What they’re saying about Moore College
Here are four brief videos, with clips from Gerald Bray, Michael Horton and Kevin Vanhoozer, sharing their impressions of Moore College.
Especially useful to pass on to anyone considering studying at Moore.
Another three videos below:
Wedding venue owners fined for declining same sex wedding
“In the latest in what seems like a long series of religious freedom cases involving Christian small business owners in the ‘wedding industry’, a New York couple, the Giffords, have been fined $13,000 for declining to make their venue available for a same sex wedding ceremony, and a New York State appeal court has now upheld the verdict…”
– in his latest post at Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster (Associate Professor in Law, Newcastle Law School) looks at a ‘religious freedom’ case in the USA, and similar cases in Australia.
A Response to the Primates Gathering 2016 Statement — Canon Phil Ashey
The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey:
“I am writing from Canterbury, England, where the staff of the American Anglican Council has been on site assisting Archbishop Foley Beach and the GAFCON Primates in their witness at the Primates gathering this week. There is a saying about the fog of war: when it descends, there is often confusion and disorientation in the midst of the fight. Here, it would certainly be fair to say that situations changed on a daily, if not hourly basis. In the fog of war, rarely are battles decisive. More often, they turn out to be one step among many in a long and costly road to victory. Read more
‘On the Death of the Anglican Communion’
“My prediction about the sun setting on the breakup of the Anglican Communion is coming true, even as I write before the final session of the primates gathered at Canterbury.
Enough has leaked from the gathering to be able to form a picture of what went on. The Archbishop of Canterbury and his staff had tried to direct the progress of the group’s deliberations by resorting to a standby from ++Justin Welby’s corporate days: the RAND-developed group facilitation mechanism known as the ‘Delphi Technique’…”
– The Anglican Curmudgeon, A. S. Haley, gives his take on the washup of the gathering in Canterbury. (There is one more day of meetings scheduled, with a press conference scheduled for 1500BST Friday / 0200AEDT Saturday).
The days ahead will give some clarity, however the Statement issued this morning by GAFCON Chairman Eliud Wabukala and General Secretary Peter Jensen is worth re-reading.
Getting to know the new Dean of Sydney
Kanishka Raffel has now begun as the Dean of Sydney – he will be installed as Dean on Thursday 4th February, at 7:00pm.
David Ould took the opportunity to speak with Kanishka at last week’s CMS Summer School at Katoomba (at which Kanishka spoke).
Topics in the conversation include:
- Leading mission and church growth in Perth
- Thoughts about leading mission as Dean of Sydney
- Preaching Acts
- Welcoming immigrants
- Challenges for Western Christianity
- His background in Buddhism, Sri Lankan family, and his conversion to Christ.
Please be encouraged to pray for Kanishka in his new role.
Also, Kanishka will be speaking at Nexus 16 on Monday 23rd May at Village Church Annandale.
Do we need to Contextualise our Preaching?
Do we need to Contextualise our Preaching?
In the latest Preaching Matters video from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, William Taylor addresses that question.
He argues that we need better communication, rather than contextualisation, because the gospel is relevant in every culture and context. Very helpful, as always.
There’s a great quote from Broughton Knox’s book “Everlasting God”.
J. I. Packer’s rare Puritan library digitised and available online
In one of the sad attempts to deal with faithful, Bible-believing clergy, in 2008, the then Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster issued a ‘notice of presumption of abandonment of the exercise of ministry’ to Dr J.I. Packer, and others.
As well as being a much-loved and respected theologian and preacher, Dr. Packer is a foremost Puritan historian.
“The John Richard Allison Library in Vancouver—which hosts the joint collections of Regent College and Carey Theological College—has now made available their entire rare Puritan collection to be read online for free. What a gift of modern technology to help us recover these gifts from the church of the past.
There are currently 80 Puritan authors in their collection, many of whose works were digitized from J. I. Packer’s private library.”
– Justin Taylor at the Gospel Coalition has a list of the titles and links to the digitised versions.
‘Day 2 – The facade begins to crumble’
“As we reported yesterday, all the GAFCON and some Global South (GS) Primates declined to attend Communion in the morning.
We have little details of discussions during the day but the most dramatic moment was evensong at 5.30pm when it very quickly became apparent that a large number of Primates were missing, not even attending as they had done on Monday…”
– At StandFirm, David Ould has some reports on the Primates’ meeting, Day 2. Please be very much in prayer for all involved.
