David Barrow appointed as Uniting’s Director of Mission and Social Impact
Uniting NSW.ACT has announced the appointment of David Barrow as its new Director of Mission and Social Impact, following the earlier announcement that Suzanne Stanton will step down from her role as Director of Mission later this year.
Uniting NSW.ACT has announced the appointment of David Barrow as its new Director of Mission and Social Impact, following the earlier announcement that Rev. Suzanne Stanton will step down from her role as Director of Mission later this year.
The newly created position brings together Uniting’s Mission, Social Impact and Advocacy teams, reflecting the close relationship between the organisation’s community services, advocacy work and the missional foundations of the Church.
David is well known across the life of the Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT, having previously served for nine years on the Synod Standing Committee. He currently serves on the Uniting Board and chairs the Communities Sub-Committee and is a member of the Mission Governance and Collaboration Committee, and the Remuneration, People and Board Governance Committee.
Alongside his work with Uniting, David is currently the Regional Director of the Industrial Areas Foundation Pacific and previously served as Executive Officer and Lead Organiser of the NSW Community Alliance. Across more than two decades of leadership in community and civil society organisations, he has focused on building partnerships between churches, communities and institutions to achieve practical social outcomes.
His work has centred on leadership development, strengthening community institutions and fostering collaborative approaches to social impact across Greater Sydney, the Hunter and nationally.
David is an active member of the Uniting Church and the LGBTQIA+ community and brings a strong commitment to inclusion, dignity and justice for all people. He also served for eight years on the church council at Leichhardt Uniting Church.
Uniting said David brings a combination of leadership experience, deep knowledge of the organisation, a longstanding commitment to the Church and a strong sense of vocation for the role.
David will commence as Director of Mission and Social Impact on Wednesday 1 July 2026. Rev. Suzanne Stanton will conclude her role as Director of Mission in August 2026 following a transition period.
Uniting expressed its gratitude for Suzanne’s significant contribution to the organisation and said it looks forward to working with David as he begins the new role.