Biblical Theology and the Sexuality Crisis
“As the church responds [the current moral and sexual revolution], we must remember that current debates on sexuality present to the church a crisis that is irreducibly and inescapably theological.
This crisis is tantamount to the type of theological crisis that Gnosticism presented to the early church or that Pelagianism presented to the church in the time of Augustine. In other words, the crisis of sexuality challenges the church’s understanding of the gospel, sin, salvation, and sanctification.
Advocates of the new sexuality demand a complete rewriting of Scripture’s metanarrative, a complete reordering of theology, and a fundamental change to how we think about the church’s ministry.”
– Albert Mohler writes at the 9Marks blog.
Praying for Moore College
In the latest post at the Moore College ThinkTank, Principal Mark Thompson urges us to pray for the College.
And they’ve been trawling through College audio archives for classic sermons on Prayer. So far, two are online – Graeme Goldsworthy on Galatians 4:6, and John Woodhouse on The Lord’s Prayer. They plan to add another one each week.
Subscribe to the Moore College Classic Prayer podcast on iTunes.
Confident and Equipped: Facing Today’s Challenges in the Church of England
One of the passions of John Richardson, who departed this mortal life at the end of March, was to see the Church of England reclaimed for Christ.
A Thanksgiving Service was held for John at St. Peter’s, Harold Wood on June 11th (Order of Service, PDF file).
It’s fitting that the new book, Confident and Equipped: Facing Today’s Challenges in the Church of England, was available just in time for the service. It’s a volume of papers from the Junior Anglican Evangelical Conference 2013 (which John started).
Lee Gatiss has an outline of the contents – and the book is available in the UK from Church Society (£40.00 for 10, £22.00 for 5, £5.00 for one – contact them for international orders).
Photo: St. Peter’s Harold Wood.
Archbishop Philip Freier elected Primate
The Archbishop of Melbourne, Philip Freier, has been elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia at the meeting of Electors in Adelaide today.
Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Related: Boy from bush takes Anglican reins – News.com.au.
Chaplains in Schools Song by Colin Buchanan
Yesterday’s “Thank God it’s Friday” with Richard Glover on ABC 702 Sydney had Colin Buchanan as one of the studio guests.
The outcry over a topic for the Festival of Dangerous Ideas at the Sydney Opera House and the High Court Challenge to School Chaplains came together in Colin’s song.
Challenges facing General Synod
General Synod begins in Adelaide this weekend.
Many of the documents and reports to be discussed have been placed on the General Synod website.
For example, the Report of the Viability and Structures Taskforce (Book 8, PDF file) includes this quote –
“In only three dioceses (Armidale, North West Australia and Sydney) are sufficient numbers of clergy being ordained to replace those in current active ministry.” [for the period 1995-2010.]
and the table on page 8-029 (page 34 of the PDF file) showing numbers of Anglicans, Clergy, and Attendance figures is worth pondering.
These figures raise questions as to why this is so, and what can be done to help the national church. And they provide encouragement to pray for all gathered for the General Synod, for godly wisdom in seeking to make Christ known.
Prayers for General Synod
General Synod meets in Adelaide from Sunday to Friday (June 29–July 4), at St. Peter’s College.
Please be encouraged to uphold in prayer all who are meeting (including those who will be electing a new Primate tomorrow), and in their travels to and from Adelaide.
The current Primate, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, will end his term at the conclusion of the General Synod on Friday.
Graphic: ACA website.
Identity
“Hello, my name is Bill, and I’m an alcoholic.”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen asks us to consider our identity.
Check out Introducing God 2.0
The new and updated version of Introducing God was launched in March.
The first version was widely used around Australia.
In this video, Tony Payne speaks with Introducing God 2.0 author Dominic Steele about what’s different and why this version might be just the thing for use in large groups, small groups, and one-to-one settings. Check it out.
And here are ten ways you could use the course.
Print edition of ‘Women, Sermons and the Bible’ on the way
Matthias Media advises that a print version of Women, Sermons and the Bible will soon be out. The eBook was published in May. (Table of contents here.)
Andrew Symes on the ACNA Assembly
“The Anglican Church in North America exists as a kairos response to a crisis in a mainline denomination.
The leadership of the official Anglican denomination in the USA and Canada became more and more liberal. Bishops regularly pronounced that Jesus is one of many possible Saviours , that the Bible contains some of the word of God, that Christian mission is to help fulfil the Millenium Development Goals of the United Nations. It became commonplace to have multifaith services where occult pagan practices would be celebrated in Cathedrals as part of Holy Communion Services, as ‘the Spirit’ can apparently be discerned in all faiths and none…”
– Anglican Mainstream’s Andrew Symes reflects on the just-concluded Assembly of the Anglican Church in North America.
