When The Noise Won’t Stop – Paul Grimmond

Posted on August 14, 2022
Filed under Encouragement, Resources

From Moore College:

“Do you or a fellow Christian suffer from Anxiety?

Author and Moore College Lecturer Paul Grimmond knows what it’s like.

His newest book ‘When The Noise Won’t Stop’ is packed full of research and Biblical wisdom that will help Christians who suffer from Anxiety – and those who care for them, including pastors.”

– An encouraging 3 minute video.

When The Noise Won’t Stop is available from Matthias Media.

See also this interview with Paul on The Pastor’s Heart (28 June 2022).

Southern Cross August-September 2022 issue now out

Posted on August 13, 2022
Filed under Encouragement, Sydney Diocese

Southern Cross magazine for August-September 2022 is now available from Anglican Media Sydney, and printed copies will soon be in churches across Sydney Diocese.

You can download an electronic copy here.

Peter Sholl to be next CMS Australia International Director

Posted on August 12, 2022
Filed under People

“CMS Australia’s new international director has been announced as the Reverend Peter Sholl.

Mr Sholl is set to take on the position, currently held by the Reverend Canon Peter Rodgers, at the beginning of 2023.

The organisation announced the appointment of the former missionary to Mexico on Wednesday afternoon. …”

– Report from The Melbourne Anglican. Image: CMS.

CMS gives thanks for David Claydon

Posted on August 12, 2022
Filed under People

CMS Australia’s Acting International Director Peter Sholl gives thanks for David Claydon:

“[On] 28th July, former CMS Australia Federal Secretary David Claydon passed into the glorious presence of Jesus after a long period of illness.

Having grown up in the Middle East and surviving by the clear providence of God, David served in various cross-cultural contexts, including many years leading the work of Scripture Union in the East-Asia Pacific Region (ANZEA).

He was appointed as the Federal Secretary of CMS Australia in 1988 and was active in this role—promoting mission, recruiting and supporting missionaries, and growing mission networks throughout the world.

He was particularly active in developing a CMS ‘Vision for the Nineties’ which resulted in a new focus on unreached people groups. One result of this new vision was the increase in the number of countries in which CMS missionaries served, from 15 in 1988 to 24 in 2001. …”

– Read the full tribute on the CMS Australia website.

There will be a Thanksgiving service for David at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney at 10:00am on Monday 15th August.

Photo via Anglican Media Sydney.

Orthodox Bishops reaffirm Biblical teaching at ‘partial’ Lambeth

Posted on August 12, 2022
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON, Global South, Lambeth 2022

“The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches has reaffirmed a landmark agreement on marriage and sexuality, calling for a ‘resetting’ of the Anglican Communion back to its biblical roots.

The statement came at the end of a meeting in Lambeth called by the English Archbishop Justin Welby. The Archbishop of Canterbury has traditionally called a meeting of Anglican bishops from around the world every 10 years.

However, the last full meeting of bishops was in 1998, when the Lambeth Conference passed what is known as Resolution 1.10. …”

– Russell Powell provides a handy summary of Lambeth 22, at SydneyAnglicans.net

Photo: Archbishops Tito Zavala and Justin Badi at the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches, 5th August 2022. Canterbury. Photo by J. Trickey, GSFA.

A response to Lambeth from the Chairman of GAFCON

Posted on August 11, 2022
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON, Global South, Lambeth 2022

“Sadly, rather than being a source of healing and unity, the Lambeth Conference compounded the problems. The Lambeth Conference was filled with confusion, and what that means for global Anglicanism has just begun to be felt. The Canterbury Communion is broken, not just metaphorically, but literally …

We are living in a unique moment in which, by the grace of God, global Anglicanism can be genuinely reformed by Biblical repentance and renewal. This will be the focus of the Gafcon IV Conference next April when we gather in Kigali, Rwanda. The world needs the transformation that comes from hearing and responding to an unambiguous, saving faith in Jesus Christ.”

– Archbishop Dr Foley Beach, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council, has written a letter to members of the GAFCON family. He both laments the failure of Lambeth and sees the opportunities that lie ahead for global Anglicanism.

Read it all here.

