Recording of the 2026 ACL Synod Dinner

Posted on September 15, 2026 
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Toby Neal spoke at the Anglican Church League’s Synod Dinner on Monday 14th September 2026.

He spoke on the topic From Plant to Parish – The Joys and the Pains.

New video from The Alliance as 2026 General Synod Elections approach

Posted on September 16, 2026 
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With elections for the makeup of General Synod in the Church if England coming up shortly, The Alliance has produced a 2’30” video to invite link-minded men and women to join them.

“At this critical moment for the Church, with elections for General Synod, we want to be clear about who we are – a diverse network of networks brought together across traditions in order to secure a sustainable platform at the heart of the Church of England for those committed to the received teachings of the universal church of Jesus Christ. We invite you to join with us.”

– See more at their website.

Responding to false teachers in the Church of England

Posted on September 16, 2026 
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In a sermon at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London on 10th September 2026, William Taylor addresses the question of responding to false teachers in the Church of England.

Preaching from Titus 3:1-15, “God’s strategy: the church in a broken world”, he says,

“There can be no closer spiritual tie with a false teacher than allowing them to

• select your future leaders,
• train your new church workers,
• ordain your new deacons and presbyters,
• and install your new incumbents.

Remember, Paul has said what our strategy is. …”

St. Helen’s has published a seven minute excerpt – though the full sermon can also be seen here.

Building conflict capable ministry teams – with Tim Dyer

Posted on September 16, 2026 
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From The Pastor’s Heart this week –

“Why do some church teams emerge from disagreement stronger, while others fracture, divide or quietly drift apart?

We expect opposition to the gospel and theological disagreement. What we’re often far less prepared for is tension within our own ministry teams. When ordinary disagreements become personal, motives are questioned and relationships begin to rupture.

Tim Dyer has spent years helping churches and ministry leaders navigate conflict. He says church teams can be simultaneously conflict-prone/averse and process-poor, which can lead to a “high fire danger rating”.

So how do we build ministry teams that are genuinely conflict-capable? And how do we stop a disagreement becoming a relational rupture?”

– Watch or listen here.

We want to commend Christ without compromise

Posted on September 15, 2026 
Filed under Culture wars, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on We want to commend Christ without compromise

“When the Apostle Paul asserted his rights as a Roman citizen, he wasn’t standing on pride – he was clearing a path for the gospel. That same strategy drove discussions at Sydney Synod this week as members confronted rising threats to freedom of conscience. …”

– Russell Powell reports from Sydney Synod.

The Victory

Posted on September 15, 2026 
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Phillip Jensen writes:

“Last week, we started our series in the Resurrection Chapter, 1 Corinthians 15. Naturally, we started at the beginning, but today, we are jumping to the end. For the Resurrection is the end to which the world is heading, and we don’t want to wait until after the doubter’s arguments before hearing the great proclamation of the victory of the risen Lord Jesus.

Don’t forget to mention this podcast to your friends—it is provided free of charge by the generosity of others.”

– Hear Philip and Peter discuss!

“A glimpse of what God is doing among us”

Posted on September 14, 2026 
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Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net reports on Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s 2026 Presidential Address to Synod on Monday 15th September –

“A Mandarin-speaking woman who first encountered church through AI translation and two young men who decided to read the Bible together before seeking baptism were among the stories highlighted by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel in his Presidential Address to Synod.

Weaving together statistics and personal testimonies, the Archbishop pointed Synod members to evidence of God’s work across the diocese.

Referring to Synod’s goal of 5 per cent growth through conversion, Archbishop Raffel said churches were increasingly reaching people from overseas backgrounds, who make up 31 per cent of the population. …”

– Read his report.

You can also read the full text of the Archbishop’s address or  see the full video.

Thanks, as always, to SydneyAnglicans.net.

ACR’s Synod 2026 Journal

Posted on September 14, 2026 
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Sydney Synod begins today and, as always, all involved would be very glad of your prayers.

If you missed it, The Australian Church Record’s Synod 2026 Journal is available for download.

Good reading from our friends at the ACR, whether you are a Sydney Synod member or not!

John 11:55 – 12:11. Discipleship: Empty extravagance or Extravagant emptiness?

Posted on September 14, 2026 
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Moore College Principal Mark Thompson spoke at College Chapel on Friday morning. It was also the last day of Moore’s Open Week. His passage was John 11:55 – 12:11, The anointing at Bethany.

Watch here.

Plan a Sermon Series — on Luke

Posted on September 13, 2026 
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From Moore College:

“Prepare a sermon series! Join us for a day of expert teaching and planning on the book of Luke.

Dr Peter Orr is a lecturer at Moore Theological College and is currently finishing a commentary on the book of Luke. Peter will work closely with individuals and staff teams to help them prepare a future sermon series.

Peter will spend the morning exploring the theology and overall message of Luke as well as considering the issues that arise from the books. The afternoon will provide time, space and resources for collaborative work preparing your sermon series, with College Library resources being made available. Each day will finish with an opportunity to share your sermon series with other participants and ask our lecturers any follow-up questions.”

