Living in Love and Faith — A way forward which holds us together?

Posted on February 14, 2025 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars Comments Off on Living in Love and Faith — A way forward which holds us together?

Anglican Futures has been providing daily summaries of the General Synod of the Church of England, meeting in London. From Day 4 (Thursday):

“Next was the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) update, led by Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow. He asked Synod to imagine a future together,

‘One church, with all our differences, or are we resigned to going our separate ways, mirroring society, where each person chooses their own truth?’

This is an extraordinary claim – a total reversal of reality. Surely, it is because some are choosing their own truth, rather than remaining under God’s truth, as revealed by the Apostles, that there is a need for separation?

He continued,

‘What we are offering is a possible way forward which holds us together, and it starts in the imagination, not the detail…’”

Read it here.

Image from an October 2024 (now deleted) video by Bishop Snow.

Conservative bishops can ban same-sex blessings in their dioceses – they need to start doing this

Posted on February 13, 2025 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars Comments Off on Conservative bishops can ban same-sex blessings in their dioceses – they need to start doing this

“The Church of England’s turmoil over same-sex marriage continues.

With the resignation in November of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the latest development in the long-running saga is another delay by the bishops in bringing in standalone services to bless same-sex couples – services that will closely resemble same-sex weddings.

How did we get here?…”

– Writing in Christian Today, Dr Will Jones, a trustee of Anglican Mainstream, argues that conservative Church of England bishops have been poorly advised by some to believe that they can’t stop same-sex blessings in their dioceses.

Image: Bishop of York Stephen Cottrell, speaking at the Church of England’s General Synod this week.

Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal

Posted on February 13, 2025 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars Comments Off on Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal

Here’s a Press Release from Christian Concern in the UK –

“In a seminal judgment for Christian freedom and free speech, the Court of Appeal has reversed a ruling which defended the dismissal of Kristie Higgs from Farmor’s School in Gloucestershire for raising concern on Facebook about extreme sex education and transgender ideology being taught in her son’s Church of England primary school.

The groundbreaking decision, handed down this morning by Lord Justice Underhill, Lord Justice Bean and Lady Justice Falk, re-examines and re-shapes England’s law on religious discrimination. (see legal analysis in notes to editors.)

The dramatic six-year legal battle has been supported by the Christian Legal Centre from the beginning. Mrs Higgs, 48, was represented in court by barrister, Mr Richard O’Dair.

The ruling confirms that the Equality Act protects traditional Christian beliefs on social issues, such as opposition to the ideas of transgenderism and ‘gender-fluidity’ and opposition to same-sex marriage.

The authoritative judgment re-shapes the law on freedom of religion in the workplace. For the first time in employment law, the judgment has effectively established a legal presumption that any dismissal for an expression or manifestation of Christian faith is illegal. …”

Read it all at Christian Concern.

See also:

Kristie Higgs wins as Court of Appeal rules dismissal for free speech is illegal – Christian Concern.

Celebration of the 50th year of Campus Bible Study

Posted on February 13, 2025 
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Celebration of the 50th year of Campus Bible Study

Campus Bible Study at the University of NSW is turning 50!

“Over many years, God has been working through people at UNSW. The foundation of CBS is prayer and proclaiming the crucified and risen Christ as Lord of all. From CBS, God has raised many servants for Sydney, Australia and the world.

So, join past and present CBSers on campus to give thanks to God for his incredible kindness and faithfulness through CBS. We will look forward to the next 50 years (or until the Lord returns) of proclaiming Christ to future generations of university students.

Please join us and many others on Saturday 15th March 2025 at UNSW.”

Details here.

Courage and Truth – Archbishop Justin Badi in Oxford

Posted on February 13, 2025 
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This 5 minute video recorded in Oxford by Archbishop Justin Badi, Chairman of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, is a reminder of the need to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

Guess who’s coming to podcast?

Posted on February 12, 2025 
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on Guess who’s coming to podcast?

“The former Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, has been joined by his brother, former Archbishop Peter Jensen, in a refashioning of the podcast Two Ways News.

The podcast was previously hosted by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne. …

In the first episode of 2025, Mr Jensen introduces his brother Peter as the new co-host. “This year we’re looking at Genesis,” he says in the first episode. ‘Last year we worked our way through Romans and we just thought, well, the opening chapters of Genesis open up so many questions for us that it’ll be a great passage to have as the backbone of the year.’…”

Russell Powell shares the news at SydneyAnglicans.net.

This podcast will be a real treat. Listen to the first episode for 2025, released today.

Image: Peter and Phillip at the 2023 King’s Birthday Conference at Moore Theological College.

Ten archaeological facts to increase confidence in the Old Testament — Hans Kristensen

Posted on February 12, 2025 
Filed under Apologetics, History, Resources Comments Off on Ten archaeological facts to increase confidence in the Old Testament — Hans Kristensen

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“There are claims – and you hear them every so often – that archeology has disproved this story or that in the Bible, and claims from this or that scholar of particularly late dating of different bible books.

