Through dedicated Taskforces, the Council conducts its substantive work — bringing together representatives of Member Churches to advise, act, and give expression to shared ecumenical commitments.
Through dedicated taskforces and collaborative initiatives, we address critical social, theological, and community concerns.
Arts & Culture
Supporting creative expression as spiritual witness and communal formation.
The Peace & Justice Taskforce advises the Executive Committee on a range of matters pertaining to justice, human rights, and the stewardship of creation. The Commission gives voice to the Council’s concern for those who are vulnerable, marginalised, or subject to injustice.
The Taskforce’s work encompasses advocacy for refugees and people seeking asylum; engagement on climate change and environmental care; homelessness and housing justice; support for significant public observances such as Palm Sunday; and other questions of social justice and civic responsibility.
The Commission draws on the tradition of Christian social teaching across the member churches and seeks to articulate a coherent ecumenical perspective on the ethical challenges of the day.
Member churches and individuals are invited to engage with the work of the Taskforce through its public statements, events, and resources.
The Theological Reflection Taskforce exists to assist the Council and its Member Churches in embodying their unity in Christ. It provides a forum in which Churches may grow together in their understanding and proclamation of the Gospel.
The Taskforce believes that theological dialogue is not merely an academic exercise but a vital expression of the ecumenical vocation. By seriously engaging with the theological convictions that unite and distinguish Member Churches, the Taskforce helps build the foundations of genuine unity.
The Taskforce’s work includes convening theological forums and study groups, creating shared resources, and engaging in focused reflection on matters of common concern to Member Churches.
Clergy, theologians, and lay members from Member Churches are encouraged to participate in the Commission’s work.
The NSW Ecumenical Council currently comprises twenty-one member churches, drawn from the Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and other streams of the Christian tradition. Membership reflects the Council’s commitment to the broadest possible expression of Christian unity within NSW and the ACT.
Anglican Church • Antiochian Orthodox Church • Armenian Apostolic Church • Assyrian Church of the East • The Bruderhof • Congregational Federation of NSW • Coptic Orthodox Church • Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church • Greek Orthodox Church • St Thomas Indian Orthodox Cathedral • Lutheran Church of Australia • Mar Thoma Church • Religious Society of Friends • Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst • Roman Catholic Diocese of Parramatta • Roman Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga • Syrian Orthodox Church • Church of South India • The Salvation Army • Uniting Church Synod of NSW and the ACT
Membership is open to churches that acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures and share the commitment to common witness and service.
The Interfaith Taskforce facilitates the Council’s engagement with communities of other faiths across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Grounded in the conviction that dialogue is an expression of Christian witness, the Taskforce promotes respectful encounter, mutual understanding, and cooperative engagement.
Interfaith engagement, as understood by the Council, is neither a dilution of Christian conviction nor an end in itself. It is a faithful response to the Gospel imperative to love the neighbour — and to bear witness to that love in the public life of a diverse society.
The Taskforce organises dialogue events, participates in interfaith forums, and supports Member Churches in their engagement with other faith communities in their local contexts.
The Council regularly participates in civic and public events alongside other faith communities, and maintains relationships with government departments and community organisations active in the area of interfaith relations.
The Middle East Taskforce reflects the Council’s longstanding concern for peace, justice, and the welfare of Christian and other communities in the Middle East. The Commission monitors developments in the region and advocates for a just and peaceful resolution to ongoing conflicts through its Middle East Engagement Team.
The Taskforce’s attention is especially directed toward the situation in Palestine and Israel, where the Council maintains a connection through its association with the Middle East Council of Churches and its support for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI Australia).
The Taskforce also monitors and advocates for religious freedom, care for displaced peoples, and care for persecuted minorities throughout the region.
The Taskforce prepares statements, organises educational events, and supports the Council’s advocacy for a just peace in the region. It works in solidarity with Churches in the Middle East and with ecumenical partners nationally and internationally.
The new Arts & Culture Taskforce seeks to foster the engagement of the Council’s Member Churches with the arts as a medium of spiritual expression, communal formation, and public witness. The Commission recognises that the creative arts have always been integral to the life of the Church.
The Taskforce supports and promotes artistic and cultural activities that express the faith, values, and unity of the ecumenical community — including music, visual arts, performance, and other creative forms.
The Taskforce also assists in the organisation of the Council’s annual events and gatherings, contributing to the cultivation of an ecumenical culture of beauty, celebration, and shared memory.
Artists, musicians, and cultural practitioners from Member Churches are warmly invited to engage with the work of the Taskforce.
The new Chaplaincy Taskforce supports the Council’s engagement with tertiary education chaplaincy ministry across a range of institutional and community settings. Chaplaincy is understood as a direct expression of the Christian vocation to serve — a presence of care, compassion, and spiritual accompaniment in places of need.
Chaplaincy ministry supported and coordinated through the Council spans a range of contexts. The Taskforce works to connect chaplains across Member Churches, share resources and best practice, and advocate for the ongoing recognition and support of chaplaincy.
The Taskforce provides a forum for chaplains to gather, reflect, and support one another in ministry. It also contributes to the formation of future chaplains and the ongoing professional development of those already in placement.
