Bishop Glenn Davies’ Address at the ACL Synod Dinner 2022

The Rt Rev Dr Glenn Davies spoke tonight, 12 September 2022, at a packed ACL Synod Dinner.

His topic? “Where to from now? The place of Sydney Anglicans in Australia”.

Dr Davies, former Archbishop of Sydney, is Deputy Chair of Gafcon Australia and also Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Speaking of the Anglican Church of Australia, he said there is a fracture in unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity – a tear in the fabric.

Take the time to hear his very informative address:

or download the 11.5MB / 23 minute mp3 file. (right click on the link to Save As.)

News from Brisbane: Peter Judge-Mears to resign and join the Diocese of the Southern Cross

Peter Judge-Mears, the Rector of St. John’s Wishart in the Diocese of Brisbane, has posted this announcement on the church’s Facebook page –

“Dear brothers and sisters at St Johns,

It is with deep sadness that I announce my resignation as Rector of St Johns, Wishart. I have found it a great privilege to serve in this church over just under 14 years as Associate Minister, Priest in Charge and Rector. Sybil and I, along with our children, have been partners with you in proclaiming the gospel to the local community. As a family, we have been blessed by your generosity and friendships. Sybil and I have been privileged to walk alongside you through times of deep sorrow and times of great joy.

Sadly, over these 14 years, I have witnessed the increasing divergence between received Anglican theology and the theology of the diocese. This culminated in the Archbishop’s Synod address and the changes to Faithfulness in Service.

Although I have appreciated the time and graciousness that the Archbishop has extended to discuss my concerns, my concerns have not been allayed. Neither has the recent resignation of the Archbishop, who merely gave a clear voice to the theology now taught in our theological college and from the pulpits of our churches.

Most of you have known the struggle I have had since synod and are aware that this decision has been one I have wrestled long over. I am concerned that the mission of Jesus with which we are charged should be delayed no longer. I am grateful to the Archbishop’s Commissary (Bishop Cameron) who has allowed me to move far faster than the required 3 months. Accordingly, my final Sunday will be Sunday 18th of September, after which I intend to take a short break before commencing services on October 2nd under the Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,
Peter.”

Please do pray for Peter and his family and for the church at Wishart.

Image from Peter’s announcement to the congregation on Sunday 11 September 2022. (video)

From the church website:

“Peter has been the minister of St John’s since 2010. He graduated from Moore College in 1997 and was ordained in New Zealand in 1999.”

Related:

In July 2022 Peter published an open letter to Archbishop Phillip Aspinall in response to his Address to the Brisbane Synod. Read the full letter here (PDF file).

And read Archbishop Aspinall’s Presidential Address here (PDF file).

Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Presidential Address to the Synod in the Greenfields

Yesterday (Saturday 10 September 2022) the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney met at Oran Park in South West Sydney.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel gave his first Presidential Address – a strong, encouraging and stirring call to obey the Lord Jesus and to love our neighbours.

He said, “Do you see the crowds? Crowds of people who will come to Sydney. People who will move into greenfields areas. Crowds of young people, hungry for love.”

Please do take the time to watch and think and pray and act.

And here is a report from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net –

Do you see the crowds?

“In his first Presidential address to Synod, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has made a stirring and emotional appeal for visionary planning in the greenfields areas of Greater Sydney.

For the first time in more than a century, the Synod address was given away from inner Sydney at Oran Park Anglican College in the town centre of Oran Park in the Southwest. This week, the Synod will consider a proposal to extend the contribution parishes make to funding land purchases in new areas, for a further ten years. …”

Bishop Mark Calder: Thanks for Her Majesty

In this short video, Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder gives thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her trust in Jesus.

Assembly of Confessing Congregations — UCA situation is ‘untenable’

The Assembly of Confessing Congregations National Assembly has been meeting on the Gold Coast this weekend. Chief among their discussions was their position within the Uniting Church when that organisation’s Assembly holds to two contradictory doctrines on marriage.

This statement has been posted today on the Assembly of Confessing Congregations Facebook page:

“The ACC National Council has come to the conclusion that the situation we are in is ‘untenable’. We cannot continue to live within the illusion of so called ‘two integrities’. The position of the UCA Assembly on the one hand, and that held by orthodox Christian members, congregations, networks and Presbyteries on the other, represent two contradictory and mutually exclusive understandings of truth, salvation, and therefore also of mission. This situation raises an essential impossibility of pursuing a common mission between these two respective positions.

