Anglican Heroes: Thomas Cranmer — Church Society podcast
From Church Society:
“In the first of a new miniseries on the podcast, Lee Gatiss talks to Ros Clarke about Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, his life, work and legacy for the Church of England today.”
Learn about Cranmer’s aim to reform the Church, and how his ideas and methods are very relevant to us today.
– Listen here.
Portrait of Thomas Cranmer by Gerlach Flicke.
Related: Dr. Ashley Null on Thomas Cranmer – from an interview with ACL News in 2001.
‘Not so fast my friend’ – 1700 years since Nicaea – with Rachel Ciano and Leonardo De Chirico
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“It is 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea and the publication of the Nicene Creed – but what are we to make of it?
It was the twentieth of May in the year 325 that the Council of Nicaea first met. Pope Francis said ‘The Nicene Creed is a powerful sign of unity among Christians.’
The 17 hundredth anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is being used by the Roman Catholic Church to push the idea that ‘All Christians are Nicene Christians.’
However the difficulty is that while we say the same words, Roman Catholics and Protestants mean vastly different things, and any unity is a fake unity at best.
Leonardo De Chirico is pastor of the Church Brecha di Roma and director of the Reformanda Initiative.
Rachel Ciano lectures in Christianity and History at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. She is a faculty member at the Rome Scholars and Leaders Network, hosted by The Reformanda Initiative.”
Related:
The Nicene Creed – The nature of Christian unity and the meaning of gospel words – Edited by Mark Gilbert and Leonardo De Chirico. Matthias Media.
“The Diversity of Religions is the Will of God”. A Window into Pope Francis’s Theology of Religions – Leonardo De Chirico at Vatican Files.
Albert Mohler on the new Pope
In his The Briefing broadcast of 09 May 2025, Dr Albert shares his thoughts on the new Pope and what his election might mean for the Roman Catholic Church.
– Listen here.
See also:
9 Things You Should Know About Pope Leo XIV – How Carter at The Gospel Coalition.
The Woman Who Saved Capitol Hill Baptist Church
“In 1944 America was in the throes of an existential crisis. With World War II still raging, the nation’s future felt uncertain. But amid the global turmoil, another crisis – less dramatic but no less significant – was unfolding in a church just a mile from the US Capitol.
After forty-one years as pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church (later renamed Capitol Hill Baptist Church), Dr. John Compton Ball had finally decided to retire. …”
– Crossway has published this excerpt from Caleb Morell’s book, A Light on the Hill: The Surprising Story of How a Local Church in the Nation’s Capital Influenced Evangelicalism.
(The book was reviewed by Tim Challies last month.)
Photo: The U.S. Capitol in Washington.
From Obscurity to Influence: The Legacy of A. W. Pink
“Few figures in modern Reformed history are as paradoxical – or as vital – as Arthur W. Pink. During his lifetime (1886–1952), Pink lived largely in obscurity, often isolated and out of step with the ecclesiastical landscape of his day. Yet after his death, his writings sparked a widespread retrieval of historic Calvinism across the English-speaking world. His works, particularly The Sovereignty of God, still nourish those who hunger for robust, God-centred theology.
One hundred years ago this year, in 1925, Pink arrived in Australia, pastoring briefly in Sydney before retreating into the quieter, itinerant years of his life. His sojourn here, though short, lasting only three years, reminds us that his theological voice was already crossing continents long before it found wider acclaim.
Pink’s theological influence is hard to overstate. …”
– At AP, the Presbyterian journal, Brett Lee-Price has this reminder of A. W. Pink.
Photo via The Banner of Truth.
Remembering Anzac Day — What is it we’re remembering?
From Phillip Jensen:
“For Australians, Anzac Day is the great national day. But what is it we’re remembering? And should we celebrate Anzac Day? In particular, should Christians be remembering or celebrating a military battle of the First World War? Does Anzac Day glorify war? Is it an alternative religion for Australians?
I hope you will enjoy our discussion as Peter and I try and grapple with the history and purpose of Anzac Day observances.”
– Listen to the latest Two Ways News podcast with Peter and Phillip Jensen.
A hymn for Easter Day 1775
Two hundred and fifty years ago, John Newton wrote this hymn for Easter Day 1775 –
Glorious things of thee are spoken – See the details at JohnNewton.org.
For more, see this article by Marylynn Rouse, CEO of The John Newton Project:
“The River Ouse meanders peacefully behind the church of St Peter and St Paul in Olney, Buckinghamshire. It bids a pleasant walk along its river banks as swans glide gracefully by while a watchful heron keeps an eye on a troop of Canada geese on the opposite side of the bank. This tranquil scene was the refuge of the local minister, newly ordained, who fled there in a state of panic.
Before coming to Olney the Reverend John Newton had published six sermons. He had just preached from the last one! A friend explained many years later, ‘he thought he had told them his whole stock, and was considerably depressed.’
