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.
An Anglican “lifeboat” for Australia
“We have recently seen the announcement of the activation of a new ‘extra-provincial’ Anglican diocese in Australia.
The ‘Diocese of the Southern Cross’ (‘DSC’) is not a part of the official ‘Anglican Church of Australia’ (‘ACA’). It has been set up to provide an ecclesiastical home for congregations who are Anglican by theology and conviction but find themselves unable to accept the authority of bishops of the ACA who do not accept the teachings of the Bible, especially on the subject of the Biblical views of marriage. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster gives some legal background to the new Diocese of the Southern Cross.
The Doctrine of Marriage in the Anglican Church of Australia – Has it Changed?
“As the dust begins to settle over last week’s announced formation of the Diocese of the Southern Cross attention has naturally turned by some to the question of whether such an action was actually necessary. Has the doctrine of marriage actually changed in the Anglican Church of Australia? If it hasn’t, then why such an allegedly unnecessary and radical course of action?
The Primate of Australia, Archbishop Geoff Smith of Adelaide, issued a statement [pdf] on Thursday 18 August, the day on which Bishop Glenn Davies was formally commissioned as the first bishop of the new diocese.
Smith’s core complaint is clearly expressed:
The meeting of the General Synod held in May this year clearly affirmed the view that marriage is between a man and a woman, and declined to affirm same sex marriage. It is perplexing therefore that the leaders of this breakaway movement cite the reason for this new denomination as the failure of General Synod to explicitly express an opinion against the blessing of same sex marriages. …
The Primate claims that the doctrine of marriage has not changed and yet the revisionists now act as though it has.”
– David Ould takes a look at what has actually changed in the Anglican Church of Australia.
False teaching revisionists caused the Australian Church schism – with Foley Beach, Glenn Davies, Richard Condie and Jennifer Hercott
On a special edition of The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele speaks with –
Richard Condie, Bishop of Tasmania and Chair of Gafcon Australia
Glenn Davies, Bishop of the new Anglican Southern Cross Diocese and Former Archbishop of Sydney
Foley Beach, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, and Chair of the Gafcon Primate’s Council
Jennifer Hercott, Member of Gafcon Australia Board and registrar of the Diocese of Central Queensland.
– Watch or listen here. 30 minutes. (Main programme starts at 55 seconds.)
Related:
An open letter to the Archbishop of Brisbane – 11 July 2022.
Archbishop of Brisbane’s Presidential Address – 25 June 2022 (PDF file).
Dr Robert Tong on the Appellate Tribunal Opinion – 12 November 2020.
Many posts relating to General Synod 2022.
The Line in the Sand: The Appellate Tribunal Opinion and the Future of the Anglican Church in Australia – Joint publication of The Australian Church record and The Anglican Church League.
The Line in the Sand Author Interview: Glenn Davies.
Anglican Unscripted 755 – A New Diocese
In the very latest Anglican Unscripted video, David Ould speaks with GAFCON Australia Chairman Bishop Richard Condie and Dr Glenn Davies, today (Thursday 18 August) to be commissioned as the first Bishop of the new Diocese of the Southern Cross.
Bishop Davies:
“So this diocese is like a lifeboat – a safe refuge a safe haven – for people who want to remain Anglican but not under the current Anglican structure in the Anglican Church of Australia.
I love the Anglican Church of Australia. I’ve been a member of that all my life. But to see it in this disarray is very sad.
So, it’s not a triumphalist feeling I have with regard to this. Rather, it is a sense of sadness – but joy for those who want to remain Anglican – that I may, with the gifts that God’s given me, maintain that relationship for these congregations.”
He also asks us to pray that the evil one will be restrained.
“But let our focus be on spreading the good news of the gospel to all Australia. That’s what we’re all about. We want to be faithful disciples of Jesus and proclaim Christ faithfully to our nation.”
Watch it all. 9 minutes.
A new Anglican diocese, bishop and church in Australia
“The first congregation of the new Diocese of the Southern Cross started at Beenleigh in Brisbane last Sunday and the Diocese’s first bishop Glenn Davies will be appointed on Thursday. …”
– The very latest news – from The Pastor’s Heart.
Related:
An open letter to the Archbishop of Brisbane – 11 July 2022.
Dr Robert Tong on the Appellate Tribunal Opinion – 12 November 2020.
Many posts relating to General Synod 2022.
The Line in the Sand: The Appellate Tribunal Opinion and the Future of the Anglican Church in Australia – Joint publication of The Australian Church record and The Anglican Church League.
The Line in the Sand Author Interview: Glenn Davies.
Australia loses Indigenous Christian pioneer
“Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has paid tribute to Australia’s first Indigenous Bishop, Arthur Malcolm, who has passed away at the age of 87. …
His influence and ministry led to the public apology from the Anglican Church to Aboriginal people in 1988.
