How We Work

The NCCA gathers together Churches and Christian communities which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures. We commit to deepen our relationship with each other and to work together towards the fulfilment of common witness, proclamation and service, to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) is an ecumenical council of member Australian Christian Churches.

The NCCA gathers together Churches and Christian communities which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures. We commit to deepen our relationship with each other and to work together towards the fulfilment of common witness, proclamation and service, to the glory of the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Read the NCCA story.

OUR VALUES

Christian (Matt 18:20) -Churches collaboratively embody Gospel values in unity.
Relational (1 Thess 5:11) – Building meaningful connections across history, tradition, culture.
Ecumenical (Eph 2:22) – Embracing diversity, Churches unite for shared purposes.
Unity in Diversity (Rom 7) – Celebrating differences, Churches find strength and harmony in unity.
Prophetic (Matt 25:40) – Guided by our common faith, Churches speak truth and advocate for justice and righteousness for the flourishing of all people and creation.

PURPOSE PILLARS

Deep Listening – To listen deeply to the Holy Spirit present among us, listen to each other across our churches so as to discern when and how we are being called to act together to give witness to the Gospel message of love and hope.
Prophetic Voice – To practise good leadership and governance in Churches and Christian organisations and be a united voice of hope, love and reconciliation for the common good.
Ecumenical Formation – To raise awareness of the importance of ecumenism among the members of our churches and embed it as integral to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to all people.

State and National Co-operation

The National Council of Churches in Australia is a national organisation that works in partnership with state ecumenical councils around Australia.

Forum and Board

While the National Forum of the Council meets every three years, ongoing oversight of the Council is provided by the Board, which is made up of nominated Directors from national churches.

The National Council of Churches is supported by the General Secretariat, headed by the General Secretary.

Focus areas

The NCCA works through a number of Commissions, Networks, Taskforces and Programs. These constitute the focus areas of the NCCA and order its workplan. More detailed information about each of these areas can be found under What We Do.

Act for Peace (previously known as Christian World Service)

Act for Peace is the international aid agency of the NCCA. Its focus is on assisting the most conflict and disaster-affected communities to be safe. Act for Peace supports ecumenical partners to do this in, and with communities displaced from, countries such as Syria, Iraq, Palestine, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Act for Peace manage the:

    • annual Christmas Bowl, which has been generously supported by Australian churches since 1948.
    • annual Ration Challenge, which raises money for emergency food, healthcare and life-saving support for refugees.
    • Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) is a program of the World Council of Churches (WCC). The EAPPI seeks to support local and international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and bring a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with a just peace, based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Faith and Unity

The NCCA’s Faith and Unity Commission brings together theologians from the member churches who act in a voluntary capacity. The Commission engages with the theological work of the wider Church, both to learn and to contribute.

Safe Church Program

For over a decade, the Safe Church Program has helped churches and Christian ministries to create safer environments for children and vulnerable adults. It had its own membership base that included both NCCA member and non-member churches, and it worked across all denominations to support churches in their safeguarding journey.

Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce

A Christian vision of compassion and hospitality for asylum seekers and refugees.

First Nations

NCCA is committed to the churches working together for justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and for the healing of our peoples. We believe that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, nurtured and sustained by God before colonisation, are celebrated at the very heart of what is means to be Australian.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Development Fund  (ATSIDF), of the National Council of Churches in Australia, is a tax deductible fund set up to assist Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples by giving small, usually one-off grants for community development projects. The projects are funded through the Martung Upah Appeal.

Justice, Peace and Care for Creation

The NCCA brings together Church networks with a shared common interest in justice issues related to Family Violence, Modern Slavery and Care for Creation.

Interfaith Dialogue

The NCCA is a founding partner in the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews (ANDCMJ). The Dialogue was officially ‘launched’ in March 2003 after 12 months of formal preparation, which was preceded by informal contact and discussions between the NCCA, AFIC (Australian Federation of Islamic Councils) and ECAJ (Executive Council of Australian Jewry).

The NCCA is a member of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO) from its beginnings in 2003.

Funds

The NCCA oversees two funds that are available for ecumenical work:

The NCCA also administers the following community funds: