Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s statement on antisemitism

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement

In recent days we have witnessed repugnant expressions of antisemitism in Sydney which have appalled most Australians and heightened fears among the Jewish community.

The conduct of some individuals in our city including flag burnings and aggressive verbal incitements to violence against Jewish people have shocked and repulsed our city. It deserves the strongest condemnation and must not be tolerated.

I have joined other faith leaders in calling for national unity and harmony so that our multi-cultural, multi-faith community may continue to thrive without hate or violence.

I urge all people, whether they adhere to a faith or not, to reject antisemitism in all its forms. I call on all community leaders to deplore the vilification which we have seen recently and pursue harmony, mutual respect and peace.

Anglicans in Sydney, including my predecessors as Archbishop, have had a history of warm and constructive relations with the Jewish community. In Psalm 23 King David, whom Jews and Christians both honour, wrote of walking through the valley of the shadow of death, comforted by the goodness of God. So we pray that those who mourn will be comforted, strengthened and protected in these times of darkness and sorrow.

The sin of antisemitism has a long and shameful history. It must be repudiated in the strongest terms. My prayer is that all Australians offer to our Jewish fellow citizens every assurance of support and love.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

13 October 2023

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net

New appointments in Bathurst Diocese

News from earlier this week –

“With great thanks to God, Bishop Mark Calder has announced today the appointment of the Rev’d Andrew Thornhill as Rector of Dubbo from February 2024, and the Rev’d Tim St Quintin as Rector of Cudgegong Valley from April 2024. (This parish includes Mudgee, Gulgong, Rylstone and Kandos.)

Please remember Andrew and Kath and Tim and Sarah in your prayers, along with their families, as well their current parishes (Coonabarabran and Cremorne respectively) as they adjust to this news.”

– Via the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.

Photo: Andrew Thornhill with Bishop Mark Calder, and Tim & Sarah St Quintin.

Presidential Address to the Melbourne Synod 2023

Archbishop of Melbourne Dr Philip Freier delivered his Presidential Address to the 54th Melbourne Synod yesterday.

The Melbourne Anglican has published the full text.

Photo: Elspeth Kernebone via The Melbourne Anglican.

CofE conservatives cannot stop same-sex blessings from becoming facts on the ground

“Despite appearances, Church of England conservatives have not won a victory after the bishops announced that new services of blessing for same-sex couples now require two-thirds majorities in General Synod. The services are set to come into use anyway after November’s Synod.

The announcement from Church House Westminster on October 9, after the bishops made their decision on the legal route they are now pursuing, certainly highlighted the bishops’ commitment to get the new services into use. …”

– Julian Mann writes at Christian Today.

Update:

See also Lee Gatiss’ Church Society Editorial.

“Not fit for office” — The Anglican Network in Europe calls on the C of E House of Bishops to repent

Here’s a Press Release from The Anglican Network in Europe, 11th October 2023:

A response to the statement of  the House of Bishops of the Church of England 9th October 2023

Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture! (Jeremiah 23:1)

We grieve with millions of faithful Anglicans around the world at the disastrous decision by the House of Bishops in the Church of England to agree in principle to commend Prayers of Love and Faith for same-sex couples. This action is offensive to the God of love. It replaces his wonderful gospel of grace with a distorted message, blessing what God calls sin. This is heart-breaking, wicked and outrageously arrogant.

Together the House of Bishops have embraced heresy by departing from the clear teaching of Scripture on matters of sexual conduct. As a result, they have betrayed their office. At their consecration service, each bishop was instructed to “be to the flock of Christ a shepherd, not a wolf; feed them, devour them not.” However, by introducing, and not banishing “erroneous and strange doctrine”, they have become wolves. Together they have demonstrated they are not fit for office. They stand under judgement as did the shepherds of Israel in Jeremiah’s day.

Their shame is further compounded by a seriously misleading and distorted appeal to reconciliation. In the House of Bishops’ statement, the Bishop of London asserts “the heart of the gospel is reconciliation.” However that reconciliation is first and foremost with our heavenly Father through the atoning death of Christ upon the cross, and only then, on that basis, to one another as forgiven sinners who serve Jesus as their Lord. To appeal to the cross as the grounds to “remain together as one Church in our uncertainty”, and, as a reason for embracing sin and failing to call for repentance, is an astonishing and blasphemous corruption of the grace of Christ and an entirely different gospel.

