47-401: Albert Street Uniting Church is a heritage-listed Uniting church at 319 Albert Street (on the corner of Ann Street ), Brisbane City , City of Brisbane , Queensland , Australia. It was designed by George Henry Male Addison and built from 1888 to 1889 by Thomas Pearson & Sons. It was originally known as Albert Street Methodist Church and Central Methodist Mission . It was added to
94-486: A Methodist local preacher ). Lay preachers are required to participate in training and examinations conducted by each synod, and must be approved by the presbytery. The UCA was one of the first Australian churches to grant self-determination to its indigenous members through the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress. Partnerships exist with South Pacific and Asian churches, especially those which share
141-536: A Congregational, Presbyterian or Methodist heritage. An increasing number of ethnic churches worship in their own languages as well as in English. Five to seven per cent of the membership worship in languages other than English, including Aboriginal languages . The UCA advocates for social justice . It has taken stances on issues such as native title for indigenous people; the environment; apartheid ; refugee status, and safe injection facilities for drug users. The church
188-472: A central tower (e.g., Gloucester Cathedral ) or a crossing dome (e.g., St Paul's Cathedral ). Since the altar is usually located at the east end of a church, a transept extends to the north and south. The north and south end walls often hold decorated windows of stained glass , such as rose windows , in stone tracery . Occasionally, the basilicas and the church and cathedral planning that descended from them were built without transepts; sometimes
235-467: A cost of £ 1,000. Five foundation stones were laid by prominent congregation members on 18 August 1888 and the church was officially opened on 8 November 1889. In the 1920s, a marble honour board was erected in the front entrance vestibule commemorating the members of the congregation who served in World War I . Additional stained glass windows were installed as memorials in 1944 and 1947. Restoration work
282-484: A dozen to hundreds of members. They are the local church, the setting for regular worship (generally on Sundays). Many churches also conduct worship services at other times, such as a monthly weekday service, a late-night service for day-shift workers, a "cafe church", or Friday- or Saturday-evening services. A Meeting of the Congregation must be held at least twice each year. The meetings typically consider and approve
329-502: A major town or city, and the local synod is normally their organisational and funding body. The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC, sometimes known simply as the Congress), is constitutionally recognised as having responsibility for oversight of church ministry to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people : A Synod may at the request of a Regional Committee of
376-522: A number of presbyteries. Western Australia has a unitary presbytery-synod model. South Australia also had a single presbytery and synod for 15 years, until 2019. These large presbyteries enable groups of congregations to work together, based on geographic location or similar interests or characteristics. Selection of ministerial candidates and the placement of ministers are decided at the presbytery level. There are about 2,000 UCA congregations, with 243,000 members and adherents. Congregations range in size from
423-428: A transept is an area set crosswise to the nave . Each half of a transept is known as a semitransept. The transept of a church separates the nave from the sanctuary , apse , choir , chevet , presbytery , or chancel . The transepts cross the nave at the crossing , which belongs equally to the main nave axis and to the transept. Upon its four piers , the crossing may support a spire (e.g., Salisbury Cathedral ),
470-660: Is a national UCA activity during school and university holidays, every two or three years in a different city. NCYC 2007, "Agents of Change", was held in Perth. The 2009 "Converge" was held in Melbourne . NCYC 2011 was held from 29 December 2010 to 4 January 2011 at the Southport School on Queensland 's Gold Coast . Yuróra NCYC 2014 was held in North Parramatta, Sydney from 7 to 10 January 2014. Yuróra NCYC 2017, "Uniting Culture",
517-615: Is a non- episcopal church, with no bishops . Leadership and pastoral roles are nominally performed by presbyteries , but in reality by individuals. The UCA assembly meets every three years, and is chaired by the president. The 14th Assembly met in Perth from 12 to 18 July 2015. The 15th Assembly, hosted by the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania in Box Hill , met in July 2018. Assembly business between meetings
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#1732883575577564-425: Is broad, reflecting its Methodist , Presbyterian and Congregational origins and its commitment to ecumenism. Its theology may be described as mainline Protestantism , with a commitment to social justice . The church's perspectives are evangelical , left (or progressive), and liberal . Morality, faith, and (in particular) sexuality have been debated. Concerns focus on biblical understanding and accommodation to