How do we as evangelical pastors react/respond/answer those claims?

Hans Kristensen is senior pastor of Marsfield Community Church in Sydney and is studying archaeology.

He suggests that there are 10 major archaeological finds that help us to increase our confidence in the Old Testament…”

– Fascinating.  Watch or listen here.

Getting up to speed for the CofE General Synod meeting tonight

Posted on February 11, 2025 
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The Church of England’s General Synod continues to meet tonight, Australian time.

Anglican Futures gives a taste as to what to expect:

“Synod members have received thousands of pages of reports to read in advance of this week’s meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod and millions of words will, I am sure be written, over the coming days. But for those who have other things to think about – here is a quick summary of what to look out for…”

They cover –

1) Will the Archbishop of York get ‘cancelled’? [Update from Anglican.ink – no.]
2) What more can be said about the Makin Report?
3) Will General Synod vote for ‘greater’ independence of safeguarding?
4) Can the Church of England become less middle class?
5) What can be said about Living in Love and Faith in an hour?
6) Can synod fix the way bishops are chosen?
7) How can poorer dioceses avoid bankruptcy?

Read it all here.

Related:

The problem with the C of E: An open letter to Stephen Cottrell (Archbishop of York) – Ian Paul at Psephizo.

Book review: ‘Proclaiming Christ’

Posted on February 11, 2025 
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on Book review: ‘Proclaiming Christ’

“The past two hundred years of human history has seen the rise of so-called ‘modern’ thinking, which has created unprecedented challenges for Christians around the world.

As it stands, our current society is underpinned by a subjective approach to truth – emotions determine worldviews; objective biblical standards are labelled extremist; and unalterable biological realities like one’s own gender are contested on the grounds of personal feelings. In turn, this subjectivity has accompanied religious pluralism, as no revelation from God can be considered objectively true, because nothing is objectively true.

Against this cultural backdrop, believers are constantly in need of reminders to keep preaching Christ crucified. As a compilation of Packer’s 1978 lectures at Moore Theological College on Common Objections Against Christianity, this book serves to do exactly that. …“

At AP, the national Presbyterian journal, Isaac Kwong commends J. I. Packer’s Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age.

As we noted when Campbell Markham reviewed the book last year, as well as reading the book, you can watch Packer’s 1978 Moore College lectures – About an hour each:

Lecture 1 –  We’ve a Story to Tell.
Lecture 2 – The man Christ Jesus.
Lecture 3 – He emptied himself: the divinity of Jesus Christ.
Lecture 4 – The wonderful exchange.
Lecture 5 – No other name: the uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

Pain, anguish and anger to be expected at the General Synod this week

Posted on February 10, 2025 
Filed under Church of England Comments Off on Pain, anguish and anger to be expected at the General Synod this week

“The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell has given two interviews to the press this weekend, on the eve of the General Synod. the church’s parliament.

In an interview with the Church Times editor, Sarah Meyrick, he said the church was facing deep systemic challenges and he expected there would be a lot of pain, anguish and anger expressed at the synod, but hoped to focus on change. He also revealed that at a recent bishops’ meeting, there were “tears and penitence and a deep sharing with each other”, adding that there was also pain and a sense of the whole Church being humbled.

Speaking to Kaya Burgess at The Times, he said the general public is disgusted by the Church of England and its deeply shameful failures to tackle abusers in its ranks. …”

– The Religion Media Centre in the UK provides a summary of current religious news stories, including the continuing woes of the Church of England. Here’s their summary for 10 February 2025.

(Link via Anglican Mainstream.)

Nexus 25 coming up on 17th March

Posted on February 10, 2025 
Filed under Resources, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Nexus 25 coming up on 17th March

The Nexus25 conference is coming up on Monday 17th March at Village Church Annandale:

Nexus25 is about how we can reach our city with the life-giving gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Our conviction as a Nexus network is that the death and resurrection of Jesus, and his imminent return, means that our lives and churches must be driven by the urgent proclamation of our Saviour and Lord. And yet if we’re honest with ourselves, this conviction often wanes and does not flow into concerted, effective action in our churches.  We believe that God is not done with Sydney. Christ still has many people in this city—people who have not yet heard and believed the gospel of Christ—and we long to see them saved and gathered around his throne.

Together under God, let’s think about what we need to do in our churches as we strive to reach this city for Christ.

Dave Jensen and Phil Colgan are going to help us think about how we can help everyone in our churches be on board with the mission that drives us.  What are the convictions we need to sharpen in ourselves and encourage in others if we are going to be evangelistically effective? Are there things holding our churches back?  Are there better ways to do things that flow more truly from our convictions?  Those are the sorts of questions we’re going to consider.