We call on the House of Bishops to repent.

We urge orthodox bishops, who have courageously fought for the truth, now to publicly dissent and distance themselves from their episcopal colleagues who are promoting these dangerous prayers.

We continue to pray for our faithful brothers and sisters in the Church of England as they weep, resist this apostasy and trust our Sovereign Lord.

With God’s help, we remain committed to the unchanging Biblical gospel which brings light, life and love to all who repent and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit compel us to preach Christ faithfully to the nations.

Rt. Rev. Andy Lines (Presiding Bishop of ANiE)
Rt. Rev. Stuart Bell (Assistant Bishop of ACE)
Rt. Rev. Tim Davies (Assistant Bishop of AMiE)
Rt. Rev. Ian Ferguson (Assistant Bishop of ACE)
Rt. Rev. Lee McMunn (Assistant Bishop of AMiE)

11th October 2023

The Anglican Network in Europe (ANiE) is the provision of the Primates’ Council of Gafcon to provide a faithful ecclesial structure for Anglicans within Europe. It currently comprises two dioceses: The Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE) and The Anglican Mission in England (AMiE).

(Received via e-mail.)

The Reality of Evil in an Age of Confusion: Moral Clarity in the Wake of Barbarity

In today’s episode (Wednesday 11 October 2023) of The Briefing, Albert Mohler speaks about the attacks in Israel and the reality of evil.

He asks, “what (or who) can overcome evil on this scale?”.

And what does our acknowledgement of evil say about reality?

Related:

Anglican pastor chased by mob after waving Israeli flag outside church – 3AW.

GAFCON Australia prayer request

“From GAFCON Australia: Eugenie Harris is one of a number of Gafcon supporters who are part of an Israel study tour. From the relative safety of Jerusalem, she has asked that we join in prayer …”

– Read it at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Photo: Jerusalem, GAFCON 2008.

Some of the greatest women in church history – with Rachel Ciano

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Our focus today is on the massive legacy of some of the greatest women of church history.  We discuss how different the Jesus’ mother Mary (as portrayed in the New Testament) is to Mary as she’s popularly thought of.  We focus on the account of one of the early martyrs, 22 year old mother Perpetua, who was fed to the lions.

We look at England’s nine day queen Lady Jane Grey and her mentoring by the Swiss Protestant reformer Heinrich Bullinger.  Then there’s the extraordinary story of Salvation Army co-founder Catherine Booth’s campaign to have the age of consent raised in England from 12 to the eventual age of 16.  And Gladys Alward’s 350 kilometre trek across the mountains of China with 100 orphan children.”

– Watch or listen here.

Related: 10 Dead Gals You Should Know: Leaving An Enduring Legacy.

Who wants the Prayers of Love and Faith anyway?

“On Monday evening, at the end of the first day of the House of Bishops meeting, a press release was issued announcing that the Prayers of Love and Faith were being commended. Bishops are free to commend prayers at any time, without requiring synodical approval. However, such prayers should not constitute liturgy and should be consistent with the doctrine of the church.

The bishops think they have cleverly avoided the first requirement by telling us that there will be liturgy brought to General Synod for scrutiny in 2025…”

– Church Society’s Associate Director, Dr Ros Clarke, observes that “the word of a bishop, it seems, doesn’t count for much these days”.

CofE bishops commend prayers blessing same sex couples

“The Church of England’s House of Bishops has agreed in principle that prayers asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples – known as Prayers of Love and Faith – should be commended for use when they are presented to the next meeting of the general synod from 13-15 November. …”

– Anglican Mainstream.

Image from the livestream of the Church of England General Synod, 09 February 2023.

“Why we left the Church of England”

Here’s news from The Anglican Convocation in Europe –

On Sunday 1 October 2023, Bishop Andy Lines inaugurated Wellfield Church, Leyland, Lancashire, into the Anglican Convocation in Europe and instituted Mark Simpson as Rector.

Mark reflects on their journey out of the Church of England and into ACE:

“When people used to ask me, ‘Why are you still in the CofE when (a) you have little to do with it; and (b) you don’t like where it’s going?’, my answer used to be the standard evangelical one: It’s a good boat to fish from, and the revisionists are the cuckoos in the nest, not us. The foundational teaching of the Book of Common Prayer and the Articles is excellent, even if many of the leaders don’t seem to believe it, follow it or teach it.

