Newcastle Bishop-elect ‘keen to build community”
“Newly elected Anglican bishop Greg Thompson has vowed to use his appointment to strengthen trust between the church and the Hunter community, while encouraging more open discussion on hot-button issues including child sexual abuse, same sex partnerships and indigenous affairs.
Muswellbrook-raised Mr Thompson was elected the 13th bishop of the city at a September synod meeting, with his installation planned for February 2 next year.”
– Story from The Newcastle Herald.
Australian Baptist leaders support federal challenge to ACT marriage reform
“Baptist leaders have commended Prime Minister Tony Abbott for his Government’s support of the current legal definition of marriage, and for a proposal to challenge the ACT Government’s same sex marriage bill in the High Court as soon as it becomes law. Read more
Reaching a lost city for Christ
Principal of Moore Theological College, Dr. Mark Thompson, delivered this address at the ACL Synod Dinner on October 14.
In his talk he gave three compelling reasons why we must never give in to the pressure to move evangelism down the list.
“At last count (2011 Census) the population of Sydney was 4.3 million. Even if you took out all the regular churchgoers — Protestant and Catholic — there would still be more than 4 million people who are lost. At the end of the Book of Jonah God reminded the prophet of the mass of lost people in the city — ‘more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left’ (Jon. 4.11). Imagine what he’d say about a population more than 33 times the size!”
Read the full text below, or download the PDF file. … Read more
Watch Archbishop Davies’ Presidential Address
“Our Saviour left a final command to his apostles: to make disciples of all nations. This Great Commission, so aptly named, has not been superseded. It has not run its course, nor lost its energy or its urgency.”
– Watch the entire Presidential Address, delivered by Archbishop Glenn Davies at Sydney Synod, 14th October 2013.
Audio available here (mp3).
With thanks to SydneyAnglicans.net for making it available.
Archbishop Davies says ‘refresh and sharpen’ our mission
“Archbishop Glenn Davies has delivered his first address as President of the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, covering areas such as the next diocesan mission, regionalism, the Royal Commission into child abuse and ethical challenges faced by Christians in Australia.
The 2013 Synod of the Diocese of Sydney meets from Monday 14th until Wednesday 16th October at the Wesley Theatre in Sydney, and Archbishop Davies, in the role for just two months, gave his address on the first afternoon.”
– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Download the Archbishop’s Presidential Address here (PDF).
“Significant responsibilities are placed upon us in this assembly, as we come together as representatives of the parishes and organisations of the Diocese to make decisions, either by ordinance to pass legislation, or by resolution to express opinion. Yet we do not make these decisions in secret but openly and within full view of the public eye. More importantly, we make these decisions in the presence of God. It is to him that we must give account of our stewardship of time, resources and gifts that he has bestowed upon us. As our mission is gospel-focussed and Christ-honouring, so our deliberations in this house ought to be gospel-focused and Christ-honouring. May his Spirit so direct us in our thoughts, words and deeds that what we do here over the next three days might be pleasing in his sight.”
Falling on deaf ears? — Why so many churches hear so little of the Bible
“It is well and good for the preacher to base his sermon on the Bible, but he better get to something relevant pretty quickly, or we start mentally to check out.” That stunningly clear sentence reflects one of the most amazing, tragic, and lamentable characteristics of contemporary Christianity — an impatience with the Word of God.
– Albert Mohler on a malady which too easily affects churches on this side of the Pacific as well.
The Religion of the Self
At Jesmond Parish Church in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Rev. David Holloway explains why the church-sponsored brownie and guide units are refusing to make the new Girl Guide promise.
“There was a problem at the beginning of last month. On 1 September 2013 the Girl Guide promise, “the beating heart of guiding” according to the Chief Guide, was to change. The promise that was being discarded was as follows:
I promise that I will do my best
To love my God
To serve the Queen and my country
To help other people
And to keep the Brownie/Guide Law
Instead it was mandated from Girlguiding’s central authority that from the 1 September every girl and leader must say these words:
I promise that I will do my best
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs
To serve the Queen and my community
To help other people
And to keep the Brownie/Guide Law …”
Read it all at the JPC website.
