This is both the Chairperson's Report to the Annual General Meeting on 16 November 2024 and a Newsletter.

Review of year

We’ve had an interesting year:

Rev Dr Stephen Robinson spoke about the Disaster Recovery Chaplains Network at our February meeting at Wauchope.

Safe Church training at Kempsey in March.

A team from Synod worked with us at our May meeting at Nambucca Heads to help identify directions for a new Presbytery Strategy.

The triennial National Assembly of the UCA in Parramatta, attended by Rev Cherie Strudwick and (as a late substitute) Stephen Nicholson.  Inspiring and challenging!

Neil King, CEO of Uniting Financial Services provided a Christ-centred perspective of his work managing the Church’s finances at our August meeting on Zoom.  And we first learnt about proposals to reduce the number of Presbyteries within the Synod at that meeting – more on that below.

Ethical Ministry workshops at Bellingen in March, Port Macquarie in June, Nana Glen in August and Coopernook in September.

The official opening of the Tuncurry campus of Margaret Jurd College in September.

An excellent Presbytery Retreat at Stuarts Point in September, superbly led by Rev Phil Dokmanovic, from Bangalow.

Rev Charissa Suli, the new Assembly President, attended a Presbytery Fellowship meeting at Wauchope in October.

An extraordinary Presbytery meeting at Kempsey in October to identify priorities for a new Presbytery Strategy – more on that below.

An inspiring Preaching in the Lectionary Year of Luke workshop for preachers, at Port Macquarie in October.

For Coffs Harbour, continuing design work with a Synod team on the planned redevelopment of their property under the Synod’s Major Projects Framework.  It is anticipated that a development application for the multi storey building will be lodged in April 2025.  This project had been Order of the Day at our August 2023 meeting.

Port Macquarie is a partner with Charles Sturt University in Inter-Faith Dialogues.  In 2024 there were 2 Muslim-Christian dialogues and a Hindu-Christian dialogue.  While we may have differences, it is best to build conversations and relationships by firstly affirming what you have in common.  These conversations are open to anyone interested, and have been on Wednesday evenings at the Port Macquarie campus of CSU.  We will share details for future dialogues when known.

Within our Presbytery we continue to be involved with the life and work of Lifeline Mid Coast and Lifeline North Coast – they do great work locally and (over the phones) nationally.  Of note, Lifeline Mid Coast has purchased land in Port Macquarie for building a new head office and counselling rooms – probably a further 2 years to go.

Given our difficulties with adequately supporting our congregations, our AGM in November 2023 decided to request that Synod initiate this Presbytery joining the Regional Partnership.  The initial response was misunderstood, and wasn’t a No, but a request for further work on our profile and an updated Strategy.  This leads to the next two topics.  As an aside, a review of Regional Partnerships this year has clearly identified that:

• any regional partnership was intended to be a short-term measure,
• that such partnerships are unsustainable and
• therefore will be phased out.

Regional Partnerships will be superseded by proposals under the Presbytery Project – see below.

Presbytery Strategic Plan

Preliminary work on a new Strategic Plan commenced at our May meeting, with further consideration at the August meeting and at an extraordinary meeting in October.  A separate report to this meeting takes this further.

The Presbytery Project

I refer you to another separate report relating to this.  This is a most significant matter, which, since May 2023, has been subject to seven 2-day summits in Sydney, involving leaders from all Presbyteries and from Synod.  The focus has been on the inequalities of resources and capacities among the 12 Presbyteries within the Synod, and then how to provide the necessary resources on a just basis.

From the last summit, only 2 weeks ago, a proposal is being developed for providing the staffing resources for a reduced number of Presbyteries – read and prayerfully consider that report, and be engaged in the virtual “town hall” meetings to learn more.

Coming events

25 December – Christmas Day, remembering and celebrating the incarnation of God among us!

21 February 2025 – Presbytery meeting, with Order of the Day being Rev Graham Perry, The Hunter Presbytery Minister. [Superseded]  Meeting location to be decided.

28 February - 1 March – lay leadership gathering, Coffs Harbour.  Equipping, Resourcing, Serving and Encouraging lay leaders – organised by the Synod Lay Leadership team, in conjunction with the Far North Coast, Mid North Coast and New England North West Presbyteries. 

18–20 April Good Friday – Easter Sunday, remembering and celebrating the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

17 May – Presbytery meeting, with Order of the Day being Rev Jane Fry, Synod General Secretary.  She has announced her intention to retire, and the July Synod meeting will appoint her replacement.  Meeting location to be decided.

11-13 July – Synod 2025 meeting, Penrith.  Please advise the Presbytery Secretary by 31 January if you wish to be nominated by Presbytery to attend.  You should also attend the Presbytery Project virtual town halls.

A more extensive list of dates is on https://midnorthcoast.uca.org.au/calendar/.  This list includes commemorations for past Christian witnesses.

Thanks

Finally, I want to acknowledge and thank the members of the Presbytery Standing Committee and the Pastoral Relations Committee for their wisdom, contributions, service and commitment to serving our God within this Presbytery.  A special shout-out to Lyn Dun in leading the PRC, particularly in continuing as the Chair longer than she would have preferred.  (Lyn will continue on PRC, but not as Chair.)

Blessings,

Stephen Nicholson

Presbytery Chairperson