Knowing Jesus when it hurts

“Imagine that God gave you a vision of heaven. One moment you sit praying, the next God’s Spirit has lifted you into the heavenlies. You gaze around at the heavenly reality. You see the glories of the Father and the wonders of the seraphim and angels.

Perhaps you catch a taste of what it means to be without sin, to live unencumbered by the desires of the flesh. In ways that you will never find words to express you feel something of the glory of life in the presence of the living God. And then, just as quickly as it began, it’s over.

I wonder, if you had such a vision, who would you tell about it? I wonder, how quickly would you tell them? Would you post it online, phone a friend, talk to your pastor? …”

– Very helpful article from Paul Grimmond at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The purpose of the Lord will stand — Australian Church Record Journal for Synod 2024

The Australian Church Record has published a special edition of their Journal to coincide with the meeting of Sydney Synod starting this weekend.

Whether or not you are a member of Synod, this is well worth downloading, reading and sharing.

Highlights include interviews with Robert Tong and Laurie Scandrett, but much else to see too.

 

A Heart for the Gospel: Paul Donison speaks with Jodie McNeill

GAFCON’s Global Anglican Podcast episode number 7 has been released:

“Jodie McNeill – A Heart for the Gospel: Meet the New Global Operations Manager

We sit down with the Revd Jodie McNeill, Gafcon’s Global Operations Manager, to discuss his vital new role in the day-to-day ministry of Gafcon.

As an Anglican pastor and longstanding advocate for the Gafcon movement, Jodie understands the need to both ‘throw a lifeboat’ to Anglican churches whose diocesan leaders have abandoned the truth, as well as the importance of supporting churches that remain within their troubled dioceses.

General Secretary Paul Donison explores with Jodie their shared passion to see Gafcon engage and equip everyday Anglicans in standing firm for the gospel today.”

– Listen here.

“They said I had what they were missing and asked to visit my church”

“I spoke recently at the GAFCON Australasia gathering in Brisbane. GAFCON is the “mission arm” of the movement of orthodox global Anglicans. Hundreds had eagerly put aside time and paid to travel there from every Australian state and territory, as well as New Zealand, PNG and Myanmar.

We looked at Romans 1, full of Paul’s personality and emotion. This is a little surprising because Paul didn’t plant the church and hadn’t visited it yet. Yet it drips with authentic affection and concern. …”

– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Where was the Serious Exchange of Ideas? The American People Need More Than What Happened Last Night in the ‘24 Presidential ‘Debate’

Albert Mohler shares his thoughts on “The Debate”.

– Listen here if you’re interested.

Repost: Call from the Presbyterian Moderator General to “Walk for Life”

“David Burke, the moderator general for the Presbyterian Church of Australia, has called on all people of Christian faith to defend the rights of the unborn by participating in ‘Walk for Life’.

Rev. Dr. Burke argued that there is a parallel with the abuse relating to domestic violence, vulnerable people such as children and people with disabilities as well as child abuse in all its forms. Burke said:

‘To my mind, one of the great unmentioned forms of child abuse is the fact that there is a capacity in Australia to kill a child still in its mother’s womb – a living human being with all its actuality and potential made in the image of God.’”

– See the video message from David Burke at AP, the Presbyterian Church’s national journal.

The Walk for Life to which he is referring is planned for September 21st 2024, 2:00pm – 4:00pm Hyde Park, Sydney. Tickets here.

From the ticketing website:

“Love Sydney exists to stand for truth and intercede for the preborn through gathering together with others who are in agreement with our mission.

As we walk, may our countenance and attitude of our faith be evident with all interactions with each other. We welcome everyone who wishes to stand for life with us in this respectful way, regardless of their faith, ethnicity, age or gender.

We ask that you not engage with anyone that is expressing their opposition to our peaceful Walk for Life event. Our trained marshals, professional security and police are all here to keep our event safe. Anyone making nuisance noise will be asked to leave.

Please remember no megaphones or signs. Our official signs will be available for you to carry while at this event. Please obey the marshals, security team and police on the walk.

Our role is simple – to stand in the gap and be a voice for the voiceless, as we cover Sydney in prayer and love.”

Coercive control in Christian families and the impact on children – with Jenni Woodhouse

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“How do we help children in Christian families escape and recover from the devastating effects of domestic abuse?

Pastoral consultant Jenni Woodhouse says there is a hidden epidemic of coercive control where a parent with narcissism or borderline personality disorder makes life impossible for their both their spouse and children.

We also explore the impact of domestic abuse on children of all ages, from teenagers to toddlers.

