Stories you might have missed — January 2017

Here are some key posts you may have missed this last month. Each link opens in a new window.

Authentic Ministry: Style or Substance – Preaching 2 Corinthians.

William Taylor is speaking at the John Chapman Preaching Clinic at Moore College on Wednesday 8th February. 

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The inviting nature of Christianity

“‘Albert McMakin’ is not a name familiar to many today, yet this man has significantly influenced your life. He worked on a farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, back in the 1930s—but it is not by virtue of his agricultural prowess that his influence has extended your way. The reason Albert still rates a mention in books and can be easily found via a Google search is because of what he did in 1934.

That year an evangelist was conducting a series of meetings in Charlotte, and Albert persuaded a young 16-year-old man to attend one of the gatherings. As incentive, he said that the younger man could drive his vegetable truck into town for the meeting. The teenager went and, before long, was converted. The teenager’s name was Billy Graham—the man who went on to preach the gospel to more people in-person than anyone else in human history. Albert’s simple invitation was used by God to play a key role in the conversion of this future evangelist. …”

– To start the working week, here’s an encouraging article from Stephen Liggins, at GoThereFor.com.

Why proposed same-sex marriage balancing clauses would be constitutional and right

“Last week I had the privilege of giving evidence to the Australian Senate Select Committee on the Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill.  … The Committee was considering the terms of an Exposure Draft Bill which had been released last year by the Commonwealth Attorney-General, as the sort of legislation which might be introduced were Australians to support change of the law in this way in a plebiscite. …

While the proposal for a plebiscite on the issue was defeated in Parliament last year, the Senate obviously considers it worthwhile discussing the merits of the Exposure Draft, as it represents to some extent Government thinking on what the change might look like. …”

– at Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster argues that “balancing clauses protecting the religious freedom of those involved in solemnising and celebrating same sex marriages must be an important part of any legislation introducing same sex marriage into Australia”.

GAFCON UK response to The Bishops’ Report on Marriage and Same Sex Relationships

“The Report as a whole requires a much fuller response than we can give here. However we do not have confidence that this document will guarantee the maintenance of orthodoxy within the Church of England for the future.  We need to express our serious reservations about the many ambiguities in the text relating to how we as Anglicans understand truth and goodness, sin and salvation, and how we should carry out pastoral and liturgical practice. 

We see the document as giving a rationale for maintaining the current position, but along with many faithful Anglicans in England we believe that the current position is not at all satisfactory, as it involves a lack of clarity about our message, openness to revisionist theology and practice, and further conflict within the church.…”

– Read it all here. And the original Bishop’s report is here (PDF file.)

See also:

A critique of the Bishops’ Report – by Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali:

“The report tells us in several places that the Church’s teaching has to be related to a fast-changing cultural context but makes no value judgements about the desirability of such change nor to the principles of development which should guide our engagement with culture. …

The thrust of the report seems very much to be that there should be no change in doctrine but that there should be a change in pastoral provision and in the public prayer for those entering same-sex unions. The question is, of course, when does ‘usual practice’ become teaching, especially when provision is made for public prayer.”

Read it all.

Annual Moore College Lectures 2015 published

“Moore College rejoices in Kevin Vanhoozer’s publication of his book based on the material he presented at the Annual Moore College Lectures 2015.

The publication is: Biblical Authority after Babel: Retrieving the Solas in the Spirit of Mere Protestant Christianity.”

– Read the full post here.

D.B. Knox: The Authority of the Bible — Pt 1

From a lecture to the Evangelical Union, Sydney University, as appeared in The Australian Church Record, November 18, 1948.

“The subject I have chosen is the authority of the Bible, and I propose to deal:

1. Content of Authority.
2. The reasons for giving the Bible that authority.

The first part can be dealt with in a sentence or two. As the Presbyterian Confession of Faith has it: ‘The Bible is given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life,’ or as the Church of England puts it in her Articles ‘Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for Salvation,‘…”

– Read Part 1 at The Australian Church Record.

(Photo: D. Broughton Knox in Sydney in 1956.)

Australia Day Honours 2017

Over at SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell has a report on Sydney Anglicans recognised in today’s Australia Day Honours.

