Tuesday 29th August 2006
New Rector for the Parish of South Sydney | Heather and Paul Dew
(Photo: AMS) |
Bishop Robert Forsyth, Bishop of South Sydney has informed members of South Sydney parish that the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, has appointed the Rev Paul Dew to be the new Rector of their parish. South Sydney parish includes St Saviour’s, Redfern and St James’, Beaconsfield, as well as the Crossroads Aboriginal Church. The former Rector, John McIntyre in January 2006 became Bishop of Gippsland in Victoria. The Rev Paul Dew is presently the Regional Officer for New South Wales for the Bush Church Aid Society. He has extensive ministry and pastoral experience in regional areas of the State, having held appointments in the Dioceses of Grafton and Armidale, in the centres of Ballina, Quirindi, Werris Creek and Narrabri. He is married to Heather and they have three adult children. Paul Dew grew up on a farm situated some 50 miles west of Kempsey. He has lived and worked with Aboriginal people from his youth. Those relationships have formed an abiding importance and interest for him throughout his ministry, so that in every centre he has developed relationships with local Aboriginal people, and many of those relationships continue until this day. The parish of South Sydney is noted for its commitment from an evangelical perspective to speak with compassion and justice within the community to local, national and global concerns. Mr Dew, while Rector of Narrabri, was the President of the local Community Aid Society, an umbrella body that operated a wide range of schemes to meet various local needs for individuals and the wider community. Reflecting on this new ministry opportunity at South Sydney, Paul Dew said: ‘I want to build upon the work of the previous and existing ministries and come alongside the congregation so as to promote the gospel to see all presented mature in Christ. I am looking forward to working together with the present community of the faithful in the three congregations of the South Sydney Parish building one another up in love and good deeds.’ Mr Dew gained a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics degree and Dip.Ed from the University of New England. He entered Moore Theological College in Sydney for theological training, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Theology and an MA. He was ordained Deacon in 1982 in the Diocese of Grafton and the following he was ordained Priest in that same Diocese. The Regional Bishop of South Sydney, Bishop Robert Forsyth said: ‘I welcome Paul Dew’s coming to South Sydney. He has big shoes to fill, but he is a quiet, experienced, humble man who loves people and I believe over the years will win a very great following in the area and lead a flourishing church.” Press release from Anglican Media Sydney.
Saturday 26th August 2006
“Liberal Christianity is paying for its sins”“The accelerating fragmentation of the strife-torn Episcopal Church USA, in which several parishes and even a few dioceses are opting out of the church, isn’t simply about gay bishops, the blessing of same-sex unions or the election of a woman as presiding bishop. It also is about the meltdown of liberal Christianity. Embraced by the leadership of all the mainline Protestant denominations, as well as large segments of American Catholicism, liberal Christianity has been hailed by its boosters for 40 years as the future of the Christian church. Instead, as all but a few die-hards now admit, all the mainline churches and movements within churches that have blurred doctrine and softened moral precepts are demographically declining and, in the case of the Episcopal Church, disintegrating...” Opinion piece from The Los Angeles Times.
Saturday 26th August 2006
“Church steps-up fight against nude dancing club”“The Dean of Hobart’s St David’s Cathedral says it is reprehensible for a club to be offering performances by nude dancers at a venue next door that is owned by the church. The Anglican Church says it has had further legal advice that the dancers breach the moral covenants of the club’s lease, and that operating as a hotel and sports bar is also a breach of the lease...” Full report from ABC News Online. (The St. David’s Cathedral website here.)
Tuesday 22nd August 2006
Statement from the Archbishop of Sydney on the election of the Archbishop of Melbourne “I welcome the news of the election of Bishop Philip Freier to be the next Archbishop of Melbourne. I assure Bishop Philip and his wife Joy of my continuing prayers, and also those of the people of the Diocese of Sydney, as they move into this new and challenging area of mission and ministry. It is a vast change from their present role in the Diocese of the Northern Territory, but they are well equipped for this new leadership to which they are called.
We pray also for the clergy and people of Melbourne Diocese as they welcome their Archbishop, who is a missionary Bishop, and as they move with him into a new era of service and witness to the Lord Jesus Christ in their community. In electing Bishop Freier as their Archbishop, the Synod of Melbourne Diocese has made a significant contribution to the unity of the Anglican Church of Australia. Philip Freier is a person with extensive ministry experience in a wide range of areas, and, importantly he is someone who is admired and welcomed by all sections of our Australian Church.” – Statement from Archbishop Peter Jensen, 22 August 2006.
