Developing a theological content for homiletics in the Uniting Church in Australia

Introduction

There has been very little written about how to approach homiletics from the perspective of the Uniting Church in Australia¹ by theologians from the Uniting Church.² Moreover, Bruce Barber declares, “It is rare to find in books about preaching an identification of critical theological presuppositions of the sermon.”³ Whilst it could, and possibly even should, be argued that the primary source document for developing a theology of preaching would be the Bible, such a statement would in all likelihood already be conformed to particular assumptions around those Scriptures. Therefore, in this paper, I will argue that the hermeneutical key for preachers within the Uniting Church is the Basis of Union.⁴

The Uniting Church came into being during the ecumenical movements of the mid to late 20th century. As it did so it developed a theological position as it articulated the place of the church within the world, in particular its place in relationship to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. This position is expressed most fully and succinctly within the Basis. In developing an understanding of appropriate theological content for preaching within the Uniting Church an analysis of the Basis, its formation, content and subsequent reflections on it, is necessary. There are two key sections within this paper: first, an exploration of the status and authority of the Basis for being a hermeneutical key, and second, some homiletical themes that can be developed from the Basis. These features include the identity of the work and person of Jesus Christ, the sovereign grace of God, the unique place of the Biblical narrative, the mission of the church, the unity of the church and the nature of God as Trinitarian.

The authority of the Basis of Union as guiding Uniting Church Theology

The Basis is the document that effectively drew three churches together⁵ and is the nearest thing that the Uniting Church has to an over-arching doctrinal statement. In preparing the Basis the members of the Joint Commission on Church Union clearly understood that the Basis would play an ongoing role in the life of the Uniting Church.⁶ The Basis is a product of its time. It is influenced by the ecumenical spirit of the mid-twentieth century as well as the theology of the period.⁷ Despite this clear commitment, there has been an ongoing debate as to the status and authority of the Basis. A debate that is reflected in the Basis itself in its commitment to being open to listening to contemporary scholars and so being able to confess the faith in “fresh words and deeds.”⁸ In addition to this, it can be argued that the Basis also echoes the reformed tradition, ecclesia reformata semper reformanda.⁹ It declares an ongoing commitment to be prepared to correct “that which is erroneous in its life”.¹⁰

The debate around the status and authority of the Basis grew in intensity in the mid-1990s due to an internal theological discussion around sexuality and leadership. In response to the discussion at the 1994 Assembly Stephen Reid reflected on the theological authority of the Basis. He argues that “on the grounds of a consideration of the language of the Basis as a literary text [especially given it is not a single genre] it cannot be understood to have a theologically prescriptive authority.”¹¹ Whilst Reid argues against the Basis being seen as prescriptive he did note that some members, scholars and clergy may find themselves in tension with such a move.¹² Reid, also argues that “we may understand our allegiance and adherence to the Basis to be a form of allegiance to the rules of doctrine underlying them.”¹³ Of particular importance is Reid’s acknowledgement of the centrality of Jesus Christ¹⁴, a key theme that has been identified continuously by Uniting Church scholars. In 1994 Reid critiqued the notion that the Basis was nearly a generation old suggesting that this may exclude some scholars. This dismissal is weakened by the continued appeal to the depth of the themes that lie within and behind the Basis, especially its Christology, as is reflected in this paper by the extent of discussion around and appeal to this Basis.

Soon after this time, in 1996, there was the publication of a study guide on the Basis by Michael Owen.¹⁵ In addition, Andrew Dutney reflected in a focused way on the question of Uniting Church theology in Uniting Church Studies.¹⁶ Dutney’s paper arose from a cliché, one which is still current, that the Uniting Church does not know what it believes¹⁷. Dutney’s commentary around Uniting Church theology is significant in that he, consistent with the Basis, makes the claim that the Uniting Church has no particular doctrine outside the “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church” but, within that claim, there are particularities which can be identified as being reflective of a Uniting Church theology.¹⁸ In addition, Dutney also argues “Mission is the hermeneutical key to the Basis of Union, and the most important pointer to the Uniting Church’s way of being Reformed.”¹⁹ Given this view it is significant to note that alongside the controversy surrounding the Basis there also emerged some conversation and debate around the notion of mission as it transitioned from Western imperialistic notions into a broader understanding of mission as the mission of God in the world²⁰. Nonetheless, the view put forward by Dutney has been influential in the development of attitudes towards the Basis and its authority.

