General Synod Day 2 – A “healing” debate?

“Day 2 of General Synod has drawn to a close and I think it’s fair to say that the consensus is that, all in all, it’s been a good day. …

As we’ve previously reported, Synod is considering a set of ‘statements’” setting out an orthodox position on marriage and sexual activity which also clearly state that we proscribe solemnisation or blessing of a same-sex marriage.

It’s fair to say that there has been some tension and anxiety leading up to this moment. Indeed previous attempts to schedule a General Synod had been designed to avoid such a debate. So it is my pleasure to report that the debate was very well handled by all involved. In large part this is due, by wide acknowledgement, to the excellent work as chair that the Primate Archbishop Geoff Smith is doing. … while we are still divided in our position, the mood was as good as perhaps it could have been with strongly-held views expressed almost universally in helpful and conciliatory manner. …”

– David Ould reports on Day 2 of General Synod, with the debate on same-sex marriage taking centre stage. A vote is expected on the amended Statement (by Houses?) late Wednesday morning.

General Synod Day 1 – A Time of Healing?

“General Synod 18 of the Anglican Church of Australia is now well underway with a full day of business already dealt with.

First order of business was the Presidential Address from Primate Archbishop Smith of Adelaide.

The Primate set a gentle encouraging tone as he spoke to the almost 300 delegates.

…

Smith suggested that the church’s mission was ‘to participate in the healing of all things – the world, its people, the planet itself’. That healing, of course, ought to apply in our own divisions.

So will we be in any way ‘healed’? It’s difficult to see how that might fully happen, particularly since the two positions on the key issue before us are genuinely polarised.

Notices of motion included 2 motions foreshadowed in today’s Australian article, ‘Anglican moderates hit back in same-sex spat’…”

– David Ould shares his reflections on the first full day of General Synod.

Please continue to pray for this gathering.

Related:

The Line in the Sand.

General Synod underway

“The COVID pandemic has had positive and negative effects for the church in Australia, the Archbishop of Adelaide and Primate of Australia, Geoff Smith has told the first day of the General Synod (or parliament) of the Anglican Church of Australia…

The Bishop of South Sydney, Michael Stead, who is also a member of the General Synod Standing Committee, called for prayer for the meeting.”

– Russell Powell reports at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Increased media interest in the Anglican Church this week

There seems to be quite a bit of media interest in the Anglican Church this week, as well as commentary about that media interest.

Here’s a selection –

The Attack on Sydney Anglicanism – David Robertson at The Australian Presbyterian.

Anglican moderates hit back in same-sex spat – The Australian (subscription)

Australian General Synod opens with Anti-Orthodox Media Campaign – David Ould.

If God is neither male nor female, should we change God’s pronouns? – ABC Religion and Ethics.

Bishop Julian Dobbs on when Doctrine goes Bad

“I’ve been this week at the conference of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word (ACNA), led by Bishop Julian Dobbs.

The bishop gave his annual address on Friday morning, and … Lord have mercy, if only ten percent of bishops and pastors talked like this man, we would be living in a different country. I present to you here the entire text…

Imagine a bishop talking like this! Catholics and Orthodox can scarcely wrap our minds around it. I asked the diocesan communications director to send me the text, which was so extraordinary. Here it is…”

– At The American Conservative, US conservative writer Rod Dreher shares his gratitude at hearing an address by Bishop Julian Dobbs.

Bishop Dobbs has seen what happens when a denomination turns away from the Bible to embrace the surrounding culture.

From his address –

“One of the many reasons why I am so sensitive to wokeness and this pattern of capitulation within the Anglican Church is because I am, and many of you are, refugees from a church that lost her way when she began to succumb to appeals for compassion, tenderness and a capitulation to culture as the justification for dismantling the faith ‘once for all entrusted to the saints’.

I am a refugee from a church that deposed the late Dr. J.I. Packer from the ordained ministry. I am a refugee from a church that put our own assisting Bishop William Love on trial for believing the bible. And I am a refugee from a church which just three days ago reaffirmed its commitment to the murder of unborn babies and said, ‘As Episcopalians, we have a particular obligation to stand against Christians who seek to destroy our multicultural democracy and recast the United States as an idol to the cruel and distorted Christianity they advocate.’