Newton himself recalled: ‘I was walking one afternoon by the side of the River Ouse. I asked myself, How long has this river run? Many hundred years before I was born, and will certainly run many years after I am gone. Who supplies the fountain from whence this river comes? God. Is not the fund for my sermons equally inexhaustible?—the word of God. Yes, surely. I have never been afraid of running out since that time.’…”
– Published at Evangelicals Now (requires a free subscription).
Images with thanks to Marylynn Rouse.
Theology in the Margins – Donald Robinson Library Lecture with Mark Earngey
A fascinating and fun Donald Robinson Library Lecture from Moore College a few weeks ago:
“In Theology in the Margins, Mark Earngey, Head of Church History, will be considering how the notes and drawings in the margins of the personal Bibles of the English Reformers can encourage us today to grow our understanding and outworking of God’s word.
Archbishop Thomas Cranmer’s prayer for the second Sunday in Advent asks God to help us read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the holy Scriptures.
Christians today may be familiar with reading the Bible and learning from God’s Word. But what was the significance of physically marking God’s Word?
This lecture will illuminate how and why some of the English Reformers engaged with their own personal Bibles and will draw some conclusions for modern readers of the Bible who may want to learn from the models provided by our sixteenth-century forebears.”
“We can have confidence as we read these accounts” — Easter message from Tyndale House
Peter Williams, Principal of Tyndale House in Cambridge, shares this Easter message.
Giving thanks for Campus Bible Study — 50 years on
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Today we review the 50 year impact of The University of New South Wales’ Campus Bible Study on Christian ministries across Australia and around the world – in raising up gospel workers, sending missionaries, planting churches and in Christian publishing.
Former Anglican Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen led the ministry for thirty years till 2005. Since then Paul Grimmond and Carl Matthei have been senior chaplains.
Alan Stewart started studying at the University of New South Wales just two years after Phillip Jensen arrived as Anglican Chaplain. Alan was saved by Jesus in 1979 and went on to assist in the ministry, before becoming CEO of Anglican Youthworks, Bishop of Wollongong, head of Church Planting for Sydney Anglicans and then national director of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
Tony Payne and Tracey Gowing started as undergraduates a few years after Alan. Tony went on to run the influential Christian publishing house Matthias Media, while Tracey led the Christian ministry at Cumberland College Christian Group before returning to UNSW as a senior staff member at Campus Bible Study.”
100 Ministry stories — Peter Jensen interviews Lloyd Bennett
From Moore Theological College:
“Former Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, sits down with Lloyd Bennett – pastor, chaplain, and Moore College graduate.
Lloyd shares how he came to know Christ, his journey into ministry, and the ways God used his time at Moore to shape a lifetime of faithful service. From classrooms to chaplaincy, his story is one of God’s grace and guidance every step of the way.”
– This is a most encouraging interview. Watch or listen here.
Peter Williams on eighty years of Tyndale House
In the latest Tyndale House podcast, Principal Peter Williams speaks about the origins of Tyndale House in Cambridge, founded 80 years ago, in 1945.
Along the way, he mentions many people with whom our readers will be familiar.
“Dr Peter J. Williams, Principal of Tyndale House, walks us through the history of Tyndale House. Starting with the initial conversations about creating an institution for evangelical biblical scholarship that took place in the late 1930s, through to the new library building project starting in 2025.”
An encouraging and illuminating 33 minutes.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
In 2013, Phillip Jensen wrote about “St. Patrick – The Irish Evangelical” –
“St Patrick’s Day is a Saint’s day. There is nothing wrong with celebrating saint’s days, though there is nothing particularly right either. As our Apostle says: ‘One man esteems one day as better than another while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind’ (Romans 14:5). …
Legendary stories make it hard to know the truth about early saints. …
However, the problems of saints and saint’s days should not stand in the way of remembering, with gratitude, those whom God has used in the past to spread the gospel and contribute to the welfare of the world.”
Exploring and Celebrating the Nicene Creed
“This year is the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, which is an important part of our liturgy for a number of our services, in particular for the Eucharist. We encourage you to mark this year by devoting some time to focussing on the creed, both personally and as a congregation. …”
– The Ministry Development Committee of the Diocese of Ballarat is seeking to help church members think about what they mean when they say the Nicene Creed on Sundays.
Related:
Credo Magazine feature: 1700 Years after Nicaea. – January 2025.
Ten archaeological facts to increase confidence in the Old Testament — Hans Kristensen
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“There are claims – and you hear them every so often – that archeology has disproved this story or that in the Bible, and claims from this or that scholar of particularly late dating of different bible books.
How do we as evangelical pastors react/respond/answer those claims?
Hans Kristensen is senior pastor of Marsfield Community Church in Sydney and is studying archaeology.
He suggests that there are 10 major archaeological finds that help us to increase our confidence in the Old Testament…”
– Fascinating. Watch or listen here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…