New book from David Mansfield — About Love

“If you want to learn from Jesus’ most sustained and intimate teaching to his disciples, read this book.

Dave Mansfield wrote About Life (2001) on the first half of John’s Gospel (1-12).

The long-awaited sequel covers the second half of this magnificent book (13-21). …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Andrew Barry commends About Love by Dave Mansfield .

Copies are available from The Wandering Bookseller.

Scotland’s Destiny and the Rewriting of History

“Orwell’s 1984 is more and more sounding like a handbook for Western ‘progressive’ society in the UK.

As a small example of this, take the re-opening last week of the £27 million refurbished museum in Perth, Scotland.

A friend of mine went along and was somewhat shocked to find the following. …”

– David Robertson highlights an example of the re-writing of history in Scotland.

The article was first published in Christian Today.

How not to get flustered in evangelistic conversations

“My first job in Christian ministry was in the chaplaincy department of a private school in suburban Sydney. After the best part of a decade as an infantry officer in the Army my hope was that, in comparison, talking to teenagers about Jesus would be pretty easy.

It took me about 15 minutes to work out that, rather than this being a walk in the park, it was closer to a limp through the valley of the shadow of death. …”

— Encouragement from Dave Jensen – at SydneyAnglicans.net.

“The Lord who gives the vision gives the provision.”

A new Global Anglican Podcast from GAFCON:

“In this second interview, Archbishop Miguel Uchoa speaks about the boldness required to put the gospel mission first when church planting. His vision for Brazil is to see no less than everybody reached by the ministry of Christ, and doing so requires church leaders to reject a spirit of maintenance as they seek after the lost.

Anglicans can become a cultural conquerors when our compassion for the world consumes more of our time than merely combating heresy. Archbishop Uchoa urges us to ‘send the best’ leaders among us to plant new churches, trusting that God will multiply his people.”

– Listen here.

Explainer: NSW Conversion Practices Ban

Anglican Media Sydney has published a helpful explanatory post on the newly passed NSW “Conversion Practices Ban Act”.

See it out for an outline of what the law means, and how church leaders have responded.

Responses to a new book about the recent history of the Diocese of Armidale

Today saw the launch of a new book – Darkness: The Conversion of Anglican Armidale, 1960-2019 by Thomas A. Fudge, Professor of History at the University of New England.

You can get a feel for the likely tone of the book from a report by John Sandeman in July 2023 (link via our website). And the University of New England website has an interview with Professor Fudge.

Today the Diocese of Armdale has published two responses to the new book –

One by Bishop of Armidale Rod Chiswell –

“‘Darkness – the conversion of Anglican Armidale 1960-2019’ is a book that seeks to bring to light hitherto unheard voices responding to the transition of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale from a middle church diocese to a lower church evangelical diocese. …”

However Bishop Chiswell challenges two of Professor Fudge’s key presuppositions as well as his conclusions.

The other is a Review of the book by Dr. Mark Earngey, Head of Church History and Lecturer in Christian Thought at Moore College –

“Professor Fudge has produced a weighty tome on some of the recent history of the Anglican diocese of Armidale. … While conversion is normally associated with light (e.g. 1 Peter 2:9: ‘that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light’), Fudge interprets the growth of evangelical Anglicanism in the Armidale diocese in terms of darkness.”

In his Review, Dr Earngey provides very helpful historical and theological perspective.

Read both responses at the Diocese of Armidale website.

The Heavens Declare

Overnight (Monday night, Australian time), millions of people across North America will have witnessed a total eclipse of the Sun.

Such events are a reminder to us of far greater realities:

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” – Psalm 19:1.

and

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” – Psalm 8.

Photo: This total solar eclipse was viewed across south-eastern Australia on 23 October 1976.

6 Months Later, Israeli Pastor Says, ‘I’m Commanded to Love My Enemies’

“Former Israeli army officer and Reformed pastor David Zadok will never forget the call from his wife.

She rang him early in the morning of October 7, just an hour or two after his overnight flight from his home in Israel landed in Finland. …”

– The Gospel Coalition (US) speaks with Israeli Pastor David Zadok.

Navigating new laws on Conversion Practices: A Pastoral Approach to Compassion and Legal Compliance

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“What is permissible and not permissible under new conversion practice laws in New South Wales – with Neil Foster, Matt Aroney and Michael Stead.