Brothers and sisters, when doctrine goes bad, so to do hearts, minds, churches, nations and eternal destinies. That is why this matters. …”

Read it all. Or, better, watch it all. Most edifying.

Preacher, do you pray?

“Have you ever stood at the pulpit, about to declare, ‘This is what God says,’ about to preach the living word of God, to souls in desperate need of his voice, and realised you’re about to pray for the preaching and hearing of the sermon for the first time?

Have your prayers for the preaching of the word grown perfunctory and superficial? …

We know.  We believe.  But we need help in our unbelief.  We need belief that drives us to wrestle in prayer, sleeves rolled up, never pushing it aside because we are busy – for ourselves, for our hearers, for our preparation, for our preaching.”

– Encouragement, and three helpful prayers, from Janet Riley at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Prayer encouraged for General Synod 2022

The 18th Session of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia meets on the Gold Coast, Sunday 8th – Friday 13th May. (Progam here.)

The meeting had been planned for June 2020, but COVID concerns meant the meeting date was changed to June 2021 – and then again to this week.

After such a long break between meetings, the membership of the General Synod has changed more than would be usual, and some will not have met each other before this meeting.

We are sure that all members, representing all the dioceses of Australia, would crave your earnest prayers as they discuss issues of considerable importance to our unity in Christ.

“In Canada, death is cheap”

“Canada refers to ‘euthanasia’ and ‘assisted suicide’ by the friendlier-sounding term of ‘medical assistance in dying’ (MAID). The MAID programme was first introduced to end the suffering of terminally ill people, but its mission creep is now undeniable.

Denise (not her real name), a 31-year-old Toronto woman who uses a wheelchair, is nearing final approval for a medically assisted death. She only applied after her many attempts to move from her apartment, which she says worsens her severe sensitivities to household chemicals, all failed. …”

– Heartbreaking story from Spiked. See also this video report from CTV News.

‘The Line in the Sand’ Author Interview: Dr Mark Thompson

The following is an interview with The Rev. Canon Dr. Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore Theological College and one of the authors of a newly published book, The Line in the Sand.

This book is a joint initiative of the Australian Church Record and the Anglican Church League. It’s available for download here.

ACL Podcast Author interview.

Listen here:

 

or Download the file (right-click to Save As).

Transcript:   Read more

‘The Judgement to Choose to Abort a Child’: President Biden Accidentally Speaks the Truth about the Pro-Abortion Argument

In his The Briefing for Wednesday 4th May 2022, Albert Mohler comments on the responses to Monday’s leaked document from the US Supreme Court.

Processing disappointment in ministry

“How do we process disappointment in ministry? Personally as leaders and with our people?

What about when the church plant fails? Hans Kristensen planted Resolved Church in Newtown, and six years later closed it down.

If we try lots of things, many of them will fail.  But how do we know when to call time? And what part does ego play in all of this?”

– Watch or listen here.

‘The Line in the Sand’ Author Interview: Bishop Michael Stead

The following is an interview with Bishop of South Sydney Dr. Michael Stead, one of the authors of a newly published book, The Line in the Sand.

This book is a joint initiative of the Australian Church Record and the Anglican Church League. It’s available for download here.

ACL Podcast Author interview.

Listen here:

 

or Download the file (right-click to Save As).

Transcript:  Read more

Why would you move to Victoria in the middle of a pandemic?

“Why would you move to Victoria in the middle of a pandemic?

Such was the incredulity of our friends basking in the tropical delights of the Northern Territory when we announced we were pulling up stumps and heading south. Indeed, many of our new friends here have asked the same question.

To say it was an interesting start to our new ministry at Christ Church Echuca would be an understatement. …”

– On page 9 of the March 2022 issue of The Spirit monthly from the Diocese of Bendigo, Phil & Leeanne Zamagias share why they moved from Darwin to Echuca.

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