 March 2015 as the 4th General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA), based in Sydney. Elizabeth brings ten years' experience with ecumenical and inter-faith dialogues through the offices of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and her five years of service as a member of the NCCA Executive Committee. The NCCA was formed in 1994 with an expanded membership of churches to succeed the Australian Council of Churches that had commenced as a national committee of Australian churches in 1946.

The world is full of tears.
So many look for kindness, justice and peace.
However great the darkness of our time, God is our light.

Do we really need Christmas?

How many times have you asked this question over the last few weeks?

Do we really need all the tension and stress created by the activities associated with this time of the year? The Victorian Department of Health has an online aid, titled “Christmas Tips to Reduce Stress.”

We, the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) and NSW Ecumenical Council (NSWEC) are deeply saddened by the trauma, suffering and loss of life resulting from the Martin Place siege of December 15-16, 2014, in Sydney.

Our prayers are with the families of those whose loved ones have been killed, injured and/or traumatised.

May this be a time when the Australian community, people of all faiths, unite around our common care for all life.

Joint Media Release from the National Council of Churches in Australia & the NSW Ecumenical Council

“…and should I not pity Nineveh, that great city…” (Jonah 4:11 NKJV)

`Genocide’ is how Bishop Daoud Nikdomios a Syrian Orthodox Bishop from Mosul described what has happened to the Christian people in Mosul, an Ancient City of the faithful people, near Nineveh, from the Apostolic times for nearly 2000 years.

``Everything is taken from us: churches, houses, clothes, money, even the babies nappies”. Bishop Daoud Nikdomios described how the crosses from the churches were removed, and how ISIS wanted to remove all the history of the church from Mosul.

Houses were marked with the letter `N’ in Arabic, - for “Nasarah” signifying they are homes for Christians. These homes are appropriated once people flee.