Beware of imposters
Just in case you get any appeals for money –
“It has been ascertained that there are accounts on Facebook purportedly using the name of the Primate of the Anglican Church in Nigeria Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh asking for funds for various projects. This is no doubt the handiwork of fraudsters to extort money. To link the name of the Primate with these clandestine activities on the Internet is deceitful. Primate Okoh will not ask for this, never.
We therefore warn people of questionable character to desist from these illegal acts or face the wrath of God.”
– from the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.
Update: Scam warning for Anglican Communion members.
New church plant in Adelaide
“An Anglican Church in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs is so packed to the rafters it’s spawned the need for a new church nearby — in a bowling club.
Regulars at St Matthew’s Church Sunday morning congregation in Kensington began to find it increasingly hard to find a seat, prompting the radical move to transform a local sporting mecca…”
– from The Adelaide Advertiser. St. Matthew’s Kensington.
Euthanasia bill to be debated in Tasmania on Tuesday
Bishop of Tasmania, John Harrower, has been working hard to prevent the introduction of Euthanasia in Tasmania. See his blog.
Euthanasia: My letter to Tas MHAs 9 Oct 2013 –
“Last Wednesday I wrote the following letter to all 25 Members of the House of Assembly of the Tasmanian Parliament briefly stating my reasons for asking them to oppose the euthanasia legislation to be voted on this coming Tuesday.
Please pray that our politicians will oppose this deadly legislation.”
Also:
Depression, disability & ‘safe’ euthanasia.
A Response to Giddings & McKim’s euthanasia proposal.
Euthanasia: Pastoral Letter 3 Oct.13.
Related:
On the elimination of the suffering – Dr Megan Best.
Euthanasia lives again.
Anglican sale a blessing
“The Orange Anglican Grammar School is counting its blessings after the sale of the school by the Bathurst Anglican diocese was finalised before news of the bank closing in on the church’s debts broke. … The sale of the Orange school to the Sydney Anglican School Corporation went through last week and principal Len Elliott is excited to get capital works programs off the ground.”
– report and picture from The Central Western Daily.
A Life Already Started Conference
“With one in three women under 40 in Australia having had an abortion, it’s a rare church that has not been touched by this issue.
For this reason, Fervr invites you to the A Life Already Started Conference.
Connect with other rectors, youth ministers, women’s workers and chaplains. Hear about the options available for women faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Get equipped to lovingly respond to and support these young women.
Valuable speakers include author Dr Megan Best, representatives from Diamond Pregnancy Support and Women’s Forum Australia, and also two women who will share their personal stories of God’s healing after abortion.”
The conference is on Saturday 2nd November at MBM, Rooty Hill – Registration: $40, includes morning tea, lunch and a free copy of Dr Best’s new book.
Animals blessed at Melbourne Cathedral
“Archbishop Philip Freier and the Dean of Melbourne, the Very Revd Dr Andreas Loewe, hosted one of their more unusual congregations at St Paul’s Cathedral on 10 October when the threat of inclement weather forced the first Blessing of the Animals service indoors.
The service, celebrating St Francis of Assisi, had been intended for Federation Square but Cathedral authorities opted for their wet-weather option with Melbourne’s spring weather at its most fickle as the 5.10pm starting time approached.
Timmy the Dorset cross sheep, Miss Chief the goat and six Labrador puppies, in training with Customs and Border Protection, had places of prominence as representatives of the animal kingdom…”
– Story from Anglican Media Melbourne.
(Lots of similar services around the country last weekend and this week.)
The Smith Lecture, 2013
The Smith Lecture (named in honour of Bruce Smith, pictured) will be held in 2013 on Thursday 24th October at the Art Gallery of NSW.
This year Prof Patrick Parkinson, will speak on “Child Sexual Abuse and the Churches: A story of moral failure?” Details here. Photo courtesy Ramon Williams.
The Importance of the Printing Press for the Protestant Reformation, Pt 1
“This article is the first of two that will consider the importance of Johann Gutenberg’s movable type printing technology for the Protestant Reformation and how the new technology was employed effectively by Martin Luther in Germany. Part one will deal with the technology, and part two will consider how it was used by Luther in Germany.”
– with Reformation Sunday coming up, this article is a fascinating insight into an often-overlooked aspect of the Reformation.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…