These debates led into the Eighth Assembly held in 1997 which affirmed the life of the Uniting Church would be “guided by” the Basis²¹. In taking this stance the Assembly did not elevate the Basis to the status of dogma whilst at the same time preserving the notion that the Basis was more than a statement locked in the historical moment of union. It was to have ongoing significance in the life of the Uniting Church. Despite the Assemblies decision, the ongoing significance for the Basis continued to be a source of consternation and debate, in no small part due to issues surrounding church leadership and sexuality. Chris Budden in 2000 once again explored the authority of the Basis as he reflected on the report from the Advisory Group on Church Polity The Status, Authority and Role of the Basis of Union within the Uniting Church in Australia. Budden’s reading of the position of the Basis was sympathetic, locating its place as a historical document whose primary purpose was church union, but also recognising its theological value.²²

In 2001, Dutney published a further set of studies on the Basis²³ whilst a collation of essays from Uniting Church scholars was drawn together in the book Swimming Between the Flags.²⁴ This book sought to give definition to what the Assembly had meant that the Uniting Church should be guided by the Basis, although this compilation of thoughts about the Basis was critiqued strongly by Jason John who attested it was too heavily skewed by the more conservative agenda of its editors.²⁵ One of the most significant themes that emerged through this period is the notion that the Basis whilst not a confession in the narrow sense of the term is confessional in nature.²⁶ James Haire reaffirmed the place of the Basis in the editorial of Uniting Church Studies in 2002, saying, “At this time, more than ever, we are, I believe, called to relive the vision of the Basis of Union, in evangelism, social justice, witness, ecumenism, service and hope, but most of all in living out the new identity given to us in Jesus Christ.”²⁷ He later elucidated the importance of the concept of the Basis as being confessional in his reflections on the period from 1997-2003.²⁸ This confessional view of the Basis has been echoed by Geoff Thompson.²⁹

The Basis of Union is not simply an irrelevant historical curiosity, or an ancient relic which we have outgrown; it helps the Church to be the Church of which Jesus Christ is the head. The 1998 protest by the framers of the Basis of Union was not the idle preoccupation of garrulous and nostalgic geriatrics; it was an attempt by those who understand the vision of the Uniting Church best to keep the Church faithful.³⁰

Thompson’s work is significant as prior to this point much of the debate within the Uniting Church about doctrine and the interpretation of the Scriptures continued to fall into the dichotomies of liberal versus fundamentalist. What Thompson does is critique this internal debate of the church as a by-product of the Enlightenment. Thompson argues that the rise of modernity was no neutral movement to the existence of the church, it was antithetical.³¹ By theologians allowing their theological approach to be shaped by the Enlightenment it could be argued that this has led the church nowhere other than in on itself and its own divisions. Another Uniting Church theologian Bruce Barber indicates a similar opinion in his 2008 paper “Lanterns after Dusk: Preaching after Modernity” in which he declared:

The nineteenth century is witness to a relentless search for appropriate anthropological foundations which could be proposed as capable of bearing the weight of a new theological enterprise. After two hundred years of experiment in this regard, it is perhaps not premature to conclude that the success of modern theology has been problematic.³²

Thompson’s theological commentary on the Basis expresses a commitment to the idea that the Basis itself is formed around a confession of the “narrative sequence of his [Jesus] life, death and resurrection as witnessed to in Scripture” and as described in Paragraph 3.³³ Whilst Thompson’s project seeks to find a different road to the traditional dichotomous pathways of liberalism and fundamentalism he is not without his detractors.³⁴ Nonetheless, it could be asserted that Thompson is arguing from a tradition handed down by the framers themselves who sought to define afresh the faith of the church.³⁵

In his explorations on unity in diversity Wesley Campbell, once again responding to issues arising in the context of debates around sexuality, notes the potential destructive patterns of a church consumed with its own internal theological ruminations on a particular issue.³⁶ There are two telling considerations in Campbell’s thought which can help in the analysis of the Basis: the diversity of the church is not unlimited, and; the unity of the church is important because it has been established by the reconciling work of Christ. Unlike Beswick who is more concerned with defining the substance of the faith more narrowly³⁷ Campbell offers some helpful insights as to a way ahead in terms of the limits of diversity in theological matters alongside the importance of seeking to retain the unity of the church.

