Deidre Palmer

Dr Deidre Palmer
President-Elect of the Assembly, Uniting Church in Australia
In office 2015–2018
Preceded by	Stuart McMillan
Moderator, South Australian Synod UCA -2016
Personal details
Nationality	Australian
Spouse(s)	Lawrie Palmer
Children	2
Residence	Adelaide, South Australia
Alma mater	Duke University, Boston College, Flinders University
Occupation	Lecturer, counselor, theologian, social worker
Religion	Uniting Church in Australia
Website	Flinders University

Dr Deidre Palmer PhD is an educator, counselor, theologian, and social worker. She is the current Moderator of the South Australian Synod, and the President-Elect (2015-2018), of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Education

Palmer has the following academic degrees:

• Master of Religious Education (Duke University)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Religious Education and Theology (Boston College)
• Master of Social Work (Flinders University)^[1]

Palmer has had teaching roles at:

• Perkins School of Theology of the Southern Methodist University, (Dallas, Texas, USA);
• Uniting College for Leadership and Theology (Parkin-Wesley) in the Adelaide College of Divinity of Flinders University (South Australia).^[1]

Uniting Church in Australia

Palmer’s roles within the UCA have included:

• counselor with the Uniting Communities childhood sexual abuse counseling team
• previously serving on Assembly Committees including the Uniting Education Reference Group, the Board of Coolamon College, the Assembly Commission for Mission, National Mission and Evangelism, and the Assembly Commission for Liturgy
• as of 2015, member of the Assembly Standing Committee, the Formation, Education and Discipleship Working Group, the UCA's National Task Group responding to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Church Polity Reference Committee, and the Assembly Business Committee
• Moderator of the South Australian Synod (term ends late 2016)^[2]

President-Elect

Palmer was elected at the 14th Triennial Assembly on 16 July 2015.^[2] She will become President at the 15th Assembly, to be held in 2018. Palmer will the second woman to be appointed to the role of President, following Dr Jill Tabart (1994-1997).^[2]

Personal

Palmer is married to Lawrie Palmer and they have two adult daughters. They attend Rosefield Uniting Church in Adelaide.^[2]

References

1. Deidre Palmer, Uniting Women 2016 website, accessed 16 July 2015
2. President-Elect announced, Uniting Church in Australia, 16 July 2015

External links

• Rosefield Uniting Church, Adelaide