Has Living in Love and Faith come to an end? An open letter to the Archbishop of York
Posted on July 11, 2025
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At Psephizo, Ian Paul writes to the Archbishop of York:
“Dear Stephen
I read with interest your address to York Diocesan Synod on 5th July, and one word leapt out for me: ‘final’. Near the end of your address, you comment:
The Living in Love and Faith process is not yet complete. Some final proposals will be brought to the February 2026 meeting of the General Synod.
If that is the case, I am and countless others (on all sides of this debate) will be delighted. This has been a disastrous and divisive process since 2017; I wonder whether you realise how damaging it has been, and whether you will ever publicly acknowledge that. It sprang out of Justin’s spontaneous and ill-conceived phrase ‘radical new Christian inclusion rooted in scripture and Christian theology’ which was both incoherent (how can this be new if it’s rooted in existing theology?) and immediately open to misinterpretation …”
– Read it here.
Image: Ian Paul speaks at last year’s Church of England General Synod.
Living and Leading in the Way of the Cross — Don Carson
Posted on July 11, 2025
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From The Gospel Coalition’s Carson Center Podcast –
“In this lecture [from 1 Corinthians chapter 4], Don Carson emphasises the role of Christian leaders as servants of Christ and the importance of faithfulness, humility, and integrity in their leadership.
Carson urges Christian leaders to avoid pride, remain accountable to God, and uphold the way of the cross in their lives.
Carson stresses the importance of discipline and the need for leaders to serve as models of Christlikeness within the church and community.
He teaches the following:
- The need for Christian leaders to be seen as servants of Christ
- The importance of proving faithful to the trust given by Christ
- The need for Christian leaders to avoid pride and boasting
- How Christian leadership involves being entrusted with the mysteries of God and serving Christ, not just the church
- The differences between Christian leadership and worldly leadership
- The importance of accountability structures in the church
- The qualifications and responsibilities of Christian leaders
- Why Christian leaders must prove faithful to the One who has entrusted them with their fundamental tasks.”
– Listen here.
Photo: Don Carson at the Next Level Conference in 2016.
Church Society Podcast: George Whitefield
Posted on July 10, 2025
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The latest Church Society podcast:
“Ros Clarke and Lee Gatiss talk about the controversial and brilliant George Whitefield.”
– Listen here.
Certainty4Eternity Podcast Episode 1 – Mark’s Testimony & Rayne’s Experience
Posted on July 9, 2025
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Here’s a new podcast from Certainty4Eternity:
“Welcome to the first episode of Certainty4Eternity: The Podcast for Youth– a new series where Rayne Orange and Mark Gilbert dive into real, respectful conversations about Catholicism, Protestantism, and everything in between.
In this episode, we explore:
• Mark’s journey from Catholic schoolboy to Protestant minister.
• What it was like growing up Catholic in Australia
• Rayne’s experience in Catholic schools in rural Canada
• How Protestants and Catholics can have better, gospel-focused conversations
• Why understanding worldview is key to meaningful dialogue.
Whether you’re Catholic, Protestant, or just curious — this show offers a space for thoughtful, gracious discussion rooted in faith and Scripture.”
– Watch here.
Knowledge, Nakedness & Shame: Sex and Gender in and out of the garden — with Rob Smith
Posted on July 9, 2025
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“We’re digging deep into the Bible’s teaching on sex and gender – inside and outside the Garden of Eden.
We’re asking foundational questions: Was humanity created androgynous? Does Genesis allow for more than two sexes? Is sexual difference a core part of the imago Dei? What does it mean that the man and woman were naked and felt no shame?
Dr Rob Smith lectures at Sydney Missionary and Bible College and serves with Living Faith, a pastoral ministry of the Sydney Anglican Church caring for those navigating same-sex attraction or gender incongruence.
Rob is the author of a new book The Body God Gives.”
Parents and Children — A care greater than any legislation could mandate.
Posted on July 8, 2025
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From Phillip Jensen:
“In Australia, the birth rate has dropped to below 1.5 children per woman. This is the lowest birth rate we have ever had and is clearly below the 2.1 children per mother necessary to maintain the population. How important is it to have children? Does marriage necessitate children? Is marriage itself necessary? In the special creation of woman in Chapter 2 of Genesis, the subject of parenthood is immediately raised.
Peter and I are canvassing some of the issues of parenthood in this episode of Two Ways News.”
– Listen here.
Reformation Research Forum
Posted on July 7, 2025
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A very timely events coming up at Moore College on Thursday, 14 August 2025 –
“Moore Theological College has a rich tradition of engagement with Reformation studies, and we are delighted to invite you to our Reformation Research Forum.
This event is designed to showcase cutting-edge Reformation scholarship and foster fellowship among those with a passion for Reformation research. The program will feature major presentations by:
- Ashley Null (Bishop of North Africa, Wittenberg Center for Reformation Studies)
- Jake Griesel (George Whitefield College)
- Stephen Tong (Sydney Grammar School)
- Mark Earngey (Moore Theological College)
- Edward Stocks (St Matthew’s, West Pymble)
In addition, Reformation scholars such as Mark Thompson (MTC) will be interviewed, and a number of doctoral students will give short presentations on their current research:
- Thom Bull (Trinity Theological College, Perth)
- Lucas Sharley (Moore Theological College)
- David Clancey (Bishopdale Theological College, NZ)
- Candice Bergamin (Moore Theological College)
- Peter Blair (London Theological Seminary)
Topics will span a wide range of figures and themes, including Thomas Cranmer, Heinrich Bullinger, Jerome Zanchi, John Jewel, James Ussher, John Pearson, and Jonathan Edwards. …”
Mass, indulgences and relics at Canterbury Cathedral
Posted on July 7, 2025
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“Nearly 500 years after the English Reformation, Canterbury Cathedral, the mother church of the Protestant Church of England, will be given over to a Roman Catholic Mass, celebrated by the pope’s own representative in the country in honor of the martyr Thomas Becket, who died in the cathedral in 1170.