Tuesday 22nd August 2006
New Anglican Archbishop for Melbourne – Dr Philip Freier “The Right Reverend Dr Philip Freier has been elected by an overwhelming majority as the new Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne.
Bishop Administrator of the Diocese Dr John Wilson said, ‘I am delighted with the election – this is a wonderful choice. Bishop Freier brings a very rich experience, coming out of an Australian context.’ Archbishop-Elect Freier, 51, who was elected by a two-thirds majority of Synod members at the special Election meeting 14-19 August, is currently the Bishop of the Northern Territory. He was ordained priest in 1984, and has been a bishop since 1999 when he became Bishop of the Northern Territory...” Story from Anglican Media Melbourne.
Monday 21st August 2006
“Williams calls for summit meeting of Episcopal Church leaders”“The heat on the Anglican Bunsen burners turned up dramatically with the announcement that the Archbishop of Canterbury had asked Bishop Peter Lee of Virginia and Bishop John Lipscomb of Southwest Florida to convene a small group of bishops from the Episcopal Church (USA) to meet together to discuss some of the difficult issues facing the Church and to explore possible resolutions. Along with Bishop Frank Griswold, those invited include Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Bob Duncan, and Bishop Jack Iker...” Report from VirtueOnline.
Friday 18th August 2006
“Catholics say no to welfare program”“One of the largest church welfare organisations has pulled out of the Federal Government’s new welfare system because it believes it undermines the right to a basic living standard. Catholic Social Services Australia has recommended to its 60 member organisations that they do not tender to run Centrelink's eight-week financial case management service, which is designed to help vulnerable people who have payments cut off for not complying with the new system...” Report from The Sydney Morning Herald.
Tuesday 15th August 2006
“Four candidates announced for Archbishop election”“Four candidates were presented to the meeting of the Melbourne Anglican Synod tonight, from whom the Synod will attempt to elect a new archbishop in the coming week. The candidates are: • The Right Reverend David Albert Beetge
• The Right Reverend Michael David Doe
• The Right Reverend Dr Philip Leslie Freier
• The Venerable Dr David James Powys
‘None of us—on the Board or we imagine in the diocese—expected the journey would be so long or so demanding,’ said Dr Muriel Porter, chair of the Board of Nominators, when presenting their report to the Synod meeting in St Paul's Cathedral...” Report from Anglican Media Melbourne.
Monday 14th August 2006
“Anglicans to elect archbishop”“About 800 people and clergy will meet at Melbourne’s St Paul’s Cathedral tonight to begin electing the next Anglican Archbishop of the city. A service will be held at 7pm (AEST), to be followed by the announcement of up to six nominations for the role...” From News.com.au.
Saturday 12th August 2006
“Club's raunchy debut”“A new Hobart strip club threw open its doors last night – and its dancers threw off their clothes. Undaunted by threats of closure from its landlord, the Anglican Church, the club went ahead with a raunchy opening night as planned...” From The Mercury.
Tuesday 8th August 2006
“A Brief Appreciation of the Life and Service of Leon Morris” – by D. A. Carson”“Born in 1914, Leon Morris went home to be with the Lord on Monday 25 July 2006. His years of service were remarkably diverse: he was an effective pastor in the Australian outback (those years are memorably described in his 1995 autobiography, Bush Parson), he served churches in Melbourne and Sydney, became Warden of Tyndale House in Britain, and for twenty-nine years taught at Ridley College, Melbourne, from which he retired as principal in 1979...” From Reformation 21, the online magazine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
Friday 4th August 2006
“The Assembly of Confessing Congregations – the emerging new conservative movement in the Uniting Church”“Calling itself the Assembly of Confessing Congregations, it came into being after the Uniting Church’s General Assembly in Brisbane last month, at a summit meeting of existing conservative groups, EMU (or Evangelical Members of the Uniting Church) and the Reforming Alliance. It’s still not clear what the new body will be, or even whether it will function as a kind of breakaway church within a church, but the Assembly of Confessing Congregations says it will ‘fulfill responsibilities which have been neglected or have become dysfunctional’ within the Uniting Church. Well I don’t need to tell you what the issue is that’s brought all this to a head: gay clergy...” From the ABC Religion Report. See also website of The Reforming Alliance within the Uniting Church in Australia.
Friday 4th August 2006
“Anglican Bishop hosts Islam workshops”“Tasmania’s Anglican Bishop is hoping to help stem what he describes as a rising culture of fear about Muslims. Bishop John Harrower is hosting workshops in Hobart this weekend, aimed at increasing Tasmanians' understanding of Islamic beliefs...” From ABC News. See also the Diocese of Tasmania website.