I still think that’s right. However, it’s also quite convenient to take view that mean means you don’t have to change anything. February 2023 was a turning point.

The more I (and church members) watched of that dreadful General Synod, the more we were utterly disgusted. There was the total ignorance of “the Scriptures and the power of God” that many of our leaders displayed; there was the way the Archbishop of York patronised those who appealed to Truth; it was even just that these basic issues were open for debate at that level. I’d taken part in ‘Shared Conversations’ several years ago; I know how disingenuous church leaders can be. But now here they were, not sworn to confidentiality, but in public.

When I said to people in church, for the first time, “I think we have to leave, don’t we?”, they all said yes. I’m not saying that choosing to stay in the CofE is a sin; but actually deciding, after all this time, to leave had the same feeling of repenting of a long-held sin. It felt right.

There were many parts of scripture that drove the conviction to leave. One in particular was Hebrews 13:13, to first-century Jewish Christians who were squeezed out of the life of the synagogue – “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.” It must have been hard for them. Maybe, like us, they said, ‘They’re the cuckoos in the nest – this is our heritage!’ Maybe it was hard to hear the writer effectively saying, ‘Let them have it all – the buildings, the infrastructure, the familiarity and stability.’ But this is the way of Jesus and his kingdom.

In many ways it was easy for Wellfield Church to leave. We didn’t have to leave buildings, or church members or a vicarage behind. But really, that’s largely because we’d planned it that way for many years. We’d kept our finances separate from the diocese, bought our own house, got our church building owned in Trust. When the time came to act on our convictions, we were ready.

When we were looking for somewhere else to belong, we were glad to discover ACE. We’re so pleased to be able to stand clearly with the real men of God who lead GAFCON. The covid years showed us that the Conservative Evangelical world that we are a part of is really not the be-all-and-end-all, in terms of having courage and battle-readiness in a hostile world. People in ACE may not all agree on everything, but do agree on the gospel and the pressing issues of our generation, and seek to trust and obey our Lord. That’s the fellowship we were looking for. It might be small, young and fragile; but that’s our story as a church too. And I think it’s the story of the true church down the ages, and what Jesus taught us to expect.”

Photo: Mark Simpson is handed a Bible as a symbol of his pastoral office by Bishop Andy Lines.

Received by e-mail.

To learn more about Wellfield Church, see their website.

Pray for those in authority

1 Timothy 2:1-4

“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.” – ESV.

See also:

Responding to the situation in Israel: thoughts from a Christian – Murray Campbell,

“How might Christians respond to the events in Israel of the past 48 hours? Here are 3 suggestions: pray, mourn, and press close to Christ.

There is something every Christian can do today. We can pray. We should pray. There is, after all, Biblical warrant for praying. …”

Image: Israel and surrounds, 07 October 2023, NASA Worldview.

‘Your truth’ and the true story: How the gospel of Christ transforms our decision-making

“For many people in our world, what matters most is not some ‘objective’ truth that can be found in history and facts. Instead, what matters most is our own internal emotional experience. This is what the world call  ‘your truth’. That is why emotional distress is now considered one of the greatest evils in our world, to be avoided at all costs. This is a crucial reason why personal stories of suffering are so powerful (and saleable). Indeed, personal stories of suffering are increasingly becoming one of the most effective ways to sway public opinion and to affect policy change. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Lionel Windsor argues we need a better understanding of suffering – and it is found in the gospel.

Prayer for Israel — Diocese of Sydney Media release

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement from Archbishop Raffel

Sydney Anglicans have been shocked and distressed to hear of the attacks on the Jewish people and the State of Israel that have taken place over the last 24 hours. We express our deep sympathy for the families of those who have suffered the loss of loved ones through these indiscriminate attacks, and also for those in Gaza suffering through no fault of their own. We assure the Jewish community in Sydney of our prayers for those injured or in danger and for the establishment of lasting peace and security. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and long for the day when swords will be beaten into ploughshares.  (Is 2:4)

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

October 8, 2023

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net

Gravity Waves and Singing Stars

“Back in June, scientists announced the discovery that the universe is vibrating with low frequency gravity waves. Music analogies proliferated. It was a ‘cosmic bass note’, a ‘hum’, a ‘chorus’, the ‘background sound of the universe’. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Moody notes the temporary re-enchantment brought by modern astronomy.

Image: James Webb Space Telescope.

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