Glenn Davies on attending the 2026 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia
Posted on September 30, 2026
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From AP, the Australian Presbyterian online journal –
“It was an honour to be invited to the Opening Service of the 52nd General Assembly on 7th September 2026.
It has been a regular feature of the triennial Assembly for the incoming Moderator-General to invite representatives of sister churches of the Reformed Faith as a testimony to our unity in Christ, despite institutional distinctives. I am sure I speak on behalf of all attending church representatives that we greatly appreciate this invitation. …”
– Read Bishop Glenn Davies’ remarks here.
Related:
Presbyterians extend hand of fellowship to Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Cross – 25 August 2022.
The Glorious Body — Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.
Posted on September 30, 2026
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Phillip Jensen writes –
“Dear friends,
People’s attitudes towards their bodies can be quite diverse: from those who are embarrassed, to those who are proud; from those who hide their appearance behind excessive clothing to those who glory in their display of flesh.
Within the ancient world, and still amongst ‘super spiritual’ people, there has been the desire to be free of our bodily limitations. Yet Christians boldly proclaim the resurrection of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and more than that, of our future hope of the resurrection of our own bodies.
But the obvious question comes about the nature of our future resurrection bodies—will I still be limited by my imperfections, or at a geriatric age? Paul was addressing the doubters in 1 Corinthians 15 when he spoke of our glorious body which will be like unto Jesus.
I hope you enjoy this discussion on this vital teaching of Christians about the resurrection.
Yours,
Phillip.”
– Hear (or read the transcript of) Phillip and Peter’s conversation at Two Ways News.
Authority Imbalances, Complaints and Christian Leadership – with Jenni Woodhouse
Posted on September 29, 2026
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From The Pastor’s Heart this week –
“What happens when someone has been hurt in a Christian organisation, and the person they need to complain about has authority over them?
Does Christian conflict resolution sometimes assume an equality that simply isn’t there? What changes when the other person is your senior pastor, CEO, bishop or ministry boss — someone who holds not only organisational authority, but perhaps pastoral and spiritual authority as well?
So why is saying ‘I’m sorry’ so difficult? Why do organisations become defensive? Can fear of legal liability or reputational damage cause us to respond legally rather than pastorally? And can refusing to apologise ultimately cause more damage than the original mistake?
Jenni Woodhouse says Christian leaders and organisations can be far too reluctant to apologise.
For more than a decade Jenni served as chaplain to the Sydney Anglican Professional Standards Unit.”
Moore College at Sydney Synod 2026
Posted on September 29, 2026
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“ ‘College isn’t so much trying to shape me to recall four years of theology. It’s shaping me to do theology for forty years.’
When fourth-year student Nick Pearson spoke at the 2026 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, he captured something central to a Moore College education. Theological education is not simply about acquiring knowledge. It is about being formed for a lifetime of listening to Jesus, serving his people and proclaiming his word.
Moore College’s presentation gave Synod members a glimpse of how their prayers and support are bearing fruit in students’ lives and, through them, in churches and communities far beyond the College campus. …”
– Moore College has this report on the College’s presentation at Sydney Synod earlier this month.
Archbishop Raffel announces key ministry appointment
Posted on September 28, 2026
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“The Rev Caroline Litchfield has been appointed Archdeacon for the Ministry of Women in the Diocese of Sydney, bringing more than two decades of ministry experience to a role supporting hundreds of women serving across churches and diocesan organisations.
‘This is a key role encouraging and promoting the ministry of women in our diocese,’ said Archbishop Raffel in making the announcement. …”
– Story from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Why Christians should delete Social Media
Posted on September 27, 2026
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Agree or disagree, this provocative article by Brad East is worth considering –
“Social media is bad for you. It’s bad for the world, for politics, for young people. In fact, it’s bad for everybody, at every level, and no platform is exempt: not Facebook, not X, not Instagram or TikTok or Bluesky. Nor is there some edifying version of social media in the offing. (I’m looking at you, Substack Notes.) In the end, they’re all different portals to the same cesspool.
Perhaps this paragraph strikes you as extreme. It shouldn’t. …
You don’t need a break, a fast, or a detox. You need freedom. You need release. You need to get off—and for good.
Here’s what I’m not going to do. I’m not going to rehearse all the reasons you should do it. I think you already know them. A part of you is already screaming inside to be rid of these platforms. But you need a nudge. That’s what this is: a firm but friendly push. …”
– Read it all at Christianity Today. (Thanks to Tim Challies for the link.)
Jesus exceeds
Posted on September 27, 2026
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Michael Leong writes at The Expository Preaching Trust –
“ ‘Jesus is like the lifeguard who pulls you out of the rip at the beach, rescuing you from danger.’
’Jesus is like the parachute instructor who used his body to cushion the impact for his student, giving His life for yours.’
’Jesus is like the Son of the King who vouches for you, so that you can be adopted into His family.’
All of these illustrations are fine for helping our people understand the person and work of Christ – they use categories that are familiar (rescue, substitution, advocacy) to help us grasp what Jesus has done for us.
At the same time, though, I’ve been challenged recently in my preaching to go further than simply saying Jesus is like something in our world. I call this principle ‘Jesus exceeds’ – it’s the truth that, while Jesus might be like certain things in our world, He is also better than all of those things. …”
Moses Tay, 7th Bishop of Singapore, called home to the Lord at age 88
Posted on September 26, 2026
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From Salt&Light in Singapore –
“Right Reverend Dr Moses Tay Leng Kong, the seventh Bishop of Singapore and the first Archbishop of the Province of Anglican Church in South East Asia, was called home to the Lord on the night of September 24. He was 88.
