Alistair Macrae
- For the Scottish motor rally driver, see Alister McRae.
Alistair Macrae (born 1957) is an ordained Christian minister of the word of the Uniting Church in Australia and was formerly a moderator of the synod of Victoria and Tasmania,[1] and President of the National Assembly.[2][3]
Early life and education
Macrae is the son of the Revd Donald and Anne Macrae. He was born in Melbourne and spent most of his childhood in Sale, Victoria, before moving to Melbourne for secondary education and then Melbourne University.[4]
He has degrees in arts, theology and philosophy from the University of Melbourne and the University of Dublin.
Ordained service
Macrae was ordained in 1984 and has served in rural, regional and inner city congregations in Victoria, at Mt Beauty, Portland and West Brunswick. He served as Moderator of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania (2000–2003) and as Executive Director of the Uniting Church Centre for Theology and Ministry (2004–2009) in that synod. He was a member of the board of Wesley Mission Melbourne and chaired its social policy committee.
Macrae was an inaugural member of the Victorian State Government's Community Support Fund and served on the advisory committee of the Community Alcohol Action network of the Australian Drug Foundation.
President of the UCA
Macrae became President of the UCA in July 2009, at the 12th Assembly. His theme for the three years of the assembly was "Living Water, Thirsty Land", a metaphor inspired by a photo of a 4WD utility published in The Age newspaper. Two young people were found dead under their ute in outback Australia having run out of petrol and then water. Afterwards, local Indigenous people said if the travellers had known where to look they would have found life-giving water within 200 metres of where they were stranded.[5]
In September 2013 Macrae commenced as Minister of Wesley Uniting Church, Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Personal life
Macrae is married to Clare Boyd-Macrae, a writer,[6] and they have four children, Tess, Patrick, Hamish and Fiona. His interests include sport of most kinds, notably Australian Rules football as well as cooking, reading, running, renovating, gardening and being with family and friends.
References
- ↑ The Uniting Church accepts all people. It always has, The Age, 23 July 2003, accessed 15 May 2010
- ↑ About the Uniting Church in Australia, UCA National Assembly website, accessed 15 May 2010
- ↑ Key people at the Assembly, UCA Assembly 2009, accessed 15 May 2010
- ↑ Assembly leaders and staff, UCA, accessed 15 May 2010
- ↑ Alistair Macrae: New President, Meera Atkinson, Journeyonline.org.au magazine, July 2009, accessed 15 May 2010
- ↑ Boyd-Macrae, Clare, National Library of Australia catalogue, accessed 15 May 2010
External links
| Religious titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gregor Henderson |
President of the Assembly, Uniting Church in Australia July 2009 - July 2012 |
Succeeded by Andrew Dutney |