Sinclair Ferguson on the Charlie Kirk controversy, John Macarthur, RC Sproul and preaching to the Queen
Posted on October 1, 2025
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Sinclair Ferguson is speaking across Eastern Australia and joins us to share wisdom that he wishes he’d been given when he started in pastoral ministry in Glasgow 54 years ago.”
Societas 2025
Posted on October 1, 2025
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The 2025 edition of Societas, the Moore College student magazine, is now available.
If you can’t obtain a printed copy from your church, be sure to download it as a PDF file – or read online.
Informative, encouraging, and fuel for your prayers.
Wales: Discerning the Times
Posted on September 30, 2025
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“As this blog reported at the time the appointment of the Rt Revd Cherry Vann as the new Archbishop of Wales has proved very divisive.
Within days, church leaders from across the Anglican Communion made statements decrying the decision, saying the Church in Wales was ‘walking away from the truth’, contradicting ‘the consistent witness of Scripture on sexual ethics and leadership qualifications’, and placing ‘another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy.’
Now a synod has formally joined those voices. …”
– Anglican Futures reports in more responses to the election of Cherry Vann, including that of Sydney.
Marriage in the New Testament
Posted on September 30, 2025
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From Phillip Jensen –
“Once again, we are looking at the New Testament’s treatment of Genesis 1-3; this time, on the subject of marriage.
We had several episodes on this topic, but it is so central to the New Testament understanding that we thought it worth spending an episode thinking on it.”
– Hear (or read the transcript of) Peter and Phillip’s conversation at Two Ways News.
Bathurst Synod 2025 edition of the Bishop’s newsletter
Posted on September 29, 2025
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See the Synod edition of the bishop of Bathurst’s latest newsletter – at this link.
Related:
Number of Bible studies doubles in Bathurst – Tara Sing at SydneyAnglicans.net.
And Bishop Mark Calder spoke at the closing service of the Armidale Synod on Sunday morning.
He is seen here with Bishop Rod Chiswell. (Other images on the Bathurst Facebook page.)
Daylight Saving in NSW starts Sunday 5th October 2025
Posted on September 29, 2025
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Just a reminder – in NSW, Daylight saving begins at 2:00am AEST next Sunday 5th October 2025.
Lawyers Task Force Leader Honoured
Posted on September 28, 2025
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From Gafcon:
“We give thanks to God for the ministry of Dr Robert Tong AM, who continues to serve as the Leader of our Gafcon Lawyers Task Force.
Dr Tong was honoured this week at the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia, as he retires from his formal ministry in their Synod after 55 years of service.
Join us in thanking God for his strategic mind, theological wisdom, extensive knowledge of church law, and the personal example of faith and integrity he has provided throughout his years of service.
We continue to pray for the important ministry of The Gafcon Lawyers Network, as they provide legal and canonical counsel and resources to the Primates, bishops, clergy and other leaders of Gafcon as we seek to live out the Jerusalem Declaration and its implications for our life and ministry together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the supremacy of the Holy Scriptures.”
– From Gafcon.
ACL members continue to be thankful for Robert’s long term commitment to advancing the reformed and evangelical character of the Anglican Church of Australia, particularly in the Diocese of Sydney, through Anglican Church League, including his continued service as Chairman.
Hope for the Illawarra
Posted on September 28, 2025
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“In my time in ministry, I have encountered many people who, while acknowledging Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples” feel impossibly ill-equipped, and so are reluctant to do so.
In fact, many of these people further claim that they lack any ability whatsoever to evangelise, presuming the work of evangelism is for those whom God has so gifted. Yet what is apparent is that God typically calls people to himself through the patient, prayerful and consistent sharing of the gospel by regular Christians, despite how prepared they may or may not feel. Having said that, it should be our constant desire to better equip Christians for evangelism to grow their confidence in sharing the gospel with others.
Some of the key ways this can happen is through the encouragement of other believers, through training and equipping one another, but also by engaging with those who have a gift for communicating the gospel clearly and winsomely. Listening to someone who is gifted with communicating the gospel can be an encouragement for Christians, but it can also provide us with a great opportunity to invite someone to hear the gospel taught with clarity and faithfulness.
This was precisely what the churches in the Illawarra were offered when Christian broadcasting organisation Leading the Way invited them to participate in a mass-scale mission campaign, which would culminate in evangelistic outreach events at which Dr Michael Youssef would speak. It was an offer that was gladly accepted. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Ella Leach shares some wonderful encouragement from Hope for Illawarra.
Photo via SydneyAnglicans.net.
When ‘Evangelical’ Means Everything but the Gospel
Posted on September 27, 2025
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“For the past 30 years, I’ve pushed back against the critics who’ve said Christians need to abandon the label ‘evangelical.’ I’ve argued that we shouldn’t let political associations or cultural baggage rob us of a word with such rich theological heritage. The term has deep biblical and historical roots that predate and transcend contemporary controversies.