He is survived by his wife of four decades, Cynthia, two children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Bishop Moses served as Bishop of Singapore from 1982 to 1999, a period that saw significant growth and change in the Singapore Anglican Church.
In 1996, he also became the first Archbishop of the newly formed Province of South East Asia, which brought together the dioceses of Singapore, West Malaysia, Kuching and Sabah. …”
– Read the full tribute by Gracie Lee.
Long-term readers will well remember Bishop Tay’s key role, along with Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda and two other bishops, in consecrating two American Episcopal clergymen, John Rodgers and Chuck Murphy in January 2000.
For some background on that, see:
Vale Bishop Chuck Murphy – 24 January 2018.
Moses Tay: A Prophet confronts Lambeth Pragmatism – Charles Raven, January 2010.
and material migrated from our old website –
Kampala Statement November 1999 and the Tay and Kolini Letter January 2000 in our Reference Documents and Press Releases section.
The AI Apocalypse
Posted on September 25, 2026
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Phil Campbell reviews The AI Apocalypse –
“As a classic early adopter, I’ve followed the AI wave with enthusiasm. Somehow, though, this technology is different. Large Language Models (LLMs) raise deep questions about what it means to think, to communicate, and to ‘be a being.’ And why learn, why write, when a simulated ‘being’ can do the ‘doing’ for you?
If you could use some help negotiating your way through the maze, The AI Apocalypse is here to help. It’s a collection of well-balanced essays by experts in theology, philosophy, and technology; framing (and then answering) questions that I hadn’t even started to consider. Let me offer a taster. …”
– Read his review at The Gospel Coalition Australia.
(Phil is Senior Minister at Scots’ Church Melbourne, and has been writing about technology since the 1980s.)
Edinburgh axes Divinity degrees as theology cull continues to spread across UK universities
Posted on September 24, 2026
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From Premier Christian News –
“The University of Edinburgh is scrapping its Divinity and Master of Divinity degrees, becoming the latest institution to walk away from a subject the university has taught since its founding in 1583. …
The retreat from theology at university level comes as numbers training for ordination in the Church of England remain well below what’s needed. …”
– Story here.
Image: Landing page for the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity.
Australian and English evangelicals: A conversation with Andrew Atherstone
Posted on September 24, 2026
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From Lionel Windsor at The Australian Church Record –
“Andrew Atherstone is Professor of Modern Anglicanism at the University of Oxford. He has been in Sydney for the Annual Moore College Lectures, held in August 2026, on Anglican Evangelicalism in the Age of John Stott, Jim Packer and Dick Lucas: Surviving and Thriving in a Mixed-up Denomination.
The lectures explored the recent history of Anglican evangelicals in England and the question of whether to stay or leave in the face of liberal and heterodox bishops.
In this interview, the ACR asked Andrew particularly about the mutual influence between Australian and English evangelicals, and the contribution of some key Australian figures. …”
(Interestingly, he mentions a link to the Diocese of Bathurst.)
Dr. Stephen Carnaby elected 12th Bishop of Bathurst
Posted on September 23, 2026
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From Archdeacon Andrew Thornhill, Administrator for the Diocese of Bathurst –
“It is with joyful gratitude to God that I announce the Venerable Dr. Stephen Carnaby has accepted the diocesan Bishop Election Board’s invitation to be the 12 Bishop of Bathurst.
We firmly believe that Stephen will help lead our diocese faithfully, courageously, and joyfully into the years ahead. …
He served in ordained ministry across churches in regional Tasmania and Hobart for 18 years, with his experience including church revitalisation, planting new congregations, children’s, youth and families’ ministry, and general pastoral work.
For the past nine years he has been the Director of Ministry Development [in the Diocese of Tasmania], working closely with the Bishop and overseeing diocesan training, raising up leaders, supporting and resourcing churches, and other efforts to fulfil the diocesan vision to make disciples of Jesus. …”
– Full announcement here (PDF file).
And Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel welcomes the news.
Love for our Jewish neighbours
Posted on September 23, 2026
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Russell Powell reports from Sydney Synod:
“Symbolically moved on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has rejected anti-semitism and called for prayer for ‘our Jewish neighbours’ in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
Moved by the Rev Andrew Bruce, the Synod lamented anti-semitism in Australia and ‘encourages all Sydney Anglicans to guard against any form of racism in our lives or in our churches’. …”
Inconsistent Faith
Posted on September 23, 2026
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From Phillip Jensen:
“Dear friends,
Two Ways News is freely available and we encourage our subscribers and regular listeners to advertise it freely amongst their friends and associates. It is freely available because it is provided by the generosity of others. If you would like to share in being generous, the details on how to contribute to this ministry are found at the foot of this transcript.
Today, we are looking at 1 Corinthians 15:12–34, which talks about the inconsistency of those who want the gospel of Jesus without his resurrection. It is a vital passage to see the significant and important consequences of Jesus’ resurrection for life now as well as the future.
Yours,
Phillip.”
– Hear this week’s episode with Peter and Phillip Jensen.
Abuse in Christian Marriage – with Darby Strickland
Posted on September 22, 2026
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From The Pastor’s Heart –
“How might we better (as pastors) better come alongside victims of domestic abuse?
Abuse in Christian marriage is easy to miss—and even easier to minimise.
How can pastors recognise what is happening behind closed doors and help our churches become places of refuge for the oppressed?
Counsellor and author Darby Strickland joins us to discuss domestic abuse, the entitlement that drives it, and the patterns of control that can be hidden beneath an appearance of Christian respectability.
Darby Strickland is a counsellor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF), and author of Is It Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims.
We explore how to listen carefully and ask better questions.
We consider how Christ’s sacrificial love shapes our care for those living with oppression and fear.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…