Alongside the theological commitments that have been highlighted thus far it also worth reflecting on the continued spiritual horizon which the Basis invites the Uniting Church to look forward to. Katharine Massam argues that the Basis is a spiritual manifesto as well as a theological treatise, “offering an inherent spirituality of the UCA in which theology and doctrine are wound together with expectations for the lives of adherents.”³⁸ An aspect of both the spiritual and theological content of the Basis is grounded in the already and not yet of the promise of Christ. In this conviction the Basis understands the church and its self-understanding expressed through its theology to be a church in via. Massam says that “Commitment to the Basis of Union involves a dual conviction, verging on the paradox of faith: firstly that the journey of the pilgrim people has not ended and cannot be predicted, and secondly that in Christ, the same journey can not fail to reach ‘the promised goal’, the city that is to come.”³⁹ Thus the Basis is latent with the possibilities of what is to come and draws its hearers to a promised future whilst being clearly aware both spiritually and theologically that the church has not arrived.

This conversation around the Basis is significant in terms of the preaching life of the Uniting Church precisely because if the Uniting Church is understood as being guided by the Basis and the Basis is understood as confessional in nature then it follows that the theology and spirituality found within the Basis might also then shape how we preach. If the Basis is rejected as guiding the Uniting Church in its thinking, then preachers are essentially provided a blank cheque when it comes to their hermeneutical approach. Whilst the debate continues as to how the Basis should be interpreted and what guided by might mean the constant appeal by Uniting Church scholars and members to the Basis reflects the continuing importance the Basis plays. Moreover, despite the critique by some members, that the Uniting church does not know what it stands for, the Uniting Church does appear to have theological boundaries grounded in the Basis. Boundaries which emphasize God’s reconciling work in and through Jesus Christ as central. I agree with Haire’s assertion, “At the very least, it means that the Uniting Church may not profess its faith, nor act, in any way which is overtly opposed to the contents of its Basis of Union. In that sense the Uniting Church in Australia is truly a confessional church.”⁴⁰ Therefore, given the commitment of the Assembly in 1997 and the continued use and appeal to the Basis for theological guidance by Uniting Church scholars, it is more than suitable to use it to develop a reflection on the content for preaching in the Uniting Church.

Thus, it is timely to draw together some key concepts found within the Basis to help develop an approach to preaching within the Uniting Church. Theological content could be mined from each paragraph and possibly even each phrase of the Basis. Whilst containing only one direct quotation from the Bible⁴¹ the Basis, not unlike the ancient Creeds, is laden with echoes of the Biblical narrative and reflects the theological conversations around that narrative from within the theological traditions from which it emerged. Thus, these convictions, concerning the authority and status of the Basis, establish a rationale as to why it is pertinent to suggest that the Basis is the most appropriate hermeneutical key to develop theological guidelines for Uniting Church preaching.

Implications for the theological content for preaching in the Uniting Church

In this section I will explore six possible hermeneutical themes arising from the theological convictions of the Basis. Whilst more could be elucidated these six cover key themes in the life of the church that are pertinent to preaching. Thus, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list but a starting point for the conversation. As I begin I would echo Andrew Dutney’s sentiment in response to the question “Are there doctrines peculiar to the Uniting Church?”⁴² On one level there are not, our thinking sits within a broader tradition, yet on another level there is a particular strand of that tradition in which we stand and the very act of forming of the Uniting Church reflects particular emphases in our life together. ⁴³ The six theological sounding points for preaching to be explored are the person and work of Jesus Christ, the sovereign grace of God, the unique place of the Biblical narrative, the mission of the church, the unity of the church and the nature of God as Trinitarian.

Preaching that is Christological

Firstly, and most importantly, the theological content of Uniting Church preaching should revolve around Jesus. In his commentary on the Basis Davis McCaughey described the third paragraph of the Basis as “the most fundamental Paragraph of the whole Basis.”⁴⁴ This Paragraph is Christological in nature and provides a narrative account, based in the Scriptures,⁴⁵ of God’s action in the world in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.⁴⁶ It is clear from the Basis that the central story of the Christian faith is the story and promise of Jesus and that this story should shape the content of all of our preaching. As Pearson says, “Sooner rather than later Christology must enter this question … Irrespective of how the person and work of Christ is then interpreted this personal focus is formative. It is not an optional extra.”⁴⁷ The Basis is unequivocal about this as the primary task in preaching: “The Church preaches Christ the risen crucified One and confesses him as Lord to the glory of God the Father.”⁴⁸ Pearson points out that this claim is both “universal in scope and yet potentially exclusivist.”⁴⁹ The disruptive nature of making truth claims is also echoed by Thompson. “The confession of Jesus as Lord of the church and Lord of creation is inevitably a polemical confession. it is a major theme of The Faith of the Church that Jesus’ lordship was only not duly acknowledged but that the churches had too easily acknowledged other lords.”⁵⁰ Therefore, placing Jesus and preaching that is Christological as the central hermeneutical key is consistent with the Basis.