But even I have to admit the label I love has become nearly meaningless in our current American context. …”
– This article by Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition (USA) is a reminder that what is meant by ‘evangelical’ by many in the USA has very little in common with what J.I. Packer (for example) – and many Sydney Anglicans – would mean.
Among his conclusions,
“Church leaders can either continue to lament theological compromise or take steps to return to the historic Christian faith that actually deserves the name ‘evangelical.’ The choice will determine whether future generations inherit a robust, biblical faith or an empty shell of cultural Christianity that can tell you whom you should vote for but not how many persons are in the Trinity.”
Archbishops: Installed or enthroned?
Posted on September 26, 2025
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“It is all about a seat! A ‘cathedra’ is the proper name for the seat of a Diocesan Bishop or Archbishop, hence cathedral is the building in which it is placed. Its origin is the Greek, then Latin, word for a seat with arms. Why a seat? What should a bishop do when sitting in their seat?
The seat is often described as a ‘throne’, hence the words, ‘enthronement’ or ‘enthronisation’. This implies that the bishop rules the diocese from this seat, a symbol of authority. …”
– At The Melbourne Anglican, Dr Peter Adam explains how much evidence he finds in the New Treatment for “Diocesan Bishops as rulers with thrones”.
He also shares some “New Testament instructions which are relevant to a bishop’s role”.
Image: St Helen’s Bishopsgate.
The Global Anglican September 2025
Posted on September 26, 2025
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From Church Society:
“In the September edition of The Global Anglican, we commemorate and celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
Peter Jensen in his editorial looks at some of the lessons we can learn from the Council.
Mark Smith, in his article, Nicaea Then and Now, The Creed and Council after 1700 years, reflects on the legacy of Nicaea. It looks at the doctrinal debates that prompted the council, the proceedings of the council, and the subsequent reception of the creed at following councils and in Anglican liturgy.
Graeme Goldsworthy in his article, Is the Old Testament Trinitarian? considers the implications of the Trinity for authentic Christianity and, in doing so, addresses the role of the Old Testament in the formation and preservation of Christian truth.
Chase Kuhn then proposes a retrieval of the goodness of God being as the foundation of moral reality. Engagement of historical voices is focused on developments around Nicaea and later theologians.
Also included is our usual array of current book reviews.”
– See this link to subscribe or to purchase single issues.
Musician glorifies God
Posted on September 26, 2025
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“From outback North West Australia, singer/songwriter Tenielle Neda puts scripture to song so that God is glorified and his Church is built up.
Tenielle recently moved from Karratha to Geraldton where she is part of the Cathedral congregation with her young family. She is a blessing to the Christian community, having produced a catalogue of songs that bring bible truths to bear on the heart and mind. …”
– Good news and photo from the Diocese of North West Australia.
Videos from Moore College’s Reformation Research Forum
Posted on September 25, 2025
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Moore Theological College has been posting videos from their Reformation Research Forum held on 14 August 2025.
Topics and speakers:
1. Bullinger’s Ghost – Ed Stocks
2. No Necessity of Reformation – Jake Griesel
3. Preaching Against the Reformation – Stephen Tong
4. The Reception of the “Christianam Confessionem Anglicanam” – Mark Earngey
5. Andrew Perne – Ashley Null
They are also available on YouTube in this playlist.
Diocese of Armidale Synod begins tomorrow
Posted on September 25, 2025
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The Synod of the Diocese of Armidale meets this weekend (Friday 26 – Sunday 28 September).
“Bishop Mark Calder (Bathurst Diocese) will join us on Sunday to preach at our concluding service.”
– It’d be good to uphold the Anglican churches of that diocese in your prayers.
Gafcon thanksgiving point: Charlie Kirk Memorial Service
Posted on September 24, 2025
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The latest Prayer update from Gafcon:
“We give thanks to God for the clear proclamation of salvation and forgiveness in Jesus Christ at the Charlie Kirk Memorial Service held this week in Arizona, USA and broadcast globally. The gospel was preached with boldness, and many were stirred to think deeply, ask questions, and respond to the good news. …”
Related:
The Two Narratives at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service – Murray Campbell, via The Gospel Coalition Australia.
“Two narratives were present in the memorial service, and it is the second one that I hope shines the brightest and the longest. Charlie Kirk’s pastor Rob McCoy gave a clear presentation of the good news of Jesus …
Erika Kirk then addressed the crowds and uttered the impossible word …”
Vance’s eulogy to Kirk: Better to die young than to sell your soul – Kathy Gyngell at The Conservative Woman.
“What touched me most about the memorial to Charlie Kirk held in Arizona on Sunday – understood to be largest in known history – was the way speakers spoke so openly, eloquently and unaffectedly about their deep Christian faith.
This is something British people of faith find difficult, preferring to keep their faith, and maybe their doubt, private. Or perhaps they are simply not sufficiently versed in it. …”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…