Anglican Heroes: Hannah More — Church Society podcast

From Church Society –

“Ros Clarke speaks to Sarah Allen about another Anglican hero, Hannah More.

Hannah was born in the 1740s, and was converted from a successful playwriting and intellectual career to give her life to working for charity.”

– Listen here.

The ‘senior pastor loneliness problem’ – with Sheridan Voysey

An important topic from The Pastor’s Heart –

“The loneliest person in church may be the one standing at the pulpit.

Pastors spend their lives surrounded by people, but ministry can make real friendship strangely difficult.

Confidentiality, responsibility, expectations, perceived favouritism and the pressure to “have answers but not needs” can leave church leaders profoundly alone.

Sheridan Voysey says pastors don’t just need supervision, systems or resilience strategies. They need real friends: people they can talk to, depend on, grow with and enjoy. People who know the weight they are carrying. People they can call at 2am when everything has gone wrong.

Sheridan helps us think pastorally and practically about the lonely pastor, the friendship Jesus modelled and how churches can give leaders permission to be human.”

– Watch here.

Macca’s long and winding road

“In a nation in the midst of a social disaster, an 83-old-year British pop star of whose moral influence any sensible person should strongly disapprove has created a masterpiece.

It was a strange experience for a conservative Christian like me to listen to Paul McCartney’s latest album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. He was one of the evangelists for the permissive society in the 1960s…”

– At TCW, Julian Mann shares some interesting refections on Paul McCartney’s journey. Maybe not to Christ (though you might pray about that), but disillusionment with where he’s been.

Let the Word Dwell Richly — by Tony Payne

“I doubt I’ll read a better book this year. Tony Payne has taken decades to study, reflect, practice and write this book.  …

Let the Word Dwell Richly is a gift to pastors and churches that I pray is widely read. May the Reformational recovery of the ministry of God’s word in our lives and churches continue, and may this book be used to help it.”

– Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

This forthcoming book from Matthias Media – Let the Word Dwell Richly by Tony Payne, sounds well worth pre-ordering. Expected to be available in July.

Other commendations come from Peter Jensen and Lionel Windsor.

As an aside, Mark Dever does read a few books – see this Banner of Truth interview from 2024.

Contentment in Practice — Avoiding marriolatry

From Phillip Jensen –

“For many years, Christians have been teaching on marriage and family life. But recently, the focus has moved somewhat towards singleness. This is in part because of our society’s movement away from marriage towards singleness, which is itself somewhat due to an attempt to correct an overemphasis on marriage.

This week in Two Ways News, we are discussing the issue of singleness not for either of those reasons, but because of Paul’s dealing with the subject in 1 Corinthians 7:25-40. So, following on from Paul’s discussion of contentment, we address the issues around whether we should marry and the consequences that flow from it.”

– Hear Phillip and Peter Jensen discuss at Two Ways News.

Also see –

Is prophecy dead? Where have all the prophets gone?

Amos said he was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, and yet he was one of God’s prophets in Israel. Do we have prophets and prophecy today? Should we all prophesy or is it the task of some of us?

The issues around prophecy are many and varied; this King’s Birthday Conference will look particularly at a Biblical view of prophecy today.

– Less than a week away. Register at this link.

Two to remember

“It was 1856, and the new Reformed Evangelical bishop, Frederic Barker, had arrived in Sydney with his wife Jane the year before.

The bishop was responsible for most of NSW – a huge burden. He and his wife immediately saw three great needs and took action to meet them.…”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Peter Jensen commends a soon-to-be-published book on Bishop Barker by Dr. Grant Maple.

He reminds us that it is “so easy to forget our history and that impoverishes us”.

The importance of a special relationship in a crisis

From The Australian Church Record, an encouraging and enlightening contribution by Robin Sydserff of The Proclamation Trust –

“At the celebration of Dick Lucas’ 100th birthday on 14 September 2025, the overseas contribution was a series of recorded video messages from past and present Christian leaders in Australia, testifying to a special relationship. The relationship, first between conservative evangelicals in the Church of England and Sydney Anglicans, has enlarged over the last fifty years and more to embrace a much wider constituency.

In a special relationship there are times when strong things need to be said. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’ (Prov 27:6). …”

– What is the crisis? Who are the friends? How have they been a blessing to each other? Do take the time to read it all.

First published in the ACR’s Easter 2026 Journal.

Image from an interview with Robin Sydserff and David Cook on The Pastor’s Heart, August 2025.