However, given the twentieth century debates about the person and work of Jesus Christ⁵¹ there could be questions raised as to what a commitment to preaching Christ might look like. It has been argued by Balabanski, Campbell, Mostert and Thompson⁵² amongst others the Christ that the Uniting Church preaches is one which sits within the doctrine of the broader church through history. Thompson provides a helpful reflection on the importance of Jesus identity as divine in his comments connecting the ancient creeds of the church to the Christ affirmed in the Basis. He says,

The Creed’s homoousios points us to the real intellectual, ethical, cultural, and spiritual radicalness of the Christian faith. It is a reminder that Christianity has reasons for arguing that the love of enemy, generosity to the poor, a relationship with God based on mercy and grace, the claims about the universal scope of God’s love, the summons to resist all dehumanising and unjust ideologies, the realities of freedom and hope, are not just arbitrary convictions developed out of our limited perspective. They have a ground in the one who is Creator and Lord.⁵³

I agree with Thompson’s convictions when he suggests that to preach the Christ of the creeds is to respond with a life of faith that is grounded in God’s concern for the world expressed in the incarnation. An idea similarly expressed by Christiann Mostert.⁵⁴ Whereas the Basis may be open to highlighting other emphases in the focus on Paragraph 3 there can be little doubt that Jesus is understood in the Basis as God’s Word who came into the world for the purpose of reconciling the world to God. And, further, that this Jesus who is promised to return is the coming and present Lord of the church.⁵⁵ Therefore, to preach in the Uniting Church is to engage the narrative of God’s presence and work in the person of Jesus.

Preaching that recognises God’s sovereign action of grace

In Paragraph 3 of the Basis, it declares that “The whole work of salvation is effected by the sovereign grace of God alone.”⁵⁶ This expression of God’s work of salvation being the work of God alone is consistent with the Reformed tradition in which the Uniting Church finds its roots.⁵⁷ It is God who acts and even the human response to God is God’s in Christ. “Jesus himself, in his life and death, made the response of humility, obedience and trust which God had long sought in vain.”⁵⁸ Whilst the Basis is clear on the vicarious nature of Christ’s action on behalf of the creation how it is so remains somewhat ambiguous. In her consideration on the issue of the atonement Michelle Cook argues this is deliberate stating, “By focussing on the purpose of Christ’s work, the reconciliation of the whole world to God, rather than on the mechanics of this work the Basis sidesteps contemporary atonement debates, instead embracing the breadth and richness of Scripture.”⁵⁹ In this case, preaching within the Uniting Church might best be described as preaching that declares what ‘is’, in terms of God’s grace revealed in Christ, rather than seek to confine how God has achieved those ends and to accept the mystery that lies within the story.

Furthermore, the focus on God’s sovereign action in Jesus has universal implications. This universal claim cuts through the individualism of the present age which is something that is regularly critiqued alongside the focus on personal salvation. Pearson notes “The ever present risk of a theology that is bound to ecclesial convention is that [it] can overly concerned with personal salvation.”⁶⁰ Countering the individualistic approach to faith that is sometimes reflected in the preaching of the church Mostert asserts, “The doctrine of reconciliation is a doctrine of the church, but its scope includes the whole of humankind. It has in view the future of a humanity reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and thereby reconciled across all barriers and divisions of human history.”⁶¹ This does not mean that a personal and communal response to the sovereign action of God is something that can be laid aside. Mostert also says, “Unless a gift offered is also received, the relationship between the giver and the one for whom the gift is intended remains unchanged … Without reciprocity there is no reconciliation.”⁶² Thus, the Basis’s focus on the sovereignty of God’s action in Jesus provides another focus on preaching but it is a focus which involves an invitation to respond to this good news.

