Honouring Rev Norah Norris AM

By Rev Sue Ellis

Posted Feb  2, 2021 in News

How fitting it is for Rev Norah Norris AM to receive a national award in the recent Australia Day Honours list for her significant leadership and work, serving, first the Presbyterian and then the Uniting Church. She helped open the way for church union between the Presbyterian, Congregation and Methodist churches, advocated leadership for women and has contributed to Christian Education and Mission.

Among her achievements there are many ‘firsts’ including being elected as the first female Clerk of the SA Presbyterian Assembly in 1972 and the first woman in the English speaking world to be elected to this position. In 1976 Rev Norris was also the first woman to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church in Australia; and was the first woman to preach in the Anglican St Peter's Cathedral in Adelaide, South Australia from 1976-77.

Her other notable achievements include:

• Becoming a Deaconess in the Presbyterian Church of Australia
• Field Officer in Christian Education in the Presbyterian Church in SA
• Inaugural member of the Joint Advisory Council for Church Union
• President of the South Australian Council of Churches for two terms
• Member of the National Council of Churches Executive
• Ministry service at Ardrossan (1978), Broadview (1979-1983) Port Pirie Mission (1984), Lower Murray Parish (1990)
• New affordable housing ministry project at Port Pirie Mission
• Secretary of the Assembly Commission on Liturgy in 1989 involving preparation of all liturgies for use in Uniting Churches (Uniting in Worship Book 1)
• Family Ministry including Supervisor of the Mailbag Sunday school program in the Uniting Church, Youth camp work and Christian education for children and young people.

Since retirement Norah has been an active member of the Scots Uniting Church on North Terrace Adelaide and taken roles with Adult Fellowships, Inter Church women and Frontier Services. She has continued to serve wherever there has been a need to provide practical care and spiritual support to people and she continues to offer theological reflection and leadership into her ninth decade.

Norah’s life story is one of self-sacrifice and trail-blazing leadership in a time when women struggled to make a presence in church leadership. Women in church leadership is still a vexed question in several churches and in other faiths. Thanks to people like Rev Norah Norris the fullness of Christ’s Gospel is made known by men and women to all people at their time of need, and lives are changed forever by grace.

We congratulate Norah and echo the thanks of the Australian community for the work she has done, giving praise and glory to Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Rev Sue Ellis

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