611-432: Is built of red brick with trimmings in white Oamaru limestone , now painted, and has a slate roof. It is an example of a Victorian Gothic Revival church with its cruciform plan shape, steeply pitched roof forms, the imposing spire beside the entry, and the heavy buttressing of the facades . The entry to the church is from an open porch with three Gothic arches at the end of the nave . Similar arcades exist down
658-548: Is conducted by the Assembly Standing Committee, which meets three times per year (usually in March, July and November). Membership is drawn from throughout Australia, with 18 members elected at each assembly. The current president is Reverend Charissa Suli since she was installed as president in the meeting of the 17th Assembly on 11 July 2024. She replaced Reverend Sharon Hollis , who had succeeded Dr Deidre Palmer at
705-417: Is generally a historical disaster, fire, war or funding problem, to explain the anomaly. At Beauvais only the chevet and transepts stand; the nave of the cathedral was never completed after a collapse of the daring high vaulting in 1284. At St. Vitus Cathedral , Prague , only the choir and part of a southern transept were completed until a renewed building campaign in the 19th century. The word "transept"
752-486: Is incorporated into the gallery railings, roof structure and furnishings. The focus of the interior is the pulpit and organ. The pulpit is raised several metres above the floor, and reflects the importance in the Methodist tradition that was given to preaching. Above and behind the pulpit is a large decoratively painted pipe organ which reflects the value placed by Methodists on music and singing. Albert Street Uniting Church
799-459: Is occasionally extended to mean any subsidiary corridor crossing a larger main corridor, such as the cross-halls or "transepts" of The Crystal Palace , London, of glass and iron that was built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. In a metro station or similar construction, a transept is a space over the platforms and tracks of a station with side platforms, containing the bridge between
846-456: Is similar to other united and uniting churches , which maintain a cultural identity in their own country and practise ecumenical fellowship with other Christian denominations worldwide. Between 1991 and 2013, UCA attendance declined by 41 per cent. In 2013, about 97,200 people attended weekly worship services throughout Australia. The church is liturgically varied. Practices range from experimental liturgies, informal worship reminiscent of
893-555: Is worn, it most commonly consists of a white alb and a stole (for ministers and deacons) or scarf (for lay preachers). The colour of the scarf or stole is often related to the liturgical calendar, such as purple for Lent or red for Pentecost . Since 1997, most councils and agencies have used the consensus decision-making procedures outlined in the church's Manual for Meetings . The procedures may use orange ("support") and blue ("do not support") cards, which may also be displayed times other than voting. The UCA's theological range
940-942: The 2021 census . In the 2011 census , that figure was 1,065,796. The UCA is Australia's third-largest Christian denomination, behind the Catholic and the Anglican Churches . There are around 2,000 UCA congregations, and 2001 National Church Life Survey (NCLS) research indicated that average weekly attendance was about 10 per cent of census figures. The UCA is one of Australia's largest non-government providers of community and health services. Its service network consists of over 400 agencies, institutions, and parish missions, with its areas of service including aged care, hospitals, children, youth and family, disability, employment, emergency relief, drug and alcohol abuse, youth homelessness and suicide. Affiliated agencies include UCA's community and health-service provider network, affiliated schools,
987-600: The Jesus movement to conventional Reformed services. Music also varies from traditional and contemporary hymns in the Australian Hymn Book and Together in Song , through Hillsong and contemporary Christian music to hard alternative and metal . Liturgical dress in the UCA is generally lenient, and is optional for ministers and other leaders of worship. When liturgical dress
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#17328835755771034-523: The Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The first Methodist church in Brisbane, a modest brick chapel, was constructed in 1849 on the corner of Albert Street and Burnett Lane . The first church was replaced in 1856 by a larger building. By the early 1880s the congregation had grown substantially and in 1884 purchased a site on the corner of Albert and Ann Streets. A competition
1081-583: The State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014). Uniting Church in Australia The Uniting Church in Australia ( UCA )
1128-642: The Baptist Union and the Churches of Christ , in some locations. There are also cooperative arrangements where supplying ministry to congregations is impossible, particularly in remote areas. This includes arrangements with the Anglican Church , where ministry and (sometimes) property resources are shared. Faith communities are less structured than congregations. They are groups of people who gather together for worship, witness or service and choose to be recognised by