Tuesday 1st August 2006
 “God and Government: tell us what you think!” – Australian Democrats seek feedback in online survey“The churches now run more schools and universities and public hospitals, aged care and employment services on behalf of government and can use these services to proselytise or to exclude those with other beliefs... The Australian Democrats core values are democracy, freedom, equality and tolerance and we support freedom of religion, and the right of citizens to practice, or not practice a religious faith. But, while we support freedom of religious observance we do not consider that religion should have undue influence on the governance of Australian citizens and nor do we support the exploitation of religion and religious difference for political purposes. We will explore the relationship between religion and politics in Australia and campaign for true separation of Church and State as some other countries have done. Have your say – fill out our online survey..” Read the full statement here – and take part in the online survey.
Sunday 30th July 2006
“Should Christians Support Israel?” – Canon Michael Green“Surely we need to be more discriminating and look both at the facts of the current war with Hizbollah and at the claim that scripture compels Christians to be pro-Israeli. I am not pleading that we take a pro-Arab stance, but that we renounce polarization and try to see God’s perspective on it all. The main thrust of the OT prophetic message is that God is a God of justice, and judges his own people for injustice. Remember Naboth’s vineyard. Israel has established hundreds of Naboth’s vineyards on Palestinian soil. It continues to confiscate, week by week, more Palestinian land on the West Bank. In 1947 when the newly-born State of Israel came into partial possession of the land which Palestinians had held since the seventh century, the Palestinians were left with 47% of the land. Now they have a mere 19% or so. What would you feel if someone came and forced you out of your home and took posession of your house and garden without compensation? ...” From a letter written by Canon Michael Green to VirtueOnline.
Thursday 27th July 2006
“Canadian Professor Fined for Stating Opposition to Homosexuality”“A Canadian professor has been fined two weeks pay by a Nova Scotia university for telling a student that homosexuality is an unnatural lifestyle. But despite the disciplinary measures imposed against him, he says he refuses to succumb to the administration’s ‘intimidation.’ Cape Breton University (CBU) fined veteran history professor David Mullan $2,100 in response to two human rights complaints filed by a homosexual student who coordinates the campus’ Sexual Diversity Office. The student took umbrage at two letters the professor had written to his former Anglican bishop two years ago.” From AgapePress.
Wednesday 26th July 2006
Dr Leon Morris – with Christ Anglican Media Melbourne is reporting that Dr Leon Morris, former Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne, died on Monday, aged 92.
Lithgow-born Dr Morris was a New Testament scholar of reknown and was greatly used by the Lord in the strengthening of evangelical scholarship after the Second World War. Having received his Ph.D from the University of Cambridge, he published The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross which was influential in leading several generations of Christians back to a biblical understanding of Substitutionary Atonement. (This book is still regarded by many as essential reading.) He wrote 51 books, including The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance, New Testament Theology, and The Gospel According to John (NICNT). He also edited the Tyndale Commentaries. Dr Morris was Warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge before he became Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne – a position from which he retired in 1979. He was also founder of the Evangelical Alliance of Victoria. Most recently, he was one of the team of ESV Translation Review Scholars. His funeral will be held on Monday 31 July at 10:30am at Holy Trinity, Doncaster. Take the time to read this tribute prepared by Dr Peter Adam, Principal of Ridley College and Archdeacon Dr Paul Barker, Vicar of Holy Trinity Doncaster.
 Wednesday 26th July 2006
“Forth Worth Standing Committee resolves to leave Province VII”“The following Resolution was unanimously adopted today by the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth and will be presented to the Diocesan Convention in its annual meeting on Nov. 18, 2006... ... the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, pending final ratification by its 24th Annual Convention, withdraws its consent, pursuant to Article VII of the Constitution of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, to be included in the Seventh Province of the Episcopal Church.” From the Diocese of Fort Worth website.
Tuesday 25th July 2006
“Pearl Harbor” – Midwest Conservative Journal on the story “Complaint Alleges Bishop of San Joaquin Has Abandoned Communion”“Four bishops with jurisdiction in the state of California have asked a disciplinary panel to approve an expedited deposition of the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield, Bishop of San Joaquin. In a letter to the organizing chair of the Title IV [Ecclesiastical Discipline] Review Committee, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angeles; the Rt. Rev. Jerry M. Lamb, Bishop of Northern California; the Rt. Rev. James R. Mathes, Bishop of San Diego; and the Rt. Rev. William E. Swing, Bishop of California, are concerned that Bishop Schofield intends to “abandon the communion of this Church.”... You get two guesses as to that this is really about but you're only going to need one...” From the Midwest Conservative Journal. See also this report from VirtueOnline.