Religion vital to Australian education — AEC news release
Anglican Education Commission news release
Religion vital to Australian education
“Recent press reports have seriously misrepresented the position of the Anglican Education Commission on public education policy.
The commission has not called for the scrapping of the chaplaincy program or for the replacement of Special Religious Education (Scripture) in NSW schools.
By conflating several distinct policy areas, a report in the Sydney Morning Herald (Page 1, 25/6/14) seriously misled the public.
It is unfortunate that in the debate about the future of the National School Chaplaincy Program, the provision of NSW scripture (SRE) has been linked to chaplaincy. These are, and have always been, separate. The SRE program is not government-funded.
It its submission to the recent Review of the Australian Curriculum, the Anglican Education Commission, in looking to the long term, argued for the inclusion of a mandatory study of ‘Worldviews and Ethics’, which would incorporate the study of all religions and be available for all students. If such a subject was added to the Australian Curriculum it would have significant benefits for all students.
This would not replace the vital SRE program in NSW schools and as a national move, would have much wider implications.
The Anglican Education Commission in the Diocese of Sydney strongly believes that education is incomplete unless it includes a study of religion. The diocese has had a strong history as both a provider of education through diocesan schools and in the provision of Special Religious Education (Scripture) in public schools. The Commission is absolutely committed to the future of both.
Secondly, the diocese, like the Catholic Church, does not have a policy on chaplaincy as such. The AEC has not called for the scrapping of the chaplains program. However, should the NSW Government decide to take over the chaplaincy program in its present form, some hard questions will need to be asked about its nomenclature and whether ‘chaplain’ is the right word to use for such a program. If the program is purely a secular one, why not call it a welfare program and direct its focus to the high priority areas of wellness, psychology and student health?
Press reports with misleading headlines and out-of-context quotes are not helpful as governments consider these crucial areas of policy.
Dr Bryan Cowling,
Executive Director,
Anglican Education Commission
25/6/2014.”
This press release by the Executive Director of the Anglican Education Commission, Dr Bryan Cowling, is an important corrective.
Happy birthday to Samuel Marsden
Today marks the 249th birthday of Samuel Marsden, the second Chaplain to the Colony of New South Wales.
Marsden is reviled by some in Australia, but remembered with thanksgiving in New Zealand.
David Pettett wrote about him at Theological Theology a while back.
Good news for the Top End
Reactions to the news that Greg Anderson has been elected Bishop of The Northern Territory –
Dr Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore College:
“It is very good news for the Anglican Church of Australia that Dr Greg Anderson has been elected as the sixth Bishop of the Northern Territory. Greg is a godly and gifted teacher and pastor. We are very sad to see him leave the College since he has made a terrific contribution as the Head of Department of Mission and a vital member of the community.”
“However his love for the Northern Territory and Indigenous people in particular is well known, so it is no surprise that he should be elected Bishop of the Northern Territory. We will continue to pray for Greg, Annette and the family as they prepare for this very important ministry”
Dr Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney:
“This is an excellent outcome following a long and protracted process which makes the decision worth waiting for.
Greg has had experience working in the Northern Territory and has a very good knowledge of Aboriginal culture, deepened by his groundbreaking study of their music.”
And via SydneyAnglicans.net, Bishop-elect Anderson says,
“We’re grateful for the prayers of many as we look forward to the new situation. The Territory has a rapidly growing population, with many challenges, and also many opportunities, including opportunities for Christian ministry.”
“The situation of the indigenous churches is precious – people whose traditional culture is thousands of years old, and who are thinking hard about what it is to be both Aboriginal and Christian. A particular opportunity for Territory ministry is for people from different cultures to read the Bible together and be open to how God can correct our own culturally-shaped blind-spots through hearing one another’s perspective of what God is saying.”
Greg Anderson elected Bishop of The Northern Territory
The Head of the Department of Mission at Moore Theological College, The Rev Dr Greg Anderson, has been elected the sixth Bishop of the Northern Territory.
Here’s the announcement (PDF) from the Administrator of the Diocese, Bishop Clyde Wood:
23rd June, 2014.
The Administrator of the Synod of the Diocese of the Northern Territory is pleased to announce that The Reverend Doctor Gregory David Anderson has been elected as the Sixth Bishop of the the Northern Territory.
Greg Anderson has been the Head of the Department of Mission at Moore Theological College, Sydney since 2007. Prior to that he and his wife worked in the Northern Territory from 1995 as missionaries with the Church Missionary Society. Greg trained indigenous church leaders at Nungalinya College, Darwin, and was Indigenous Ministry Development Officer for the Diocese of the Northern Territory. His interest in the Aboriginal church began when he was researching the traditional music of central Arnhem Land.
Greg is married to Annette and they have four children. Apart from their church involvement, they are very involved in music activities and fitness.
Consecration and Installation dates have yet to be determined. We will provide further advice when available.
Yours in Christ.
Bishop Clyde Wood
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…