1175-680: The President-General of the Methodist Church of Australasia unveiled a memorial tablet for Henry Youngman in the church. The church served as the symbolic centre of Methodism in Queensland. The Annual Conference was opened each year in the church and significant occasions for Methodists were celebrated there. With the formation of the Uniting Church in 1977, the church was renamed Albert Street Uniting Church. Albert Street Uniting Church
1222-558: The UCA became the first mainstream Australian church to induct a transgender minister, when Jo Inkpin was installed at Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney. Transept A transept (with two semitransepts ) is a transverse part of any building , which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform (" cross -shaped") churches , in particular within the Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architectural traditions,
1269-582: The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress prescribe that the Regional Committee may have and exercise all or specific rights, powers, duties and responsibilities of a Presbytery under this Constitution and the Regulations (including ordination and other rights, powers and responsibilities relating to Ministers) for the purpose of fulfilling any responsibility of the Regional Committee for Uniting Church work with Aboriginal and Islander people within
1316-598: The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, Frontier Services and UnitingWorld . The UCA is a national, unincorporated association of councils, each of which has responsibility for functions in the church. The councils are congregations (local), presbyteries (regional), synods (state) and an assembly (national). The membership of each council is established by the constitution. Each council includes Women and Men, lay and ordained. The offices of president of assembly, moderator of synod (who chair these councils) and other offices are open to all UCA members. The UCA
1363-569: The bounds of the Synod. UnitingCare Australia , one of the country's largest providers of social care, is its largest operator of aged-care facilities. Other activities include shelters and emergency housing for men, women and children; family-relationships support; disability services, and food kitchens. The UCA provides theological training through a number of theological colleges: Training generally takes five years, and includes supervised practical experience. The National Christian Youth Convention
1410-600: The broad culture. Uniting Network Australia is "the national network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and transgender people, their families, friends and supporters within the Uniting Church in Australia." The establishment of Evangelical Members within the Uniting Church in Australia (EMU), the Reforming Alliance and their merger with the Assembly of Confessing Congregations (ACC) illustrate conservative opposition to
1457-507: The budget, local policy matters, property matters (ratified by the presbytery and synod) and the "call" (employment) of a new minister or other staff. Congregations manage themselves through a council. All elders are members, as are ministers with pastoral responsibility for the congregation; there may also be other members. The council meets regularly, and is responsible for approving worship times and other matters. Some united congregations exist. The UCA has joined with other churches, such as
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1504-464: The denomination appointing its next minister. They are known as union churches in some places, with several denominations using the building at different times. A Frontier Services ministry is available to residents of the outback , with ministers and pastors visiting families by air or four-wheel drive vehicles. Visits are normally arranged in advance so adjacent families can travel for significant events, such as baptisms . These "padres" are based in
1551-434: The laity is valued in the UCA, which recognises that ministry is a function of the entire church. However, "specified ministries" are defined. Of these, the roles of elder and pastor are open to lay members . The church has two orders of ordained ministry : minister and deacon . When it is not possible (or desirable) to have an ordained minister, a lay preacher or lay ministry team may act in their place (similar to
1598-581: The local option to marriage; a minister may bless a same-sex marriage. The fairly broad consensus has been that a person's sexual orientation should not be a bar to attendance, membership or participation in the church. More controversial has been the issue of sexual activity by gay and lesbian people and the sexual behaviour of ordination candidates. In 2003, the church voted to allow local presbyteries to decide whether to ordain gay and lesbian people as ministers. Ministers were permitted to bless same-sex couples entering civil unions even before same-sex marriage
1645-474: The ordination of gay and lesbian candidates and the influence of the Confessing Movement (not to be confused with the anti- Nazi Confessing Church ). Issues debated since early in UCA history are the role of gay and lesbian people in the church, their possibility of being ordained and the blessing of same-sex unions. The church permits local presbyteries to ordain gay and lesbian ministers, and extends