This weekend, the ACC National Assembly has now put in place a mechanism of action towards navigating its way to a process of a collection of action items to be decided in an upcoming decision in March 2023.”

– Source of the text and photo.

Earlier:

A message to Uniting Church members about the decision on marriage from Uniting Church President Dr Deidre Palmer – 20 July 2018.

Liturgical resources on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder has made these resources available for use in churches.

They would also be very good to use in your personal prayers! (Click the image for a PDF version.)

Liturgical resources on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

Thanksgiving for Her Majesty’s life and witness

Loving Lord and heavenly Father, we give thanks to you today for the extraordinary life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, especially her very clear trust in Jesus as her Saviour and determination to serve you as Lord. Thank you for her dedication to serving us her people, right to the end of her life. Thank you for her witness to Jesus as her hope and strength.

Although comforted in grief by the certainty of her presence now with you, we ask that we and all who grieve may know the ongoing consolation of your loving presence, and that peace which passes understanding, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for the Royal Family and all who grieve

We bring before you dear Lord, the entire Royal Family and all who were close to Her Majesty who will feel a great sense of loss. Grant them a good grief, which puts away stoicism and pretence. May they be a comfort and strength to one another. Unite in grief, those who have known conflict and division. Give wisdom to clergy who will minister to them during this time, that they will bring words of hope and life. We pray for those who have not previously known your love for them, that they may in this sad time, be inspired by Her Late Majesty’s trust in you, and turn to you for help. May they find consolation in the assurance of Her Late Majesty’s presence with you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For King Charles III – the traditional prayer for our monarch

O LORD, our heavenly Father, the high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lord, King CHARLES; and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant him in health and wealth long to live; strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies; and finally, after this life, he may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Bishop Mark Calder
9 September 2022.

Also see:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

– 1 Timothy 2:1-6 (ESV).

Andy Geers and the team at PrayerMate have distributed this prayer you could use:

Almighty God, Heavenly King, thank you for the long life of your servant, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Thank you that she was a symbol of such stability through the huge changes seen during her seventy year reign. Thank you that throughout her life, her hope in you remained steadfast, as the true King who remains the same yesterday, today and forever. Thank you for her life of dedicated service to others, pointing us to Jesus, the Son of Man, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Comfort all who mourn her death: her family, her subjects, and all who admired and respected her.

Lord God, grant her son, His Majesty King Charles III, great wisdom and humility as king. May he know that he submits to a higher authority, that you are the one “who changes times and seasons; that you remove kings and set up kings;” (Daniel 2:21) May he reign with integrity and dignity just as his mother did before him. May he share the same hope in Christ, in whom there is forgiveness and reconciliation. Grant us all to keep our eyes fixed on you as the source of all hope and comfort in times of change, as the one who “will reign forever… to all generations” (Psalm 146:10). In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Special Edition of The Briefing in Honor of Queen Elizabeth II

Dr Albert Mohler has produced a special edition of his The Briefing broadcast to honour Queen Elizabeth II.

A message from the Archbishop on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has released this sixty second video message to churches on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Bishop of Armidale Rod Chiswell’s message on the death of Queen Elizabeth

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

It is with deep sadness today that I heard the news of the death of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

We join with Anglicans across our diocese and around the world in grieving her passing.

I have been reading a book recently about Queen Elizabeth’s Christian faith, her godly example throughout her long reign has been a strong inspiration to many. Throughout the trials and tribulations of world history during her time as Queen she has been a steady rock, a wise, compassionate and selfless servant of God and the people entrusted to her.

As we join with Christians all around the world in mourning her passing in coming days, we do not grieve without hope, for we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise all those who trust in Jesus from death to present us in His presence (2 Corinthians 4:13-14). Together we give heartfelt thanks to God for Queen Elizabeth’s long reign marked by dignity, grace and unstinting humble service motivated by her enduring Christian faith. God has been kind in giving such a leader to so many for so long.

We pray also for the Royal family as they grieve and prepare to say goodbye to their beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and Queen. May God be their refuge and strength in this, their time of grief.

With love in Christ,

Rod Chiswell.