Sexual Contentment — As called, so remain

From Phillip Jensen –

“As we work through 1 Corinthians 7, we come to a paragraph that seems to have nothing to do with glorifying God with your body in love, sex, or marriage. Suddenly, there is a paragraph about slavery and circumcision. But this is the most important passage in the chapter, for it is simply using these topics to discuss contentment, which is the key to love, sex, and marriage.

I hope you enjoy this discussion. Please remember that Two Ways News is provided free of charge by the generosity of friends. If you would like to become one of our generous friends, at the end of the transcript are details regarding how you could contribute.”

– Listen to Phillip and Peter discuss, at Two Ways News.

Also mentioned and good to check out:

Book Recommendations on Corporate Worship from Pastors

From 9Marks:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col. 3:16).

Is there a singer or musician in your church who is hungry to glorify God as they lead in corporate worship? Or do your members need to be taught that they’re all “part of the choir”?

9Marks asked a couple of pastors who have thought a lot about corporate worship for book recommendations on the subject.”

– See the recommendations here.

Among the comments –

“A collection of and commentary on liturgies from the 16th century, but the three introductory essays are worth the price of the book.”

“Of all the books on a biblical theology of worship, Peterson’s work is one of the most focused, thoughtful, and helpful. This will provoke your thinking on the ultimate reason the church gathers.”

Freedom Matters — latest conversation

From Freedom for Faith –

“Freedom Matters is a conversation with Bishop Michael Stead and Monica Doumit about religious freedom issues across Australia.”

– The latest episode was published last month. Well worth watching to give an idea of current and future challenges.

Michael Stead is the Bishop of South Sydney and Chair of Freedom for Faith.
Monica Doumit is the Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and FFF board member.

Related:

In this three minute video, Freedom for Faith’s Executive Director Mike Southon explains Freedom for Faith’s mission.

King’s Birthday Conference 2026 — early bird prices ending soon

The King’s Birthday Conference 2026 is coming up on Monday 8th June at Moore College.

We’ve been reminded that the standard rates below will apply until the end of this week:

Regular $25, Concession $10

and that they increase from Monday 25th May.

“Is prophecy dead? Where have all the prophets gone?

Amos said he was neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, and yet he was one of God’s prophets in Israel. Do we have prophets and prophecy today? Should we all prophesy or is it the task of some of us?

The issues around prophecy are many and varied; this King’s Birthday Conference will look particularly at a Biblical view of prophecy today.”

See the website for full details and registration.

Who is really pro-woman?

Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant shares his latest Minister’s Newsletter –

“Dear Friends, here’s a claim to make you sit up and pay attention:

– Post-feminist Australia is anti-woman in a number of problematic ways.

– But Bible-shaped Christianity is pro-woman in regard to dignity and protection.

Let me unpack this… within the confines of an article that I’m trying not to turn into an essay!

Post-feminist Australia is anti-woman in a number of ways. For example, sex-selective abortion is legal in Australia. That means if you discover you’re having a baby girl, but you really wanted a boy, there is nothing stopping you seeking a ‘termination’ of a living, human, pre-born baby for no other reason than sex.

This is not hypothetical. …”

– Read (and, if you wish, take action using the links) at the Cathedral website.

The Remarkable Story of Ayaan Hirsi Ali

A recommendation from AP, the Australian Presbyterian journal –

“If you’ve never heard the story of how Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim from Somalia and subsequently outspoken atheist who then became a Christian, then you’re in for a treat. Focus on the Family has recently published a short fourteen minute summary of her conversion. …”

– Read here.

The Most Neglected Element of Church?

From Tim Challies –

“There are some elements of public worship that receive a great deal of attention. These elements are taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be. In most churches, this includes the music, of course, and often the preaching. … But either way, some elements receive the lion’s share of attention.

What elements often do not receive nearly as much attention? What elements are often not taught, practiced, rehearsed, and perfected until they are as good as they can be? …”

– Read it all here.

Related:

Wonderful help for reading the Bible in public.

Marriages in Mission

From Phillip Jensen –

“A mission church has many basic Christian morality issues to resolve.

The old culture, not built on the gospel, will have practices inconsistent with the gospel. But as with most cultures, these practices are assumed rather than thought out. The gospel revolutionises all cultures, and Paul the Apostle is dealing with the marriage cultures of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 7.

This episode of Two Ways News is a difficult unravelling of Paul’s advice on several complex issues.”

– Listen to Peter and Phillip Jensen discuss – at Two Ways News.

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