Of course, along with this, we’re going to do what we always do at Nexus – come together for encouragement, fellowship and prayer, to spur one another on to persevere in the noble task of serving God’s people as pastors, teachers and evangelists.”

Learn more, and register, at the Nexus25 website.

Amazon ends 4-year ban on Ryan Anderson’s book criticizing transgender ideology

Posted on February 9, 2025 
Filed under Culture wars Comments Off on Amazon ends 4-year ban on Ryan Anderson’s book criticizing transgender ideology

“Amazon is reversing a ban on a book that is critical of transgender ideology and will now allow the work to be sold nearly four years after it was removed from the platform.

In a statement posted Tuesday about Ryan T. Anderson’s book When Harry Became Sally, the online retailer ‘concluded that we erred on the side of being too restrictive last time, and decided to return the book to our store.’…”

The Christian Post highlights one example of how some things are changing.

Earlier: When Amazon Erased My Book – February 2021.

Southern Cross magazine February – March 2025

Posted on February 7, 2025 
Filed under Encouragement, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Southern Cross magazine February – March 2025

The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine (February – March 2025) is now available in churches.

If you miss out on getting a printed copy, a digital version is available from sydneyanglicans.net.

• Ministry to bubs and preschoolers
• Welcoming
• Positive masculinity
• Outreach in your suburb
• SRE teachers

PLUS: news, views, reviews and more

Report: Ashley Null elected Bishop of the Diocese North Africa

Posted on February 7, 2025 
Filed under Africa, Anglican Communion, People Comments Off on Report: Ashley Null elected Bishop of the Diocese North Africa

“The Episcopal/Anglican Diocese of North Africa is delighted to announce that The Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null has been elected as the next bishop of North Africa.  The Electoral Synod met on 4 February in N’Djamena, Chad, in the context of a Diocesan Synod that will continue until 6 February.

If the Synod of the Province of Alexandria confirms this election Dr Null will become the second, and first elected, bishop of the Diocese of North Africa, covering five countries (Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania and Tunisia) and including the territory of the see of St Augustine of Hippo.

Dr Null holds research degrees from Yale and the University of Cambridge. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Fulbright, National Endowment for the Humanities and Guggenheim fellowships as well as being elected fellow of the Royal Historical Society and the Society of Antiquaries in London. He currently holds a research post funded by the German Research Council at Humboldt University of Berlin and is a visiting fellow at the Divinity Faculty of Cambridge University and St. John’s College, Durham University. His project is editing the private theological notebooks of Thomas Cranmer,

Commenting on the election the current bishop, the Rt Revd Anthony Ball, said ‘I am delighted that Canon Ashley offered, and has been chosen to share, his varied experience and renowned gifts as a pastor and theologian in the service of this wonderful diocese.  As the Chair of the Board of The Alexandria School of Theology he is already familiar with the Diocese.  He will now have the chance to broaden and enhance the work he has done for many years to promote and encourage Christian witness in this cradle of Christianity. I look forward to working with him and wish him every blessing as he prepares to assume his new role.’ ”

– Report from The Jerusalem and the Middle East Church Association in the UK.

A bit more background on Bishop Anthony Ball, who is quoted above –

“On 30 November 2021, shortly after the Province of Alexandria was recognized as a new Anglian Communion province, Ball was consecrated as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Egypt. He held this role on a part-time basis while remaining resident at Westminster Abbey. In January 2024, at a service in N’Djamena, Ball was installed as the first diocesan bishop of North Africa—which covers Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia—while retaining his appointments at Westminster.” – Source, Wikipedia.

Photo of Ashley Null: Gafcon.

The Vibe Shift: What does it mean for the Gospel?

Posted on February 6, 2025 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on The Vibe Shift: What does it mean for the Gospel?

“All of the conservative ducks have lined up in a row. Did you notice?  The cultural and political vibe has shifted? Have you felt it?

The vibe has turned against the progressive framework that sought to shut down voices it did not like, including orthodox Christian voices who wanted to speak about ethics. Yes the ducks have lined up, the vibe has shifted and we’re not gonna take it, we’re not gonna take it, we’re not gonna take it anymoooore!

Heady days for many people. It seems we are in for a long period of relative sanity in some areas of life that were previously either insane or being run by those who were. Or we are in for Armageddon, who can tell?

But let’s be positive. Clearly, as many a commentator has pointed out, the vibe has indeed shifted, and with strokes of the pen left, right and centre, the US President is not only changing the vibe in the USA, but across the Western world. Craven tech bros journey up to the new Jerusalem to pay homage.

What was once orthodox, or at least was declared to be orthodox to all and sundry, yet believed by far less than all and sundry, is being banished to the sidelines. …”

– Stephen McAlpine reminds Christians where our focus must be.

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