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Over 50 churches and 54 denominations will unite at the Sydney Opera House on 14 June for One Sydney — a historic worship event with global ambitions.

On Sunday 14 June, the Opera House will host a combined church service like no other.

Brought together by the Dear Unity movement and the Christian Alliance Council, the event called One Sydney will see over 50 churches participate in two major Concert Hall services.

A Night of Unity, Not Uniformity

The goal is to promote unity through diversity. A distinctly Christian alternative to the contentious “diversity is our strength” political sloganeering.

This distinct Christian alternative prioritises what unites the Christian community, while holding doctrinal differences in tension with open dialogue.

According to organisers, this is an event “not seen in our generation.”

Event director Phillip Ryall, Australia’s One Unity curator, told Louise Taylor in a recent sit-down his “dream for the night is not just to have God’s blessing, but His presence.”

“That’s what I’m going after,” he added.

“If we can evangelise as a family, not as individuals, there’s a hovering grace over cities that get this.”

Ryall said the worship event is something they hope will go global.

“The idea is that One Sydney 2026 becomes Dallas 2027, becomes Buenos Aires 2028, and it’s an annual 8-year city journey across the globe to One Jerusalem in 2033.”

“We’re kicking it off at the Sydney Opera House,” he explained.

From Bondi to the Opera House

Talking about the event being somewhat of a response to the Islamic terrorist attack in Bondi, Ryall said, he hoped One Sydney will trigger a revival.

“Because Sydney has been under challenge. It was only in December when we were wounded, and we were mourning from the loss.

“But God is always about turning our mourning into dancing.”

Thankful he was able to do this at his age, Ryall expressed gratitude for being able to be part of spearheading the movement.

“We need to show the face of Christ, and we need to recognise that He leads us to life, to beauty, to dancing.

“It’s not all about looking down, but looking up.”

Pulling the worship event together at the Opera House hasn’t been easy, he recalled.

“It’s been such a hard journey to get this together and to trust that God will bring the people.”

“The finances,” Ryall noted, “having to step out in faith, have been a real trick. Every morning I got low to the Lord.”

There’s been a lot of challenges, he said, adding, “It’s a battlefield, and I appreciate people’s prayers.”

One Sydney, One World

Emphasising the importance of the event, Ryall said, “We can’t miss this moment.”

It’s an opportunity, he remarked, saying they are doing everything they can to get it right. This is so that One Sydney becomes the launch for One Dallas and so on, until they land in One Jerusalem.

The Sunday Opera House worship event will coincide with the Sydney Prayer Breakfast on Wednesday 10 June, and include a smaller Unity gathering in Blacktown.

Describing all of the Christian activities happening in and around Sydney at the same time, Ryall said it was like “the clouds of grace [were] gathering over Sydney for that weekend.”

Ryall added that the event will also feature politicians and church leaders who will gather on stage to pray.

A documentary is also being made.

Another feature of the premier worship event is that it brings together 54 denominations in celebration, prayer, fellowship and reflection.

Byzantine monks, Hillsong, and a range of Christian artists, both veterans and up-and-coming talent, will help facilitate two combined church services at the Opera House. (See the full lineup here.)

The first at 2 pm and the second at 7 pm.

Tickets for One Sydney Unity gathering range from $99 to $159, excluding the $8.95 booking fee.