“Dear Prayer Supporters,
The discussions at Canterbury are at a crucial stage and we know that God is sovereign, hence we ask you to pray with us:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
We turn once more to you in faith,
Interceding for the Primates of the Anglican Communion as they meet in Canterbury.
Please use their endeavors to hallow your great name;
May your kingdom come;
May your will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Uphold your word in the church we pray, so guiding us to live godly and obedient lives, not compromising with this world, but holding forth the gospel of salvation without fear,
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AmenYours in Christ Service
Peter Jensen
GAFCON General Secretary.”
Update: Evening of Day 3 (Wednesday), UK time.
(Photo: Canterbury Cathedral via Primates2016.)
Prohibiting offensive Sermons
“A recent decision in Northern Ireland, where an evangelical preacher was acquitted after being criminally charged in relation to a sermon attacking Islam, raises a number of important issues about free speech in a religious setting…”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster takes a close look at what the UK case was – and wasn’t – about, as well as asking how free speech and freedom of religion might be protected here in Australia.
Prayer for the Primates’ Gathering
A good prayer to pray –
“Almighty God
to whom all will someday give an account;instil, we pray,
within the hearts of all Primates of the Anglican Communion,
a holy fear
that they may love you and your Word
more than the approval of men;this we ask through our only Mediator and Head of the Church,
Jesus Christ,
who evermore lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit.Amen.”
– from GAFCON.
‘The spinning has started against orthodox Anglican archbishops’
“…there is a danger that if the Archbishop of Canterbury’s meeting of global Anglican archbishops next week goes south, orthodox leaders could find themselves on the end of some New Labour-style spinning.
It appears to have already started…”
– The Rev. Julian Mann writes at The Conservative Woman. Let’s hope this is not so. Thanks to Anglican Mainstream for the link.
Possibly related: What can we learn from Jesus’s hospitality? – on the Primates 2016 website. (Logo courtesy of the Anglican Communion Office.)
Remembering John Reid
Phillip Jensen, former Dean of Sydney, writes to give thanks for Bishop John Reid, “a great man of God who faithfully and lovingly stood for the truth of the Gospel”.
Here’s a taste –
- “He consistently upheld the great truths of the gospel, always graciously pointing to the Saviour by expounding God’s word. He was committed to the truths expounded in the Reformation, while diplomatically developing relationships with those who did not share them.
- He was his own man, (or rather Christ’s man) but he was a great admirer of John Stott and Marcus Loane, and ministered with the same kind of intelligent care in the use of words as those two giants.
- He was humble, generous and hospitable – always the first to wash up or put people at their ease. He never played the Bishop card, as if he were something special and above the ordinary.”
(Bishop Reid’s funeral will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, at 10:00am on Thursday 14th January.)
Seven reasons not to gamble
“Managers don’t gamble with their Master’s money. All you have belongs to God. All of it. Faithful trustees may not gamble with a trust fund. They have no right.”
– at Desiring God, John Piper gives seven reasons Christians shouldn’t play the lotteries.
His reasons apply just as well to other forms of gambling – and to Australian Christians every bit as much as to our American friends.
See also:
“Buried in last week’s national accounts was the startling statistic that Australian punters bet a record $6.5 billion in the September quarter, equating to $1000 a year for every Australian.”
– Sydney Morning Herald, 07 December 2015.
“Looks like Australia is the gambling capital of the world, again.”
– Business Spectator, 07 February 2014.
Must Canterbury Fall?
“The current power struggle is about redefining and recasting the faith of the historic Anglican Communion. …
The Episcopal Church has tried to occupy that centre of influence in order to shape the communion according to its vision of the Christian faith, untethered from the authority of scripture. Canterbury under the previous leadership allowed TEC space and even support with its Communion Changing agenda.”
– With the Primates’ meeting just days away, Vinay Samuel and Chris Sugden write this opinion piece (also published at Anglican Mainstream) in The Church of England Newspaper. They appear to take a more optimistic view of Canterbury than many. Time will tell.
Why GAFCON truly matters
“We are now walking in a new spiritual darkness. The churches are ill-prepared. But God is thoroughly prepared; he is not at a loss. There is nothing to fear; but we need to work out what new tactics are required for this new context. Without doubt, we will walk by faith; but what does this mean?”
– GAFCON General Secretary Peter Jensen writes an encouraging reminder of why we need GAFCON.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…