At St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, Australian Anglican Bishops led by the Primate, Sir John Grindrod, delivered an apology to Bishop Malcolm, saying
“My brother in Christ: … May I express on behalf of all non-Aboriginal people of our church profound sorrow for the suffering that your people have had to endure, with its violence and hurt. We humbly ask God’s forgiveness; and we seek your forgiveness as a leader of your people, for the actions of the past and those causing hurt at the present time. We have longed to share with your people the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We confess our endeavour has often fallen short of his love.”
In turn, Bishop Malcolm said
“My brother in Christ: For a long time we have been hurting… but it is through the message of Jesus Christ that we have learned to forgive. We have received this forgiveness, and now in turn we must also forgive.”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell has this story about Bishop Arthur Malcolm.
Top photo: Archbishop of Brisbane Sir John Grindrod and Bishop Arthur Malcolm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, February 1988.
Below: The Australian Bishops gathered at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney in February 1988.
Both photos by, and with thanks to, Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.
Vale Bishop Arthur Malcolm
News via The Anglican Board of Mission’s Facebook page –
“ABM is sad to report the passing of Bishop Arthur Malcolm. Bishop Arthur was Australia’s first Aboriginal Bishop and an outstanding leader and pastor in the Australian church. Bishop Arthur retired from his episcopal role in 2001 but has continued to inspire and encourage from his home in Yarrabah, North Queensland. ABM expresses our sincere condolences to Aunty Coleen and the entire family.
Bishop Malcolm was born at Yarrabah (Queensland) and began training as a Church Army Officer in Stockton (New South Wales) where he completed a Certificate course in Evangelism in 1959. During his time as a Captain in the Church Army he served at Lake Tyers (Victoria) and Brewarrina (New South Wales). People from Victoria and New South Wales express great affection for their beloved “Captain”.
He returned to Yarrabah in 1974 as Chaplain and was ordained by the Bishop of North Queensland in 1978. As well as ministering to his people at Yarrabah he had responsibility for Anglican people at Palm Island. He was made a Canon of St James’ Cathedral, Townsville in 1984 and consecrated Bishop with special responsibility to Aboriginal people in 1985.
During this time he developed an outstanding leadership amongst Aboriginal people and encouraged them in their education, community life and in the many struggles which Indigenous people in Australia encounter.
He has also been engaged in leadership and pastoral support in the non-Indigenous community and is well respected and admired for his sensitive and reconciling counsel. …”
Photo: Archbishop of Brisbane Sir John Grindrod and Bishop Arthur Malcolm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, February 1988. – Photo by, and with thanks to, Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.
An open letter to the Archbishop of Brisbane
In response to Archbishop Phillip Aspinall’s Address to the Brisbane Synod on 25th June 2022, The Rev. Peter Judge-Mears, the Rector of a parish in the diocese, has written an open letter –
“Dear Archbishop Phillip,
I wrestled hard with how I should respond to your Presidential Address last month. I remain grateful for your gracious invitation to address my concerns with you in person. However, I feel that the very public nature of your comments and the impact they have had on our Diocese demand an equally public response. …”
Read the full letter here (PDF file).
It would be good to pray for all involved.
And read Archbishop Aspinall’s Presidential Address here (PDF file).
Photo: Archbishop of Brisbane Phillip Aspinall.
Bishop of Gippsland: “There is no obstacle” to Same-sex Blessings. Is Brisbane next?
“In his recent Presidential Address to the Diocesan Synod, Bishop Richard Treloar has told his diocese that there is no longer any bar on the blessing of same-sex marriages. …
Having summarised the position, Bishop Treloar then makes his announcement, presenting this as a fait accompli that he has no power as bishop to resist …
Gippsland is the first of what may be many dioceses taking similar steps; simply acting as though the matter is now decided rather than passing the relevant motions at their synod. Next up is the Diocese of Brisbane which begins tonight.”
– David Ould shares the latest from Gippsland and speculates on what might be announced at the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane.
I contend that twelve bishops did defy the will of the General Synod over human sexuality
“In a recent opinion piece, Matthew Anstey provided an account of the recent debate in the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia over the meaning of marriage.
While this piece largely elaborated the Archbishop of Brisbane’s recent letter to his clergy, it contained such egregious errors of fact and attribution of motive that it calls for a response. …”
– Principal of Moore Theological College (and former ACL President) Dr Mark Thompson writes for ABC Religion and Ethics.