…the Mass will award those in attendance a plenary indulgence … celebrated by Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendia, apostolic nuncio to the United Kingdom …
And while the only relics left at the cathedral are some bloodstains of Becket’s, the Roman Catholic parish of St. Thomas, also in Canterbury, has acquired a relic — a bone of Becket’s, which will be taken to the cathedral for the Mass.”
– At Religion News Service, Catherine Pepinster previews the Roman Mass to be held in Canterbury Cathedral tonight, Australian time.
Can’t Catholics and Protestants just Agree?
Posted on July 7, 2025
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“Mark Gilbert and Leonardo De Chirico have edited an incisive series of essays in The Nicene Creed: The Nature of Christian Unity and the Meaning of Gospel Words.
These essays respectfully seek to illuminate the fundamental difference between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism with the Nicene Creed as the backdrop for analysis. …
The book demonstrates that even if we nominally can agree with the Nicene Creed, the disagreements between Catholics and Protestants are significant enough for us to recognise that we are worshiping different Gods, in different ways, with fundamentally different views on what it means to relate to that God.”
– The Gospel Coalition Australia, Kamal Weerakoon reviews the new book edited by Mark Gilbert and Leonardo De Chirico.
“The book is not only polemical. It sets out the proper, Biblical, and Protestant view of the creed: Trinitarian monotheism, one God in three persons as the universal creator and redeemer; the full and eternal deity of Christ; Jesus’ true union with humanity; the completeness of his penal substitutionary atonement; his authority to judge; justification by faith alone; assurance of salvation; etc.”
Moore in the Word podcast
Posted on July 6, 2025
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Here’a another great resource from Moore College.
If you’ve missed it, so far there are 334 (!) episodes online for your encouragement and edification.
See what’s available –
Christian Songwriting: A Conversation with Greg Cooper
Posted on July 5, 2025
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At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Mikey Lynch interviews Greg Cooper in Melbourne.
Many will remember Greg as a member of Garage Hymnal and his beautiful songs such as ‘Hear our Prayer’.
“This extended interview is in two parts. First, Mikey discusses general principles with Greg about congregational songwriting, personal songwriting and the place of art and beauty in the Christian life. Second, Greg breaks down the composition and recording of one song—’The Same God’—in detail, drawing out general songwriting principles along the way.’”
– Listen here.
Bishop of Tasmania’s 2025 Synod Presidential Address
Posted on July 4, 2025
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Bishop Richard Condie gave this Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania, meeting in Launceston on 13 and 14 June 2025 –
“ You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
What an encouragement to us as we commence our Synod to know we are joined together as citizens with God’s people, as brothers and sisters in his household, and indwelt by the Spirit of God himself, gathered around Jesus as our cornerstone, our guide and the reference point for all that we do. …”
– Bishop Condie shares the latest encouraging developments in the Diocese of Tasmania.
Food for your prayers.
Image: Richard Condie in a Hope25 message for the Diocese of Bathurst.
Prisoners seek Prayer
Posted on July 3, 2025
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From the Diocese of North West Australia:
“Inmates at Greenough Prison are turning to the chaplain for prayer and encouragement.
Geraldton Assistant Minister Mal Walker has begun filling in as prison chaplain two days a week and says the experience has shown him God’s immense love for people.…”
– This and other matters for prayer and thanksgiving on the website of the DNWA.
Outprinting the Prosperity Gospel in Southern Africa
Posted on July 3, 2025
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“Seven years ago, Tommie van der Walt went to his elders with an idea.
‘I wanted to train pastors,’ he said. He especially wanted to train pastors in impoverished and underresourced areas. And he wanted to do it, in large part, by using books.
It sounds like the beginning of a great plan. Van der Walt lives in Africa, which is overrun with syncretism and the prosperity gospel. The need to train pastors is obvious.
But relying on books wasn’t as intuitive. First, getting books to Africa is prohibitively expensive. The shipping takes months. And if you do manage to get books there, Africa’s oral tradition and lower literacy ratesmean they’re likely to sit unread.
Not only that, but somebody else had beaten him to it.
‘Guys like Joel Osteen pay for imports or for printing,’ van der Walt said. It’s a financial strategy: ‘They pay for their resources to be dirt cheap, because they know if you read their books or see them on TV, you’ll give them money.’
It’s working—over the last 10 years, the prevalence of the prosperity gospel has been ‘getting worse,’ says pastor and TGC Africa Council member Conrad Mbewe. ‘One reason is that there is very little antidote for it.’…”
– A fascinating story of God’s grace at work – from Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra at The Gospel Coalition.
Photo: Gospel Coalition.
Preaching to Men
Posted on July 2, 2025
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David Cook:
“This year I have been preaching at Mens’ days at churches here in Sydney.
Domestic violence is dominated by men; there is growing focus on ‘toxic’ men’s culture; suicide rates are dominated by men at a rate of 3 to 1; mens’ mental health is an area of growing need. Men and true masculinity are under pressure.
Male models, patterning healthy masculinity are scarce in our schools and single parent families are mostly mothered families.
Two areas needing special attention are:
How can I be a better man?
Where can I find purpose and meaning in life?
In every Gideon’s Bible, the ‘Where to look when..’ page is dominated by references to …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook writes about true manhood, purpose and meaning in life.
Image: A 2024 photo of Armidale’s Bishop Rod Chiswell with David Cook.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…