Preaching that is Biblical

In Paragraph 5 of the Basis it declares, “When the Church preaches Jesus Christ, its message is controlled by the Biblical witnesses.” Despite the debates that have arisen around Scriptural authority these appear to be more a symptom of the post Enlightenment questions around literalism and liberalism which have impacted the whole church. Shying away from language which describes the Bible as the ‘Word of God’ the Basis rather says, “The Uniting Church acknowledges that the Church has received the books of the Old and New Testaments as unique prophetic and apostolic testimony, in which it hears the Word of God and by which its faith and obedience are nourished and regulated.”⁶³ In this approach the Scriptures are neither dismissed as lacking authority nor restricted as having to be approached literally. Thompson summarises the key theological conviction of Paragraph 5 saying, “Paragraph 5 is thereby stating that the Word is heard not primarily through private devotional reading, nor in academic abstraction, nor for that matter in any abstraction from the life of the Church. Rather, the Bible mediates the Word of God not while the Church’s practices and beliefs are held in suspension, but precisely in the midst of the Church’s worshipping and witnessing life.”⁶⁴

The Basis suggests that when listened to appropriately the church hears the Word of God, Jesus, speaking in the words of the Scripture. This is most obviously so in the act of preaching as Owen attests. “The Basis locates the Bible within God’s action in Christ and the Church’s witness to it. Central to that witness is the preaching of ‘Christ the risen crucified One’ by Gospel words and sacraments. Through it, Christ speaks and acts, and is heard and known, as God’s Word. The Scriptures, too, are witness, but with the unique status of ‘prophetic and apostolic testimony to the background, setting, course, and meaning of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. They nourish and regulate the Church’s faith and obedience and control its preaching.”⁶⁵ However, it could be argued that the wording of the Basis concerning the Scriptures leaves opening for a range of hermeneutical approaches⁶⁶ whilst at the same time reminding the church of the unique authority that comes to us in the Bible. In suggesting that preaching should be Biblical I am not thereby suggesting a literal or narrativist approach rather I am reinforcing the Basis approach to the status and authority of the Scriptures being grounded in the idea that God’s Word speaks through this unique, prophetic and apostolic witness.

Preaching that is focussed on mission: worship, witness and service

Within the Basis there is a constant theme of the mission of the church. The liturgical acts of baptism and Eucharist are both strongly linked to mission.⁶⁷ The liturgy of the church and its mission are intimately entwined.⁶⁸ As Ben Myers points out:

At the pulpit and the table we see creation made new, and that teaches us to discern Christ’s transfiguring activity elsewhere in the world. Because we have heard Christ in the preaching of the Word and seen him in the breaking of the bread, we are also able to hear him and to see him—and to help others to see and hear him—in our local neighbourhoods, in the public library, the local school, the university, the coffee shop or skate park or housing development.⁶⁹
This mission does have an evangelical orientation in the Basis as it hears “anew the commission of the Risen Lord to make disciples of all nations.”⁷⁰

Alongside the imperative to invite people to discipleship, the Basis is also clear that another primary purpose of the church in its mission is service. “In entering into this union the Churches concerned are mindful that the Church of God is committed to serve the world for which Christ died.”⁷¹ This is often expressed as a commitment in community services and social justice.⁷² So it is that on three occasions throughout the Basis it speaks of the “worship, witness and service” of the church.⁷³ If this is the case, McCaughey’s assertion is a timely reminder, “‘Preaching’ must not be thought of as limited to what happens in church on Sunday: as in New Testament times the Christian in Australia today is called to go out into the world with Christ’s message and the message about Christ.”⁷⁴ This mission has the consequence of giving the church an entirely outward focus and as Myers suggests becomes what it is as it engages with this mission. “The church occupies no special place in the world, since our commitment is to every place … We become the church only as we look beyond ourselves to the work of Christ in the renewal of all things.”⁷⁵ As the church preaches it inspires followers of Jesus to enter into living out their baptism and so expressing their own participation in Christ’s mission in fresh words and deeds. Myers describes this task aptly saying, “Our mission is to ambush the world with glimpses of glory: to show that the real secret of the world is not death but life, not chaos but form, not ugliness but beauty, not inert materiality but transfigured humanity.”⁷⁶ To assert a theological content for preaching, grounded in the mission of the church, is to have an expanded view of the mission of the church as encompassing the worship, witness and service of the church expressed for the contemporary moment in which the church exists.⁷⁷