Friday 21st July 2006
“The Future Begins Now” – Dr Peter Bolt’s address to the ACL’s Annual General Meeting, 20th July 2006 “The apostles have received from God a gospel, a deposit, a pattern of sound teaching, a good deposit, a particular message about Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. And this deposit, pattern, gospel, must be suffered for, guarded, kept, and remembered.
This is not a recipe for innovation; for constantly seeking after what is new. In fact, to do so is to place yourself in danger and in the wrong company. ‘For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth...’ (2 Tim. 4:3–4). ...The task of Christian ministry is not to be an innovator, it is to faithfully pass on the apostolic gospel. The first step in this process, of course, is to be someone who listens to God’s Word and learns from hearing the voice of their master. We actually need to work hard at this, for the Bible says we are dull of hearing, blind of sight, dense of mind, and hard of heart...” Read the whole address here (76kb PDF file).
Wednesday 19th July 2006
“Archbishop Jensen says ECUSA is at ‘turning point’ ”“Sydney: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s response to controversial decisions by the US Episcopal Church is ‘a turning-point’ that gives hope to conservatives around the world, says the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen. In a statement released at a press conference yesterday, Dr Jensen says Archbishop Rowan Williams has provided ‘a great service’ to the Communion by recognising that ‘a separation within the Communion is inevitable’. However, Dr Jensen adds that Dr William’s plan to move towards two levels of relationship in the Anglican Communion was being ‘more optimistic than I would be’. Story from VirtueOnline.
Friday 14th July 2006
“Make something out of nothing and live to regret it”“The Da Vinci Code is now fading at the box office. It has made a shade under $US730million ($973million), one of only 43 movies to pass half a billion in worldwide revenue (Titanic is tops with $US1.9billion). It is galling to reflect that if I’d only shut up about it, I might have cut Da Vinci’s take by, oh, $40 or $50. If I hadn’t written derisively about the Dan Brown novel, on which the movie is based, its 40 million sales would have been reduced by at least 10 copies...” Comment from Frank Devine in The Australian.
Friday 14th July 2006
“Billy Graham, Cliff Barrows & Bev Shea revisit Baltimore with unchanging Gospel”“Though frail and ailing, 87-year-old Billy Graham delivered a strong message of hope to more than 33,000 people gathered in Baltimore’s Camden Yards during the last night of a July 7-9 Metro Maryland Festival. ‘Unfortunately, I’m getting too old to do this, and I thought on my way out, this may be the last opportunity to preach to an audience like this,’ said the elder Graham, who was driven to the platform in a golf cart. In a historic moment for Marylanders, the evangelist shared the stage with longtime crusade associates Cliff Barrows, now 83, and George Beverly Shea, now 97, in vintage crusade fashion, offering a clear grasp of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through messages and songs...” Story from Baptist Press News.
Monday 10th July 2006
“Failure to ban gay clergy may split church”“The Uniting Church is facing rebellion after conservatives yesterday conceded they had lost their battle to exclude practising gays from the ministry.
The development came as the Church of England voted on Saturday to accept women bishops, which has divided the Anglican Church in Australia...” From The Sydney Morning Herald. See also the EMU website.
Sunday 9th July 2006
“Church of England votes to make women bishops”“The Church of England voted on Saturday to ordain women as bishops, a major liberalising step in a faith that has also faced schism over homosexuality, although it could be years before the first woman bishop is named...” Report from Reuters UK. See also Ruth Gledhill’s blog.
Saturday 8th July 2006
“Synod to discuss female bishops”“The Church of England’s ruling body is to discuss whether ordaining women as bishops can be justified theologically. The General Synod will have to decide whether ordaining women as bishops is consistent with Christianity as it was passed down to the modern Church.. ... When women were first ordained Church of England priests in 1994, about 400 Anglican clergy became Roman Catholics in protest... There are now more than 2,000 women Anglican priests.” Report from the BBC.
Thursday 6th July 2006
“Titanic or Carpathia? – An Update on the Anglican Breakup” “What convinced me that the old Communion is sinking like the Titanic was the ‘Open Letter’ to his Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered brothers and sisters by Vicki Imogene Robinson the bishop of New Hampshire (and yes, that really is his full name).
