Alumni series – 50th Anniversary United Theological College
The journey of Rev. Elenie Poulos is a testament to the transformative impact of theological education. As an alumna of United Theological College (UTC), Elenie’s path from publishing to ministry highlights the importance of theological study in shaping thoughtful, justice-driven leadership.
“I was a senior editor with Simon and Schuster Australia, and it was a pretty big, full-on job. I spent most of my time working on pasta cookbooks, self-help, sports and knitting books—that kind of stuff.”
However, a turning point came when she felt compelled to seek a more meaningful way to contribute.
“I just got to the point where things in the world were pretty bad. There was a massive famine in Sudan. This was at the beginning of the 1990s, and working on cookbooks didn’t seem right anymore, so I started looking around for what else I might be able to do that would make more of a contribution where it mattered. Ministry was not on my radar at that point.”
Despite growing up in a Greek Orthodox family, Elenie struggled to connect with the church’s traditions.
“My family is Greek Orthodox. We used to go to Greek Orthodox services at Christmas and Easter, but I never felt connected to that in any way at all. There was kind of a language barrier there. Then also, you know, it’s a very patriarchal church, so that didn’t resonate with me.
“I ended up at a Uniting Church and really liked it. I read the Basis of Union and thought it was the most amazing thing ever! I went to Gordon Uniting Church, and the Minister there at the time, Chris Udy, gave me an opportunity to preach, and when I thought about the experience, I felt really enlivened—it helped me feel I was doing something worthwhile.”
Elenie’s passion for theology deepened at UTC, where she pursued a Bachelor of Theology and trained for ministry while she was completing a Master of Arts in Linguistics at the University of Sydney.
“When I got to UTC, everything just took off. The work I was doing for my Masters degree improved, and I turned out to be a good student at UTC. I loved every bit of study that I did there.”
Elenie credits UTC with expanding her theological understanding and equipping her with the tools to engage deeply with faith and society.
“I think encountering feminist theologians and feminist biblical scholars was really important for me. I think my time at UTC was about expanding my understanding of what Christianity was in all its wonders.”
“I think a theology degree is never ever going to be wasted. My understanding of the world deepened after studying theology. In studying theology, you’re also studying society, you’re studying history, you’re studying language and discourse. You’re studying politics.”
Beyond her academic experience, Elenie has applied her theological training to social justice advocacy, particularly in her role as National Director of Uniting Justice Australia. Her work over 15 years at the Assembly was focused on human rights, refugee policy, and climate justice – issues that align deeply with theological ethics and principles.
“For aspiring theologians, great theologians – either from biblical studies or from systematic theology – to apply both their theological and biblical knowledge and wisdom to what’s happening in the world, and then take what’s happening in the world and apply it to their biblical and theological work within the church. I think that’s really important.”
Today, Elenie remains engaged in research, policy development, and mentoring, ensuring that the next generation of leaders continues to shape a just and inclusive society. Her journey underpins the critical role that UTC plays in fostering deep theological reflection and leadership for the future. Elenie is on the board of Uniting NSW.ACT and chairs the board’s Mission Governance and Collaboration Committee. She has a PhD in politics and is an Adjunct Fellow at Macquarie University in Politics and International Relations in the School of Social Sciences. In 2023 she completed a six-month Visiting Fellowship at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford during which time she was invited to deliver the Oxford University Sermon.
Jo Maloney is the Media and Public Affairs Consultant at the Uniting Church Synod of NSW & ACT
