About - Highfield Road Uniting Church

Our Story

Highfield Road Uniting Church Canterbury was initially a small Methodist church that grew to become a significant part of the Canterbury community. We are over 100 years old and in 1977 became part of the Uniting Church of Australia which is a union of Congregational, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. Everyone is welcome at our church, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or social status.

Highfield Road Uniting Church is a member of the Canterbury Council of Churches https://www.canterburycouncilofchurches.org

Our Minister

Rev. Andrew Boyle

Andrew has been in ordained ministry in the Uniting Church for around twenty years now, after a career in business, and life as a full-time student for a time. He is married with three adult children and two grandchildren.

Andrew is conscious of the challenging time of transition the church is in and gives emphasis in his ministry to people going deeper in their own faith lives, as well as assisting congregations to adapt in our changed social context. Attention to current social and political events and growing into human wholeness are important themes in his preaching, along with supporting people through the challenging times of their lives. He loves going deeper with people, exploring life’s big questions,
“chewing the fat” in open conversations about life and faith and laughing, when things are just plain strange.

He enjoys gardening, art and music, reading, cooking and entertaining, photography and motorbike riding.

Our Chairperson of Council

Penny Huggett supports the Minister and leads the Council in ensuring pastoral care of the congregation and the effective management of church property, finance and compliance. Penny’s other skill is demonstrated each week via her beautiful voice and her enthusiastc participation in our church choir.

Our Church Council Secretary

Heather Ball plays a vital role in the congregation. As church council secretary, she takes and distributes to the minutes of Church Council meetings, is the contact person for Synod and Presbytery, distributing information to council members and attends to correspondence.

Our Elders

Elders are leaders chosen by the congregation because of their maturity, pastoral sensitivity and commitment to God and the church. They offer guidance and pastoral care to our congregation. Every member is placed under the pastoral oversight of one of the Elders, which helps to build a strong, vibrant community of faith. Elders receive support and encouragement from the Minister.

Membership in Canterbury Council of Churches

Our church is a member of the Canterbury Council of Churches which organises ecumenical activities such as the Good Friday Stations of the Cross and a celebration of Carols in Maling Road.

Canterbury Council of Churches, 2021 “Joy to the World”

Child-safe Policy

Highfield Road Uniting Church (UCA) takes the matter of safeguarding children very seriously. All members of the congregation, staff and volunteers are responsible for supporting and adhering to the Uniting Church child safety principles, policies and procedures as set out on the Uniting Church of Victoria and Tasmania website.

We endorse these UCA principles:

All children who are involved in any of the Uniting Church’s activities, services, events or programs have a right to feel and be safe. The Uniting Church in Australia is committed to provide safe environments where children are cared for, respected, nurtured and sustained.
We have zero tolerance of all forms of child abuse and will do all in our power to safeguard children from abuse.

The Church commits itself to the creation and maintenance of a child-safe culture to ensure the care, protection and safety of all children engaging with the Church in any of its entities.
Abuse thrives on secrecy. To prevent child abuse across the Church, we are committed to providing clear leadership and open and transparent governance to combat secrecy.
The Church clearly affirms its commitment to upholding the law. This includes the requirement to report abuse to the appropriate authorities.