What responsibility does the church have? What should a church leader do?

How can we as church leaders detect and address these issues in the congregation?

Jenni Woodhouse is a pastoral care consultant with the Church Missionary Society.”

– Watch or listen here.

Regional ministry in the Bathurst Diocese – Mark Calder, James Boardman and Sally Phelps

From Moore College:

“Vice Principal Simon Gillham chats with Bishop of the Bathurst Diocese, Mark Calder and regional workers James Boardman and Sally Phelps. They share the joys and challenges of doing ministry in a regional area and share about the exciting growth and opportunities available in the area.

Would you continue to pray for the gospel growth in the Bathurst Diocese and that many would head out into regional ministry.”

– Watch here, and do pray.

Fearing God the Father

“ ‘I am a child of God, God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Saviour is my brother; every Christian is my brother [or sister] too.’

This is my favourite sentence in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. Packer persuasively argues that being adopted as a child of God is the highest blessing that God gives us, higher even than justification. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Richard Chin shares the third in a series on fearing God, “Fearing God the Father”.

( Part 1: Fearing God Our Creator. Part 2: Fearing God Our Judge.)

Jodie McNeill named as Gafcon Global Operations Manager

Here’s an announcement from Bishop Paul Donison, Gafcon General Secretary:

“Dear Brothers and Sisters within our Gafcon family,

On behalf of the Gafcon Primates, Guarantors and Trustees, it is my joy to announce the appointment of the Reverend Jodie McNeill as our new Global Operations Manager.

Jodie is a passionate supporter of Gafcon with extensive executive-level ministry experience, as well as gifts in preaching and pastoral ministry.

He served on the organizing committee for the Jerusalem 2018 and Kigali 2023 conferences, and has chaired the committee for the recent Australasia conferences in Canberra and Brisbane.

We believe Jodie brings both the administrative and strategic planning skills this role requires, while also excelling in team leadership and generosity of spirit that will serve our Secretariat well.

Jodie will serve in this role part-time until he concludes at the end of this year as Rector of Jamberoo Anglican Church, Diocese of Sydney. He succeeds Canon Daniel Willis, who has commenced retirement, having served faithfully in this role since 2020.

Jodie will lead the international staff and ministry of the Gafcon Global Secretariat from Sydney, Australia, and will work closely with me as General Secretary, as well as Archbishop Mbanda and our Primates’ Council, Trustees and Guarantors.

Jodie is married to Mandy, who has enthusiastically served alongside him in Gafcon ministries since 2018, and who continues to share with him a deep passion for this movement that they love. They have four adult children, two sons-in-law, and a baby grandson.

Please join me in praying for Jodie and Mandy, the Parish of Jamberoo, and our whole Gafcon movement.

Again and again in this Gafcon work I see Psalm 118:23 in action: “This is the Lord’s work; it is marvellous in our eyes.”

Yours in Christ,

The Rt. Revd. Paul Donison
Gafcon General Secretary.”

– via e-mail.

Will the Church in Wales be extinct in 15 years?

“The Church in Wales may be small (a weekly attendance of 25,000 and falling) but as this blog has noted in the past it seems determined to shrink further. The Church Growth Modelling website predicts that it might be close to extinction in less than fifteen years, with just a few large urban congregations surviving.

John Heyward, who made this prediction, explains why the Church in Wales faces such a bleak future…”

– Anglican Futures reports that The Church in Wales seems intent on going the way of all flesh.

Paul’s prayer for the persecuted

“Christians need the spiritual and moral strength for which the Apostle Paul prayed in the Prayer Book Epistle reading for today, whatever the political conditions of the nations in which they find themselves.

Paul, a prisoner for proclaiming Christian truth, was writing to the Christians in 1st Century Ephesus …”

– At The Conservative Woman, Julian Mann reminds us that we need to be praying for the persecuted church too.

1:12 to 2:12!

“In 1963 my father applied for me to become a member of the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In 1980 my membership was granted and I attended my first fixture—the Rugby League Grand final between Canterbury-Bankstown and the mighty Eastern Suburbs Roosters, won by Canterbury, 18-4.

After 43 years, in 2023, I resigned my membership. I had not lost my interest in cricket or the occasional league game, I just was tired of being lectured about racism, gay pride and climate change at opening ceremonies by woke sportsmen and administrators.

‘Stick to your knitting’, is a saying from a management manual of the 1980’s. …

So today I am going to take my own advice and stick to my knitting. …”

– Encouragement from David Cook at The Expository Preaching Trust.