He concludes,
“This General Synod was remarkable for one other thing. It brought to light the remarkable work God is doing among Anglicans across the country. Anglicans with a vision for reaching the nation with the message of salvation, hope and life in Jesus Christ — Anglicans from every diocese in the national church — are joining together. Joyful in the grace they have received and wish to share with others, confident in the teaching of Christ given to us in the Bible, prayerfully dependent upon our heavenly Father, led by the Spirit as they live as disciples of Christ, they see the future as full of opportunity.
The shape of Anglicanism across the country is changing, and I believe that is a very good thing.”
Take the time to read to better understand what happened at General Synod.
Speech in support of General Synod Resolution on Ukraine
The question of the blessing of same-sex relationships was the big news at General Synod, however there were Resolutions on other topics, including this one on Ukraine, which passed unanimously:
“General Synod 18 Resolution on Ukraine
That General Synod
(a) deplores the clear and flagrant breach of international law by the Russian government invading Ukraine and also the crimes against humanity and war crimes that have been and are being allegedly committed there;
(b) condemns the actions of President Vladimir Putin of Russia in initiating and continuing the war against the democratically elected government of Ukraine and the slaughter and dispossession of the people of Ukraine;
(c) expresses its support and prayers for the people of Ukraine and the extraordinary suffering that they are experiencing in so many ways and assures them of the love and sympathy of this Church for them in their plight;
(d) calls upon our Christian brothers and sisters of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian Protestant churches to use their voices and influence to oppose the continued deaths, destruction, displacement and dispossession of the people, the homes and the country of their neighbour, Ukraine and their fellow Christians; and
(e) commends those priests and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church and Russian Protestant churches who have called upon their Church leadership and the Russian state leadership to condemn and desist from this invasion and war.”
(Passed unanimously, special Synod prayer for Ukraine following immediately thereafter.)
The Rev Patrick Cole, House of Clergy, Canberra & Goulburn, gave this speech in support of General Synod Resolution on Ukraine, 13 May 2022.
Mr President, on 24 February Russian armed forces started an unprovoked, premeditated, and violent invasion of Ukraine. We’ve seen massive aggression; indiscriminate attacks on civilians; apparent mass murder of civilian men, women and children; and Russian threats of the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states.
Reckless destruction of human life; breaches of international law, the laws of war, and humanitarian law.
Barbarism and destruction unparalleled in Europe in kind since the Yugoslav crisis, and in scale since World War 2.
On its independence in 1991, Ukraine inherited one third of the Soviet Union nuclear arsenal. In return for giving up these weapons, and becoming a non-nuclear weapon state, in 1994 Russia, the United States and the UK agreed at treaty level “to respect the independence and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine”, and “refrain from the threat or use of force against Ukraine”. An undertaking flagrantly and unilaterally breached by Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
The catastrophic results are not only a huge humanitarian disaster, but an immediate threat to the basic fabric of international order, and – unthinkably – genuinely risk full nuclear world war.
As humans knowing the compassion of Christ, our hearts are torn and outraged as the innocent suffer and are forced to flee, and as others as conscripts are forced to fight and kill.
As Christians, we know Kyiv’s role as the cradle of Orthodox mission outreach to bring the gospel of the Prince of Peace to Russia itself.
As Christians, we grieve the way President Putin has garnered support and spiritual endorsement for this invasion from Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, and from some other churches.
We commend those priests and laity of the Russian Orthodox Church and of other Russian churches in Europe, the US, Canberra, and even Russia itself, as they act in costly courage in publicly condemning the war, and church leaders supporting it.
Sisters and brothers, faced with a broken world that needs Jesus, what do we do?
We pray. Pray that Jesus, the Lord of peace and justice, brings his peace and justice, and as Lord of hosts, turns back the armies and causes war to cease.
We speak. And commend that the Synod now speak to:
-
- condemn this invasion;
- confirm its support and prayers for the suffering people of Ukraine;
- call on our sisters and brothers in the Russian Orthodox and other Russian churches to use their voices to influence and stop this action by the Russian Government; and,
- commend the extraordinary bravery of those priests and laity who like John the Baptist are speaking out to rebuke a despotic ruler for the evil things done in Russia’s name.
Image with thanks to David Ould.
Anglican synod angst
“Mrs Naylon was an observer at the Anglican synod … and described the processes as ‘eye-opening’.
She was impressed by ‘the very strong involvement of laity and clergy in decision-making processes’. …”
– This story from The Catholic Weekly shares a few impressions of General Synod from an outside observer, Margaret Naylon, Executive Officer for the Brisbane Roman Catholic Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Relations.
Photo: David Ould.
Anglican Church is ‘heading for a division’
“The Institute for Spiritual Awareness Director Mark Durie says ‘the Anglican Church is heading for a division’.
‘It’s going to be a slow process, but you’ve got two very different world views I think that will be coming up against each other increasingly in the years ahead,’ he told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.”
– Brief video clip from Sky News Australia.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…