The Rev. Gregor Henderson , BA, BD (Hons); Gregor was ordained as a Minister of the Word in 1971 and ministered previously in the parishes of Shepparton North (1971-1975), Wodonga (1975-1982) and Hobart City (1983-1988). He then served 12 years as General Secretary of the National Assembly, from January 1989 to December 2000. For the three years of 2001-2003 he was executive director of the Clergy Exchange International Foundation. Gregor commenced ministry with us in February 2004.

For the three years from July 2006 to July 2009 Gregor served as national President of the Uniting Church in Australia, while remaining also part-time as one of our ministers. During this time he travelled far and wide, visiting congregations, speaking at conferences, attending many inter-church and inter-faith events, meeting with Australian community leaders and politicians, and spending more than half the time away from Canberra. He returned to us fulltime in July 2009.

Gregor has wide ecumenical experience. He has been a member of the World Council of Churches Central Committee since 1998. He has served on committees and assemblies of the Christian Conference of Asia. He has been heavily involved in the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) ever since its establishment in 1994. He has visited many of the Uniting Church’s overseas partner churches, in Asia and the Pacific.

Gregor has ongoing involvement with Frontier Services, the Uniting Church’s outback ministry agency, of which he was chairperson for several years; and with Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the NCCA. He is chair of the Board of the John Flynn Foundation and Co-convener of the Ecumenical Working Group on Palestine-Israel.

Gregor was widowed in 2007, when his wife of 38 years, Alison, died after a short illness. He has three daughters, all married, and three grandchildren. To his surprise and joy, Gregor will be married again in March 2012, to Kaisa Thomson, a member of the Wesley Congregation. Gregor expects to continue in fulltime ministry in the parish until at least December 2013.

Rev David Thiem joined our Ministry Team in November 2009 (the official date is the 1st Nov although induction was later)

Before joining Canberra Central Parish, David had been the Associate National Director of Frontier Services since January 2003. This is the Uniting Church's National Assembly's agency which serves outback Australia and has more than 600 staff covering over 80% of our continent.

Prior to this appointment, he served as minister in the Queanbeyan Uniting Church for seven and a half years.

David has also been an Australian Defence Force Chaplain (Navy) serving overseas both in the Multi-National Interception Force (1991/92) as well as in East Timor (1999/2000).

His final full-time placement was as the Chaplain at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He continues to do some Naval Reserve chaplaincy at HMAS HARMAN.

David originally came from South Australia where he had appointments at Burra and in the Le Fevre Peninsula Parish.

David and his wife Annette enjoy being back in Canberra.

Minister-In-Association Rev. Prof James Haire.  James is the Executive Director of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra, a past President of the Uniting Church in Australia and immediate past President of the National Council of Churches in Australia.

Read more here.

Minister-In-Association Rev Alistair Christie. Lives in active retirement after a wide experience and participation in the Uniting Church, Ecumenical and Community bodies.

He grew up in Canberra, the second youngest of seven siblings. His home was in easy walking distance from Wesley and St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church where the whole family attended. He trained and worked as a Primary School teacher before becoming a candidate for ministry and was ordained in 1969 in Bourke.

His thirty years in parish ministry in rural and urban congregations included Gosford; Nyngan–Warren; Mona Vale; Bourke, Molong Joint Parish; Co-operating parish of Holy Covenant, Belconnen; East Belconnen; North Woden and Bathurst. He served as President of the NSW Ecumenical Council 2000-2004 and Moderator of the Synod of NSW from 2002 till 2004.  Currently he serves as the contact person for the President’s table within this Synod; is a member of the Greenhills Board and is Chairperson of the national committee of UCA Adult Fellowship.