Rev. Dr. Peter Walker has been appointed as General Secretary at Synod 2025.  

Rev. Walker expressed his deep gratitude over the appointment as he was joined on stage by his wife, Sarah, and mother, Elizabeth. 

“I am humbled by your confidence in me, and I promise never to take that confidence lightly,” said Rev. Dr Peter Walker after applause from the Synod floor. “The General Secretary is a servant of this council of the Uniting Church, and together we are servants of Jesus Christ. Thank you for your willingness to work together with me in this next part of my ministry.”  

“In setting out to do this I am thankful for the General Secretary’s that have come before us. In my memory that spans from Norman McDonald to Jane Fry – they have set an extraordinary example for us,” Rev. Dr. Walker said.  

Rev. Walker highlighted the critical role relationships play in the life of the Church.  

“We are an interconcilliar church and relationships are everything to us. Relationships are not made with regulations or by-laws, they are the invisible glue that is holding us together. Through relationships we can build trust and through trust we can build faithful change. The software of relationships calls for as much attention at least as the hardware of structures,” Rev. Dr. Walker said.  

“We are not only an interconcilliar church we are also an upside-down church, we are a church where hierarchies are upended and so it’s a mistake to believe that one part of the Uniting Church is more important than the other. Local Uniting Churches and congregations are the heart of the Uniting Church,” Rev. Dr. Walker said.  

The process to appoint the General Secretary of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT was carefully structured to balance openness, discernment, and confidentiality. A report prepared for Synod 2025 outlined the nomination process and the steps the Synod in Session took to finalise this important appointment. 

Earlier this year, the Synod Standing Committee established the General Secretary Nominations Committee (GSNC) to oversee the search and discernment process.  

The committee was convened by Heather Watson and includes Rev. Simon Lee, Rev. Simon Hansford, Rev. Elenie Poulos, Denise Wood, and Rev. Dr Adam McIntosh (General Secretary, Queensland Synod).  

Their task was to identify and recommend a candidate who can lead the Synod’s work with integrity and vision. 

To maintain the integrity of the process and to support the nominated candidate, the GSNC’s discussions and the candidate’s identity have remained confidential throughout, shared only directly with the Synod in Session rather than with the broader Synod Standing Committee. 

This carefully designed process reflects the Synod’s commitment to transparency, discernment, and shared responsibility in appointing a leader who will guide its mission and ministry in the years ahead. 

“I promise to remember every day that we are an upside-down church and promise each day to ask how the Synod is helping our local churches and our local ministry leaders,” Rev. Dr. Walker said. 

Rev. Dr Peter Walker will commence as General Secretary in October.