– 6th October 2026. Details here. :-)

Reflections on General Synod

Posted on September 12, 2026 
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From The Australian Church Record –

“The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia met on 9–14 August, 2026 in Melbourne. What did it reveal about the state of the Anglican Church of Australia, what can we give thanks for, and what should we be praying for in the years ahead?

Sandy Grant, Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, and lay representatives Louise Cunningham and Henry Pascoe share their reflections on this year’s General Synod.”

– Read their reflections here. Food for prayer.

Photo of General Synod, August 2026, with thanks to John Sandeman.

Dr Manasseh Gahima Elected Archbishop of Rwanda

Posted on September 12, 2026 
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Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the Global Anglican Council, writes:

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

On behalf of the Global Anglican Council, I am delighted to congratulate The Rt Revd Dr Manasseh Gahima, Bishop of Gahini, on his election as the next Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda.

It was my privilege to preside at his enthronement as Bishop of Gahini in 2019, and I know him to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, a man committed to the authority of God’s Word, with a heart for the mission of his Church.

Archbishop-elect Manasseh brings rich experience to this new responsibility. Before entering full-time church ministry, he served in education and local government, later taking up senior responsibilities within the Diocese of Gahini.

He was consecrated a bishop in 2017 and has served as Bishop of Gahini since 2019. Together with his wife, Rose, he has raised a family of eight children.

Many of you will already know Manasseh from his plenary addresses at G25 in Plano and G26 in Abuja, where he contributed to our thinking about the resources and structures needed to strengthen our shared life and mission.

As Archbishop and Primate, he will now represent Rwanda on the Global Anglican Council, sharing in the conciliar leadership of our Global Anglican Communion.

Rwanda has played an important role in Gafcon from its beginning, and I rejoice that this will continue under Manasseh’s leadership.

As I prepare to conclude my own service as Archbishop, I am deeply thankful to God that this responsibility will pass to a brother whom I know, love and trust.

I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Manasseh in our wider global family, as I continue as Chairman of the Global Anglican Council through to GAFCON V, our next Global Anglicans Assembly in Athens in April 2028.

Please join me and the members of the Global Anglican Council in congratulating Manasseh and in praying for him, for Rose and their family, and for the Anglican Church of Rwanda as we prepare for his installation as Archbishop and Primate on 25 October 2026.

When I enthroned Manasseh as Bishop of Gahini in 2019, I encouraged him with the Lord’s words to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:9) Today, I gladly say those words to my dear brother again.

Yours in Christ,

The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman of the Global Anglican Council
Friday 11th September 2026.”

– Source: Gafcon.

Southern Cross magazine for September — October 2026

Posted on September 12, 2026 
Filed under Encouragement, Resources, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Southern Cross magazine for September — October 2026

The latest issue of the Diocese of Sydney’s Southern Cross magazine is now out for September – October 2026.

You can get a copy at your local church – or you can download / read it online.

Plenty of interesting and encouraging articles, including –
• The Big Church Song Survey
• Year 13 in Fiji
• Laughter
• Psalm 93

There’s also a story about Alice Cooper and the new book Evangelism in the Local Church by Paul Brennan and Dave Jensen. See it on page 7.

The Tron Church has this interview with the authors. There, Dave Jensen argues that you don’t need a celebrity to promote the gospel. (Of course, every celebrity needs the gospel!)

And The Wandering Bookseller currently has the book on special.

Photos: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Watch out, scammers about

Posted on September 11, 2026 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Watch out, scammers about

Good to be aware of –

“Sydney Anglican Services has renewed warnings about a sophisticated email scam targeting church communities, with fraudsters impersonating church leaders to gain access to parish directories and contact members.

Nathan McQueen, the Head of IT for Sydney Anglican Services (SAS), says fake emails are sent by a scammer impersonating a member of the church leadership team. …”

– From Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Image from The Melbourne Anglican, when similar scams were being tried in Melbourne three years ago.

9/11 Twenty-Five Years On

Posted on September 10, 2026 
Filed under History, Theology Comments Off on 9/11 Twenty-Five Years On

John Mason reiterates and expands his reflections on the horrible events of 11 September 2001 –

“Twenty-five years ago Judith and I were living three short blocks south of the Twin Towers in Downtown Manhattan. I had received an invitation from Timothy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church New York City, to set up a gospel-focused Anglican Church to complement the ministry of Redeemer Church in the city.

On Tuesday morning, September 11, we had awakened to see from our apartment clear blue skies and the sparkling waters of New York Harbor. But it was not to last. …”

– Many ACL members know John well. He’s ministered in Sydney, Canberra and New York. He founded the Anglican Connection in the USA and also served as Commissary to the Archbishop of Sydney in the USA.

Read his reflections at Anglican Connection.

Or listen to them here:

 

Related:

The Day the World Stood Still – Phillip Jensen spoke at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on the tenth anniversary, 11 September 2011.

Seeing God at Ground Zero: an Aussie’s testimony from 9/11 – Anthony Philips, published by The Australian Church Record, 10 September 2019.

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