Ken is a proud Ngarrindjeri man. Ordained in 1998, Ken became the Congress minister at Salisbury and has been the state Chairperson of the UAICC in South Australia for many years, State Development and Outreach Officer for the past six years and deputy-chairperson of Congress over the past three years before being elected as the National Chairperson of the UAICC.

Ken has overseen the growth of Congress in South Australia with ministry centres now in Salisbury, Port Augusta, Kalparrin and through the Mobile Aboriginal Patrol ,Oodnadatta.

It’s been 22 years since Ken began his journey to become a Minister, and he reflected on the importance of support from the late Rev Jeff Miegel in that process.

"For Aboriginal people it’s so hard to succeed, there are a lot of obstacles to overcome. If it wasn’t for Jeff guiding and helping me, I may not have made it. He made me proud of who I am – an Aboriginal person."

Early in 1987, Jeff, the newly appointed Uniting Church minister in Narrung, came into the garage where Ken Sumner worked as a motor mechanic.

In their first conversation, Ken, a Christian worshipping with another congregation, noted his desire to become a minister; Jeff’s response was, "Let’s see what we can do," and over time, guided Ken through to ordination.

"We were the only Aboriginal people among all the whites when we joined Narrung Uniting," recalls Ken. "Jeff sat with us, invited us into his home and family. It’s one thing to stand up and preach; Jeff was someone we trusted; he loved us."

Ken is married to Shelley and they have seven children and two grandchildren.

(backgound information adapted from story by Gowan Armstrong and Ian Dempster in New Times, August 2009)