Rev. Michael Barnes, Relations with Other Faiths Convenor, has written a Letter of Support for World Interfaith Harmony Week. 

Greetings to all in this special Week of World Interfaith Harmony.

On behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia and the Assembly Relations with Other Faiths Working Group, I commend this global initiative and urge people across the world to celebrate the religious and cultural diversity of their own communities.

As Christians, we are called to live in harmony with all people and contribute to a world of peace, justice and hospitality.

Rev. Helen Richmond, Regnum Studies in Mission, 2015

When Michelle and Yusef chose to embark on life together as a married couple, some things were sure to become a little more complicated thanks to their different faiths and cultural backgrounds.

For Michelle, an Australian-born Christian, and Yusef, a Muslim, one of their first experiences of balancing two different religious traditions was deciding how they would get married. And more specifically, who would conduct the service.

Rev. Helen Richmond, a Uniting Church Minister, relays their story in her new book, Blessed and Called to be a Blessing: Muslim-Christian Couples Sharing a Life Together.

The first week of February marks World Interfaith Harmony Week - an opportunity for people across the globe to affirm their commitment to interfaith friendship and understanding.

The week provides a vehicle for religious leaders and people of faith to declare their support for peace and harmony among religions but also to encourage people to reach out to their neighbours.

A community Peace Dinner marked the season of Christmas at Parramatta Mission’s Leigh Memorial Congregation on Saturday 5 December. 

Following on from the congregation’s International Peace Day interfaith service, the dinner brought together a diverse group of 65 people including representatives of many Christian denominations, different faiths, local community and advocacy organisations as well as Federal and State MPs for Parramatta, Ms Julie Owens and Dr Geoff Lee.

Rev. Mark Dewar, Aitkenvale Uniting Church, QLD.

Members of the Aitkenvale Uniting Church Justice Advocacy Mission group visited Townsville Mosque recently. Through a mutual friend, we were invited along to visit the mosque, meet with members of its community and share with each other.

By Debra Porter, ROF Executive Member

These were some of the strong messages at the 2^nd Australasian Conference on Islam in Parramatta on 30 November -1 December.  The theme ‘Radicalisation and Islamophobia’ was at the centre of discussion and relationship building among participants who came from various faiths.

 
By Rev. Dr Chris Walker, National Consultant Christian Unity, Doctrine & Worship

I represented the Uniting Church at the Sydney Muslim Conference on 29 November at Rosehill Gardens Grand Pavilion in Parramatta. It was interesting to hear first-hand responses to the issues facing Australian Muslims.

The conference theme was “Divine Rights in the Modern World”. There was a series of speakers including Muslim academics, scholars, religious and community leaders. Around 200 people participated from Muslim communities around Sydney.

The 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA from 15-19 October. There were nearly 9,800 participants from 73 countries, representing 30 major religions and 548 sub-traditions.

Among this wide and diverse global gathering were three Uniting Church members, Rev. Heather Griffin, Rev. Dr Manas Ghosh and Dr Ruth Powell.