Temptations preachers face to give up on the Bible

Posted on August 11, 2022
Filed under Encouragement, Resources

“Preachers are not special. Every Christian faces temptations to sin. Preachers face the same temptations as every Christian. Like any of us, preachers are ruined through financial greed, sexual immorality, or alcohol abuse. However, there are some specific temptations preachers face concerning giving up on the Bible. …”

– In its series on preaching, The Australian Church Record has this very helpful article by Phillip Jensen.

Mark as the Backstory to the Gospel: Mark 1:1 as a Key to Mark’s Gospel

Posted on August 10, 2022
Filed under Resources, Theology

“In this article I argue that Mark 1:1, while not a purpose statement for the book, is a title and similarly helps us to correctly orientate ourselves to the Gospel. There is a growing consensus in commentaries on Mark for this reading, and I will show why there are good reasons for adopting it. I also want to explore some of the implications of understanding 1:1 this way. …”

– In the latest issue of Themelios (Vol 47, No 2), Moore College’s Peter Orr looks at what the opening of Mark’s Gospel tells us about why it was written.

Peter Jensen on Lambeth — Repentance is needed

Posted on August 9, 2022
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON, Global South, Lambeth 2022

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“The Anglican Communion is broken and needs to repent.

Provinces of the Anglican Communion are now free to develop their own teaching on sexuality, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

There will be no contending for the faith (cf Jude 1:3) or withdrawing fellowship from the sexually immoral.

Archbishop of Canterbury Archbishop Justin Welby arranged the Lambeth Conference so that delegates didn’t get to vote on the most contentious issue of the day – sexuality.

Rather he wrote to delegates announcing that Lambeth 1:10 still applied, but there would be no consequences for ignoring it.

Former Archbishop of Sydney and former General Secretary of Gafcon Peter Jensen joins us to review the confusion in global Anglicanism in the wake of Lambeth22.”

– Watch or listen here. A fascinating and encouraging discussion. Do watch right to the end.

Clarity out of Confusion: Lambeth 2022

Posted on August 8, 2022
Filed under Anglican Communion, Global South, Lambeth 2022

“Later in the afternoon, we sat for the final Lambeth press conference … It was an opportunity for Archbishop Welby and other leaders to share the accomplishments and unfinished business of this conference, along with answering any unanswered questions and tying up loose ends.

One of the topics that came up was the Communique of Orthodox Bishops of the Global South (5 August 2022), which states unequivocally that these bishops are not walking together with those who will not abide by Lambeth Resolution 1.10 (1998): ‘Our willingness as orthodox bishops to attend this conference does not mean that we have agreed to “walk together” with the revisionist primates and bishops in the Anglican Communion.’ (para. 5.5)

And yet, the closing words of Archbishop Welby’s letter to the bishops on Lambeth Resolution 1.10 (1998) and the message from Lambeth that ‘the bishops are walking together despite deeply held differences’ were repeated every day, at every opportunity, including this final press conference.

I took the opportunity to challenge that narrative by posing the following question to Archbishop Welby. …”

– On Saturday the American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey wrote these reflections.

Orthodox Bishops at The Lambeth Conference Reaffirm Lambeth I.10 as Anglican Teaching on Marriage and Sexuality

Posted on August 8, 2022
Filed under Anglican Communion, Global South, Lambeth 2022

“Orthodox bishops attending the Lambeth Conference have reaffirmed Lambeth 1.10 as the ‘official teaching of the Anglican Communion on marriage and sexuality’, and now a process will be initiated by the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) to allow Primates and bishops who did not attend this Lambeth Conference to do so. …”

– Press Release from the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.

And a ‘thank you’ video from Archbishop Justin Badi.

Australia Remains Open to Christianity — Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

Posted on August 8, 2022
Filed under Australia, Encouragement, Sydney Diocese

“What shall we make of the Census finding that 44% of Australians identify as ‘Christian’, with as many as 39% describing themselves as having no religion?

It is the first time in Census history that fewer than 50% of Australians align with a Christian denomination. What does it mean for Sydney Anglicans as we seek to commend the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to our friends and neighbours? …”

– Archbishop Kanishka writes to encourage you to keep on sharing the saving news of Jesus.