From the Diocese of Armidale.

Photo: The Queen’s Christmas message 2011.

Archbishop Foley Beach’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

As Chairman of the Global Anglican Future Conference Primates Council (Gafcon) and Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, I join with Anglicans across the world in praying for the royal family at this most difficult time.? …

Read it all at the GAFCON website.

Queen Elizabeth II — A model of compassion, faith and selflessness

Statement from the Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, on the Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is a profound sadness, the depth of which is difficult to express.

Anglicans in NSW join with all Australians in mourning her passing. For most people, her reign and her godly example is all we have known.

We have delighted in her visits to this nation and to our churches. She has been for many a tower of strength in times of adversity, and a model of compassion, faith and selflessness in the service of humanity.

But we do not grieve as those without hope (1 Thess 4:13). We give heartfelt thanks to God for her long reign marked by dignity, grace and unstinting humble service motivated by enduring Christian faith.

We offer our condolences and prayers for the Royal Family.

Details of services of commemoration will be made in accordance with requests from Buckingham Palace in due course. Flowers may be left in tribute at the George St door of St Andrew’s Cathedral. A condolence book will be available at the Cathedral.

– Source: SydneyAnglicnas.net.

Also from SydneyAnglicans.net:

We will pause to offer prayers at noon today, Friday 9th September, and there will be a special Service of Choral Evensong at St Andrew’s Cathedral, this evening at 5:15pm which will include prayers for the Royal Family.

June 5, 2022 – A celebration of uncommon leadership — Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s sermon for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Sydney Prom Praise is back

The Sydney Prom Praise is back in 2022, after a hiatus due to COVID.

“After a sell-out in 2019, its hugely exciting that Prom Praise is finally returning to Sydney’s iconic Town Hall on Sat 24 September!

Famous worldwide for a unique voice in music, Prom Praise is an annual event which fuses popular classical and contemporary styles and musicians for an evening of world-class worship and praise.

An impressive line-up of guest artists, including contemporary Christian Music’s finest: CityAlight Band, Australian Opera’s Penelope Mills & Ben Oxley, together with St Andrew’s Cathedral Choir, the RSCM Festival Choir and the Sydney Town Hall Grand Organ, will make for a truly memorable night after two difficult years as NSW comes together again for a unique night of praise and celebration.”

Click the image for a larger version, or here for the website.

How a humble Western Sydney Pastor got Canberra’s attention on Religious Freedom

“Sydney Anglican Minister Mark Tough does not see himself as a political animal.

And yet, in 2019 he organised a 500-person rally in Western Sydney that discussed the issue of religious freedom. He was then invited to speak to then Shadow Attorney-General (now Attorney-General) Mark Dreyfus about his concerns.

I caught up with Mark a little while ago to hear how he did this, and to encourage more Pastors to become engaged about these sorts of issues …”

– A story of encouragement from Akos Balogh.

(Photo: As well as blogging, Akos serves as External Engagement Manager at Moore College.)

Preaching On: 7 ways to encourage your preacher from the pew

“In light of all that has been recently happening in the Anglican world, how can we encourage our preachers, those who pastor us and are holding to their ordination promises to shepherd the flock of God that is in their care?

What we are about to share as ministry wives is perhaps un-revolutionary; indeed, all of us may have heard it all before in various formats. But we are good at forgetting – and perhaps you are too!

So here are seven ideas to try, to invite others in your church to try with you, to ask your pastor about in whichever context you are in. …”

– Here’s some encouragement from Kirsten McKinlay and Bronwyn Windsor at The Australian Church Record.

Sydney’s One Special Evangelist John Chapman — The Pastor’s Heart

Prior to the launch of Baden Stace’s book, “Sydney’s One Special Evangelist: John C. Chapman and the Shaping of Anglican Evangelicalism and Australian Religious Life 1968-2001”, Dominic Steele speaks with Baden about Chappo.

“Baden’s new work showcases the impact of John Chapman, but also gives a window into issues facing evangelicals in Sydney in the later part of the twentieth century, controversies about preaching, the place of evangelism in church life, social justice, and what role each of us plays in the evangelistic process.”

Most encouraging and informative. A ‘must watch’ episode.

Invitation to the book launch on 14 September 2022.

Order the book.

Chappo: “Do you really believe the gospel can convert your friends?”

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