1692-526: The presbytery. Local churches are sometimes also used by congregations of other denominations; for example, a Tongan Seventh-day Adventist congregation may make arrangements to meet in the building on a Saturday. The UCA is committed to inclusivity, and there are a number of multicultural ministry (MCM) arrangements in which Korean , Tongan and other groups form congregations of the church. Co-operating congregations, typically in rural areas, have several denominations worshiping as one congregation and rotate
1739-596: The right of the base of the tower and has a broad Gothic arch with a steeply pitched parapet topped by a Christian cross . The end of each transept has a rose window in the gable end above a pair of Gothic arched windows that in turn are above groups of smaller openings. Internally, the nave floor slopes down towards the pulpit and the walls are rendered, with a timber boarded dado . The galleries contain tiered seating and are supported on cast iron columns with ornate capitals . The main ceiling and gallery soffits are diagonally boarded and finely carved timberwork
1786-399: The sides of the church. A single large Gothic opening with fine tracery is located above the entry porch. To the right of the entry is a tower rising to the octagonal spire which has tall dormers on four of its faces and four pinnacles at the corners of its base. The top of the spire has a wrought iron finial . The roof on the nave also has small dormer ventilators. A side entry is to
1833-479: The start of the 16th Assembly in July 2021. Palmer was the second woman in the role, following Jill Tabart (1994-1997). Palmer was the moderator of the Presbytery and Synod of South Australia from November 2013 to November 2016. Hollis was moderator of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania at the time of her election in 2018 as the president-elect and became president at the beginning of the sixteenth assembly, which
1880-455: The transepts were reduced to matched chapels . More often, the transepts extended well beyond the sides of the rest of the building, forming the shape of a cross. This design is called a Latin cross ground plan, and these extensions are known as the "arms" of the transept. A Greek cross ground plan, with all four extensions the same length, produces a central-plan structure. When churches have only one transept, as at Pershore Abbey , there
1927-522: Was also held in Sydney in January 2017. UnitingWorld is the church's international-aid agency. It receives funding from the government of Australia to implement development and poverty-alleviation programs in the Pacific, Asia and Africa. UnitingWorld works in partnership with 18 overseas denominations to support over 180,000 people annually through sustainable community development projects. The role of
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1974-596: Was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia , about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Union of Australia united under the Basis of Union . According to the church, it had 243,000 members in 2018. In the 2016 census , 870,183 Australians identified with the church, but that figure fell to 673,260 in
2021-468: Was held for the design of a new church which was won by G H M Addison. The third church was built for a cost of £ 10,000 by contractor Thomas Pearson & Sons. Other tradespeople included Petrie & Son (joinery), and Exton and Gough (stained glass windows). In keeping with the importance placed on music in Methodism , a large pipe organ was installed. It was built by George Benson of Manchester for
2068-499: Was legalised in Australia in late 2017. In July 2018, the national assembly approved the creation of marriage rites for same-sex couples. Since 1997, some ministers living in same-sex relationships have come out without their ordination (or ministry) being challenged. In 2011, the church approved the blessing of same-sex unions . Seven years later it allowed local congregations and ministers to decide whether to perform same-sex marriages, and ministers may now do so. In March 2021,
2115-534: Was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. Demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. Demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. Aesthetic significance. Strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article incorporates text from "The Queensland heritage register" published by
2162-567: Was to be held in Queensland in 2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic , the meeting was moved to a shorter, online form. Synods are UCA councils which roughly correspond to state boundaries. Each synod meets about once per year, with a standing committee to represent it between sessions. Synod responsibilities include the promotion and encouragement of the church's mission, theological and ministerial education, and overseeing property matters. There are six synods: Each synod generally consists of
2209-582: Was undertaken in 1974-75 and involved the replacement of the slate roof. Further repair work on the building has been undertaken over the years. In 1907, the church became known as the Central Methodist Mission in recognition of its wider responsibilities as the main Methodist church in the city. The congregation has been involved in a variety of welfare activities and has developed an extensive network of accommodation and other services for aged people. On Thursday 1 March 1928, John Gladwell Wheen ,
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