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Vol. 27 No. 1 (2025)
Salvation, Discipleship and Evangelism

Articles

Alter-narratives: Indigenous elders reflect

Published 2025-08-15

  • Rosemary Dewerse
    • ,
  • Denise Champion
    • ,
  • Ken Sumner

Abstract

This article emerged from a request to Denise Champion and Ken Sumner to contribute their thoughts on the theme of this special issue of Uniting Church Studies. They replied with a query in turn: ‘Are we being invited to speak as First Peoples out of our worldviews and identities or are we being expected to speak from a Christian perspective, shaped by Christian concepts?’ The answer received in response was to bring their voices and their heritage to this conversation. After noting something of the on-the-ground impact of discipleship and evangelism on Denise’s Adnyamathanha and Ken’s Kukabrak Ngarrindjeri nations in South Australia, this article explores paradigm-shaking queries and observations that arise from their reflection on salvation.

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Author Biography

Rosemary Dewerse

Rosemary Dewerse is from Aotearoa New Zealand. She works as the Academic Dean and Research Coordinator at Uniting College for Leadership and Theology (UCLT), a college of the University of Divinity, and teaches on the University’s professional doctoral program. She has collaborated for a number of years with both Aunty Denise and Uncle Ken to publish their wisdom.

Denise Champion

Denise Champion is an Adnyamathanha woman from Ikara Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The first Aboriginal woman ordained in South Australia, holding an Honorary Doctorate from the Adelaide College of Divinity, she is Theologian in Residence at UCLT, a college of the University of Divinity, author of Yarta Wandatha and Anaditj and co-lectures the unit ‘Yarta Wandatha’ with Rosemary. In 2024 Aunty Denise won the NAIDOC South Australian Scholar of the Year.

Ken Sumner

Ken Sumner is a Kukabrak Ngarrindjeri korni (man) from the southeast coast of South Australia. He is the State Development Officer for the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress in South Australia. He has many years of experience in leadership within the UCA nationally and locally, including key involvement in the process that brought to life the Preamble to the Constitution. Ken co-lectures the unit ‘Kungan Kaldowinyeri’ with Rosemary for UCLT.