Audio of the Thanksgiving Service for Mike Ovey

Audio of the Thanksgiving Service for Mike Ovey (held yesterday, 23rd January 2017) has now been posted to the website of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church.

It runs for 86 minutes and includes hymns, readings, appreciations, the sermon, and prayers.

(Photo courtesy Oak Hill College.)

Update: Oak Hill College shares more about the service.

Proposed bill ‘doesn’t protect religious freedom’

“The Diocese of Sydney has told a Senate Inquiry the proposed bill on same-sex marriage does not sufficiently protect freedom of religion.

The Senate inquiry into the exposure draft of the legislation allowing same-sex marriage has been holding public hearings in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra this week. The government has vowed the issue must be put to a plebiscite first, although a bill to enable a public vote was defeated the first time it was introduced into the Senate.

However, the committee is still examining enabling legislation which would be introduced, if a plebiscite were to result in a vote in favour of same-sex marriage.

The Diocese of Sydney made a submission to the public inquiry [PDF download], and the Chair of the Religious Freedom Reference Group, the Bishop of South Sydney Michael Stead, appeared at the inquiry. Bishop Stead was called alongside the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. …”

– Read the full report by Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Update: The Australian Christian Lobby also has a report, with a copy of their submission.

Impossible to Believe — Preaching in a Secular Culture

“When people identify as believers in Jesus Christ they are making a far more individualistic statement than was possible in years past. Furthermore, they are doing so in the face of alternative worldview options that were simply unavailable until very recently.

In fact, as I was doing research for my book on atheism I learned that the very first use of ‘atheist’ in English came from Miles Coverdale who invented the word during his time translating Scripture.

The remarkable thing to notice is that Coverdale had to invent a term for someone who did not believe in God because he did not know anyone who actually held that conviction. No one in the Elizabethan age would have denied God’s existence.…”

– In his second article in a series on Preaching in a Secular Age, Albert Mohler makes some very worthwhile observations. Read it here.

New Women’s Ministry Stream at Moore College

The Australian Church Record chats with Jane Tooher about Moore College’s new women’s ministry study stream in its Advanced diploma of Bible, ministry and mission. 

Who is this study stream for?

“Any Christian woman wanting to be better equipped to serve Jesus Christ and His church in a variety of settings. We are anticipating a range of ages, personalities, backgrounds, and gifting. Some women may not have studied for many years or not at a tertiary level before. Others may have just finished university. Women are able to study the Advanced Diploma either part-time or full-time, as little as one subject at a time with only one day at College per week, so it’s flexible to suit as many women as possible.”

– Read it all here.

Archbishop of Sydney welcomes new Premier

Public Statement on the election of Gladys Berejiklian as the 45th Premier of NSW 

I welcome the uncontested election of Gladys Berejiklian as Leader of the Liberal Party and thus Premier of NSW.

I have known Ms Berejiklian since she entered Parliament and became my local member when I lived in her electorate. She is a well respected local member who has managed her ministerial portfolios with industry and competence.  

While a member of the Armenian Church, she has been a strong supporter of Anglican ministry and never missed a service marking the commencement of ministry of new Anglican rectors in her electorate.

All our Anglican churches pray for those who govern us, and as we have prayed for Mike Baird we shall now pray for Gladys Berejiklian that she might exercise this new responsibility with wisdom and grace, for the good of all citizens and the glory of God.

Archbishop Glenn Davies

23rd January, 2017. (From SydneyAnglicans.net. Photo from the NSW Liberal Party.)

Luther: The Life and Legacy

This forthcoming documentary on Martin Luther features contributions by R.C.Sproul, Robert Godfrey, Steven Lawson, Carl Trueman and other reformed theologians. 

It looks to be well worth promoting, and is now available for pre-order. It’s due for release in April 2017.

Dr Mike Ovey Obituary by Chris Green

At Ministry Nuts and Bolts, Chris Green, former Vice Principal of Oak Hill College, shares his obituary of Mike Ovey written for Church Times.

“In 1995, after a happy curacy with Andrew Cornes, the young family moved to Moore College, Sydney, with Mike as a junior lecturer in doctrine, and working on his MTh: Truth in John’s Gospel. This was seminal, both in experiencing doctrinally deep theological education, and coming under the influence of his life-long mentor…”

Read it all here.

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