(Photo: Australia vs South Africa at the SCG, by Allan M Blanch.)

Latest North West Network (August 2024) now available


The latest North West Network (dated August 2024) – from the Diocese of North West Australia – is now available to be downloaded as a PDF file.

Use it to inform your prayers for the men and women, boys and girls, of the North West, and for the churches seeking to share the saving news of Jesus with them.

Plenty of encouragement.

– Download here. (1MB PDF file.)

The GSFA’s Chairman’s Quarterly Letter — September 2024

The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches has released this Quarterly Letter from Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Dear GSFA Family and Friends,

I am writing this letter on September 3rd which, according to the Anglican Lectionary, we observe as the Festival of Gregory the Great who died in 604. For Anglicans, he has a special significance as the Pope who had the missionary vision to send Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, to evangelise the Anglo-Saxons in 597.

It is good to remember that our Communion originated from bold missionary enterprise, not only in more recent centuries, but also in its deep past. And there are other aspects of Gregory’s life and ministry from which we can learn. The Anglican Communion is going through a time of crisis and change and so was the Church of Rome when Gregory became Pope. The glory of ancient Rome had departed and both secular and church leadership were weak, leading to widespread poverty and insecurity.

Yet despite this weakness, Gregory’s papacy began the transition to a new Rome which rose to become the centre of Western Christendom. As heirs of the Reformation, we are aware of the errors of the late mediaeval Church, but this does not take away from Gregory’s achievements. In addition to the mission to England, he reformed both church and secular government, systematised relief for the poor, renewed the liturgy and established Rome as the leading Church of the West.

We too live in a time of historic transition. Tragically, the See Augustine founded has departed from the faith Augustine taught and I see lessons of hope for us in the life of Gregory as we continue the great task of resetting the Communion.

Firstly, he was a man of deep spirituality who knew his weakness despite his strong natural and spiritual gifts. He suffered poor health and perhaps this reinforced his sense of dependence upon God. The challenges before us cannot overcome in our own strength. Like St Paul, we need to be people of prayer who know that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Secondly, Gregory knew that practical action and good administration is necessary if the Church is to be effective in its witness and the care of people. This is our understanding too. At the First Assembly in June, the GSFA relaunched its three Tracks and I am delighted to report that action plans to take us up to the next Assembly in 2027 have already been presented to the Primates Steering Committee. Please pray for the newly appointed Track Chairmen as they take this strategic work forward: The Rev Dr Timothy Chong from Singapore (Missions Partnership), the Rt Rev Prof. Alfred Olwa, Bishop of Lango, Uganda (Leadership and Ministerial Formation) and Mr Diogo Henriques of the Anglican Church in Brazil (Economic Empowerment). I am delighted that they will be supported in this work by our Track Facilitator, Mr Daniel Magagnin on a part time secondment from one of our Mission Partner organisations, The Relay Trust.

Thirdly, Gregory saw that without effective leadership, the growth and life of the Church in the West would be compromised. He established Rome as a locus of spiritual leadership in teaching, liturgy and mission, not to emulate the past glories of Empire, but to restore the Church’s effectiveness in a world that had changed profoundly. Likewise, the GSFA, through the Cairo Covenant, has established a new locus of leadership to deal with a new reality, now that the historic centre of the Communion has surrendered to a secular culture which is alien to the vast majority of its members.

Fourthly, Gregory was a missionary leader. At a time when the Church of Rome could have been inward looking because of its many challenges, Gregory took missionary initiatives that would change the course of history. Likewise, mission is the great purpose to which we are committed and I rejoice that the Missions Track is already under way with GSFA Mission Partners joining the Diocese of Singapore’s Mission Roundtable in Bangkok next month. We are already enabling strategic connections and I praise God that arising from a conversation at  our First Assembly in June, the Ven Darrell Critch of the Anglican Church in North America has been elected as a missionary bishop for the Diocese of Mahajanga, Madagascar in the Province of the Indian Ocean. Please pray for Bishop-elect Critch and his family as they prepare to leave Canada and begin this new journey of faith.

Let me conclude by urging us to hold in prayer those of our brothers and sisters within the GSFA family who suffer; for an end to war in Sudan, for peace as my own nation of South Sudan decides whether to go for elections in December or not, and for those affected by widespread flooding in both countries. We also continue to pray for the people of Myanmar and Eastern Congo facing growing fragmentation and violence, and of Bangladesh as they adjust to a new government and struggle with floods which have displaced many thousands.

May the all sufficient grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church of South Sudan and
Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee.

Source: The GSFA.

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