Sydney Anglican Bishop Michael Stead, who chairs Freedom for Faith and Living Faith, describes the new laws as the least worst that he has seen in Australia.

Associate Professor of Law at Newcastle University and author of the Law and Religion blog Neil Foster says the law is unnecessary, but better than has been implemented in other parts of Australia.

Professor Foster supports moves to ban oppressive or violent practices that are designed to change someone’s sexual attraction or impair gender identity. However, Professor Foster says the laws (which have a criminal and civil component) can go beyond those bad things to areas where a minister is explaining the teaching of the Bible and wanting to help people to live in accordance with the bible.

Acting Minister of Watsons Bay Matt Aroney says he doesn’t think the new laws will impact his pastoral practice. Matt wants to turn down the anxiety levels. He encourages to choose thoughtfully to respond to the people in front of us with the love and compassion that Jesus has.

Matt applies the principles of his new book ‘Renovated: How God makes us Christlike’ to caring well for those Christians experiencing same sex attraction or gender incongruence.”

– An important topic for ministers and churches to understand.

“Equality” bill — NSW Government Survey

From Freedom for Faith:

“The independent Member for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, has introduced his ‘Equality’ bill, which would significantly undermine religious freedom in NSW.

In collaboration with the heads of churches and a wide range of faith groups, Freedom for Faith has coordinated a campaign to call, write and meet with local MPs. We are also directly engaging with the Government and opposition on the future of the bill, and resourcing faith leaders in their advocacy.

The legislation has been referred to a Parliamentary Committee for Inquiry. The first stage is a public survey. We encourage everyone to participate, it will take less than a minute and help the Government understand our objections to this damaging legislation.”

The ‘Equality’ bill is a different piece of legislation from the ‘Conversion Practices’ legislation which passed a couple of weeks ago.

– Do take the time to read the details and to express your views via the Survey which is accessible through this page at Contact Your MP.

The NSW Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Community Services Survey is open until Sunday 14th April 2024.

Emphasis added.

Video: Consecration of Dr Siegfried Ngubane as Presiding Bishop of REACH-SA

We missed linking to this video in February when Dr Siegfried Ngubane was consecrated and installed as Presiding Bishop of REACH-SA (The Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa) at Christ Church Midrand.

As the REACH-SA website says, the service was “nothing short of monumental” with a very encouraging array of guests present from around the world.

Bishop Malcolm Richards represented Archbishop Kanishka Raffel at the service, sending greetings from Sydney. Archbishop of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba, preached. The service is introduced by outgoing Presiding Bishop, Bishop Glenn Lyons.

Most encouraging.

‘Indefinitely mothballed’: Quake-hit cathedral’s dire future unless $30m found by August

“The Christ Church Cathedral rebuild has a funding gap of $114 million – and if $30m isn’t secured by August this year, the project will be indefinitely mothballed, it has been announced.

And the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited said a ‘mothballed scenario’ would ‘be hidden from view, and people will not be able to visit it, or preserve it, because it will remain a construction site in suspension’.

The iconic building had lain in ruin for many years after the Canterbury earthquakes. …”

– Report from NewstalkZB, New Zealand.

Photo: Christ Church Cathedral in 1978.

Armidale Diocese gives thanks for Barraba Bash ’24

“This year’s Bash was a brilliant day!

On March 23rd, 220 youth from right across the Diocese gathered together to praise God in song, listen to his Word preached faithfully and have a whole lot of fun.

Over the day we did a deep dive into Hebrews chapter 12 as we considered big questions like ‘What does it mean to endure as Christians?’, ‘How can we carry on living for Jesus when our friends live so differently?’ …”

– Give thanks with the churches in the Diocese of Armidale for this key youth event.

Moore College Open Week 6-10 May 2024

The next Moore College Open Week is coming up next month – a great opportunity to learn about the College – especially if you are considering study.

Also from the College:

“We thank God for the Governing Board’s approval of the Acting Principal’s nomination of the Rev. Charles Cleworth as a part-time member of the Moore College Faculty. …” – 02 April 2024.

Things that hinder and sins that entangle – with Dominic Steele

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Dominic Steele speaks to our hearts today as we engage in the battle of the Christian life. We get a call today to perseverance and resilience.

Dominic addresses, not just pastors, but young and old; healthy and unfit; wealthy and poor; busy and quiet; husbands, singles, divorcees and widowers; fertile and infertile, straight or experiencing same sex attraction; or struggling in addictions. …”

– Watch or listen here.

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