This is probably the most important document to come out the 2006 General Convention. Robinson makes it quite clear that the ‘inclusive church’ he and others envisage must of necessity exclude those who formerly represented the unquestioned mainstream orthodoxy. For him, ‘the conservatives both within our Church and in Africa’ are capable of ‘premeditated and patently cruel ... violent and unchristian’ actions. Properly speaking, there can be no room for any such in the Church. Therefore if that is what those of a conservative persuasion represent, their presence in the body cannot be tolerated...” – A typically helpful article from John Richardson, on Chelmsford Anglican Mainstream.
 Thursday 6th July 2006
“Church Society Supports Nigerian Bishops”“The Council of Church Society meeting yesterday (Tuesday) noted with gratitude the recent statement from the House of Bishops of the Church of Nigeria. The Bishops were responding to a recent reflection sent out by the Archbishop of Canterbury. They particularly called attention to the apparent underlying assumption made by the Archbishop that unity is more important than truth. It is clear from such statements as the historic creeds and the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (part of the ‘formularies’) that the Church of England and the Anglican Communion assume that there are boundaries to what is and is not authentic Christianity and to the legitimate interpretation of the Bible. The theological divisions now affecting the Anglican Communion are a result of people and churches trying to distort plain biblical teaching. The Bishops’ analysis of this as a ‘cancerous lump’ which will kill the body is entirely correct. It is our fervent hope that over the coming months orthodox leaders within the Anglican Communion will work to ensure that our world-wide fellowship of churches is not destroyed by false teaching, immorality, inaction and indifference.” From the Church Society in the UK.
Thursday 6th July 2006
“Nigerians Rip ECUSA, Threaten not to Attend Lambeth 2008”“The largest Province in the Anglican Communion is threatening not to attend Lambeth 2008 if the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams does not come down hard on the American Episcopal Church and expel them from the communion for its pro-gay policies, and for electing a known non-celibate homosexual to be the bishop of New Hampshire...” News analysis from VirtueOnline.
 Wednesday 5th July 2006
Archbishop Peter Jensen on ABC Radio NationalAn interview with Archbishop Peter Jensen was interviewed on ABC Radio National’s Religion Report – broadcast this morning. It’s a very good, wide-ranging interview. You can listen to it on the ABC’s website. The transcript is now available.
Tuesday 4th July 2006
“The Failure of the Liberal Paradigm”“In 2003 New Hampshire had an idea to sell. On all sides it was agreed, it was the principle of the thing. No one pleaded in defence of the consecration that, after all, the Anglican Communion could surely wink an eye at one gay bishop! What was on trial was quite simply a proposition: a divorcee in active homosexual partnership may be a worthy chief pastor of a Christian flock...” Thought-provoking essay from the UK by Oliver O’Donovan.
Monday 3rd July 2006
“World Anglican” – Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen on the future of the Anglican Communion “...So there would be two kinds of Anglican churches: constituent and associated. The ‘constituent’ churches would ‘willingly’ accept a new covenant under the threat of relegation to ‘associated’ status.
The new covenant, which has so far not seen the light of day, would by definition limit the local witness of constituent churches for the sake of some unspecified ‘wider witness’. So by restricting witness of the churches that have done nothing wrong we are able to continue in relationship with those who have continually, intentionally and unrepentantly flouted our fellowship... ... A new non-theological covenant of constitutional unity, created by the bishops who have caused so much of our present unhappy divisions will inevitably be a new tyranny.” from Dean Phillip Jensen’s weekly message published in the St. Andrew’s Cathedral Courier, distributed on Sunday 2nd July.
Monday 3rd July 2006
“Re: The Challenge And Hope of Being Anglican Today – A Response from the House of Bishops of The Church of Nigeria” “Should the encircling gloom around us not make us ponder on the words of our Lord, ‘You are the salt of the earth… if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men’ (Matthew 5:13)? That we must change is without contention, but should we not change for the better – as redeemed, reconciled and transformed people of God who have a witness to a lost and broken world?
...A cancerous lump in the body should be excised if it has defied every known cure. To attempt to condition the whole body to accommodate it will lead to the avoidable death of the patient.” A response from House of Bishops of The Church of Nigeria.
Saturday 1st July 2006
“True colours of modern Christianity”“For an outsider trying to follow this week’s news of a split in the Anglican Church, one of the difficulties has been the terms used, often by other outsiders. The Sydney Anglican Church of Archbishop Peter Jensen is described as a ‘rebel’, sometimes in the same article in which it is also described as ‘conservative’. Maybe this says something about our times, where rebels come from the right rather than the left. Or maybe it’s just plain wrong...” from Michael Duffy in The Sydney Morning Herald.
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