Preaching that recognises the unity of the church

In the act of union the three churches coming together declared that they were “seeking to bear witness to that unity which is both Christ’s gift and will for the Church.”⁷⁸ As indicated at the beginning this was a product of mid-twentieth century ecumenism.⁷⁹ In coming together the churches made the somewhat audacious claim that, “The Uniting Church in Australia lives and works within the faith and unity of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.”⁸⁰ The imperative towards unity was driven by a deep conviction of the framers about the unfaithfulness that the division of the church represented.⁸¹ Theologically this has a number of implications the first of which is that ecclesiologically there could be no retreat from ecumenism. Paragraph 2 of the Basis points towards further union with other branches of the Chirstian church beyond 1977. In the commitment to this ideal the framers understood that the Church of God is more than a collection of like-minded people it is “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”⁸² Campbell touches on the possibility of engaging with the possibility of engaging with Eastern Orthodox theology in terms of Trinitarian theology and the same could be said of ecclesiology, the church is a way of being and more importantly the church is one. The ecumenical project of the mid to late twentieth century, particularly focussed on institutional unions, floundered despite strong calls to continue the journey.⁸³ Nonetheless, unity for the church may take a variety of forms and Miroslav Volf, the Free Church theologian, offers helpful insights as to directions for church unity in After our Likeness arguing that, at a local level, “the openness of every church toward all other churches … [is] an indispensable condition of ecclesiality.”⁸⁴ The division of the church remains problematic⁸⁵ and whilst how the church responds to that division may change the preaching within the Uniting Church should remain open to the commitment to the theological conviction that unity is “Christ’s gift and will” and whilst existing as an institution should constantly seek to express a self-understanding which is not bound by the era of denominationalism.

Preaching that is Trinitarian

In his analysis of current homiletic issues F. Gerrit Immink declares “For us as theologians … the most urgent question is, ‘How do we refer to God?’”⁸⁶ One aspect of naming God is to name the mystery of the Triune nature of God’s hidden and revealed life. Paragraph 9 of the Basis grounds the Uniting Church in the tradition of the church expressed in the ancient creeds of the church.⁸⁷ Further, it calls ministers and congregations to use them as an act of allegiance to the Holy Trinity. During the late twentieth century there was a resurgences of interest in the Trinity and alongside this an engagement with the ancient texts of the church on the revelation of God’s revealed life as Trinitarian.⁸⁸ As already noted above Campbell has raised the possibility of deeper engagement with the Eastern Orthodox Church to understand the life of the Trinity and it can be argued that there are many points of convergence between the Basis and the ontological arguments concerning God found in orthodox scholars such as John Zizioulas.⁸⁹ The tendency of the Western Church has been to speak of God and Trinity as if they were separated concepts. It is pertinent that Immink’s concerns around how we speak about God arise out of debates around homiletics. On one hand this problem of how we name God may reflect the ongoing division with the Western mind of ‘God’ and ‘Trinity’. On the other, these debates may remind us of the deep mystery of God’s existence represented by the language of the Trinity and the apophatic approaches of the Easter church. Given the call for allegiance to the Trinity within the Basis speaking of God in the Uniting Church is to speak God as Trinity precisely because the narrative of Jesus life indicates this reality of God’s hidden and revealed life to us shared through inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion: Theological Considerations for Preaching in the Uniting Church

Preaching is an overt expression of the practices and belief of the church. In this it is a theological activity and for many congregation members is possibly the greatest exposure to theological reflection that they regularly engage in. As Geoff Thompson says, “At its best Christian theology is itself fully embedded in the church’s practices. It is not an add-on, but a strand that runs through all the church does, animating and guiding the church’s worship, witness and service.”⁹⁰ For preachers in the Uniting Church to understand “fresh words and deeds”⁹¹ to infer novel theologies that sit in contradiction or conflict with the faith of the church as expressed in the Basis would be incorrect. Whilst open to new insights and corrections in its life the Uniting Church has affirmed the Basis as guiding our life and thought together as we express our faithfulness within the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

For preachers this means that the theological content within sermons would continue to acknowledge the centrality of the person and work of Jesus Christ, the sovereign grace of God, the unique place of the Biblical narrative, the priority and diversity of the mission of the church, the importance of the unity of the church and the nature of God as Trinitarian.