A breakdown of the Australian National Church Life survey – with Peter Mayrick and Ruth Powell
From The Pastor’s Heart:
“Sunday Church attendance across Australia is down, but decline has slowed.
The Australian National Church Life Survey results are out. Worryingly the key newcomer indicator has dropped to 5.7%.
While evangelism is down, engagement in church based service groups is up. Mid week small groups are up.
We take a hard look under the bonnet of the top level results.
Ruth Powell is National Director for the National Church Life Survey.
Peter Mayrick is with Partners in Ministry and the Center for Ministry Development at Sydney’s Moore Theological College and is a board member of the National Church Life Survey.”
Marcus Loane on The English Reformation
In 1954, Marcus Loane – later Archbishop of Sydney and Sir Marcus – published his landmark “Masters of The English Reformation”.
It was republished in 2005 by Banner of Truth. If you haven’t read it, you ought to. (Availability.)
Here’s the Introduction —
“It was Martin Luther who declared that the doctrine of Justification by Faith Only is the article of a standing or falling church. The recovery of this doctrine was the key to the Reformation in Europe. It was the corollary of the translation of the Bible into the language of everyday life and its circulation in the homes and hands of ordinary people. These two momentous factors were to penetrate the Realm of England during the reign of Henry VIII and will forever be associated in a special sense with the names of Thomas Bilney and William Tyndale. These two, and many others as well, were to die at the stake as a result of their unswerving loyalty to the doctrines of Grace as made known in the Word of God. Nor did they die in vain. The supreme authority of Holy Scripture in all matters of faith and conduct was written into the sixth of the Articles of Religion; and the doctrine of Justification by Faith Only was summed up in unforgettable language in the Eleventh Article. Those two “Articles of the Christian Faith” are the bedrock on whIch the history of the Church of England since the Reformation must stand or fall.
But the pivot of the Reformation in England during the reign of Edward VI was the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. Ridley’s discovery of the work of Ratramnus led him to reject the doctrine of Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass as totally foreign to the teaching of the New Testament. Ridley was able to convince Cranmer that Ratramnus was right; they came to believe that the bread and wine are “the pledges” of God’s redeeming love and that the presence of the Lord Jesus is not to be found in an earthly altar, but in the hearts of those who feed on Him by faith with thanksgiving. Ridley was to expound this doctrine with clarity and dignity in his Treatise on the Lord’s Supper, and Cranmer was to defend it with great learning in his controversy with Gardiner. This was the doctrine enshrined in the Source of the Holy Communion in the Book of Common Prayer in 1552.
When Queen Mary came to the throne, Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer were the outstanding Reformers who were thrown into prison. In all the debates which ensued, in their trial and condemnation for heresy, and in the sentence of death which consigned them to death by fire, the one basic issue was their doctrine of the Lord’s Supper as opposed to the dogmas of the church with regard to Transubstantiation and the Mass. If the Church were right and they were wrong, they were not only condemned to a terrible form of death as heretics but were doomed to a lost eternity. Their real greatness was seen in the fact that they dared to stand by their convictions, formed as a result of intensive study of the Scriptures, and to die at the stake rather than yield to the pressures that were brought to bear on mind and feeling. And the candle they lit is one which by the grace of God will never go out.
What happened more than four hundred years ago is still vitally relevant. The integrity and authority of the Bible have been under constant assault from many quarters and it is no longer the one Book in the homes and hands of all. Many people today think that a good life, a good name, and a good reputation will somehow make them acceptable to God. And the reformed doctrine of the Lord’s Supper has been obscured by an emphasis on the Real Presence which approximates more and more towards medieval teaching and practice. Let Bilney and Tyndale speak again; let Latimer and Ridley and Cranmer be heard afresh. They witnessed “a good confession” for their heavenly Master and sealed it with their lives.
May this book renew the impact of their life and death on another generation “in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” [1 Cor. 6:11].”
Photo: Ramon Williams. (This is a repost from 2014 in remembrance of the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer on 21 March 1556.)
Ashley Null on Thomas Cranmer
In 2001 we spoke with Dr Ashley Null about Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, and primary author of the Book of Common Prayer.
“Thomas Cranmer was born in 1489 and baptised into the medieval catholic church. He studied at Cambridge, receiving a Doctorate of Divinity in 1526, and served there as a don.
As a theologian, Cranmer was very much influenced by Erasmus’ emphasis on going back to the original sources for the Christian faith, in particular, of course, the Bible.
In the late 1520s, the authority of Scripture was at the centre of the most pressing English political issue of the day – Henry VIII’s divorce case. …”
– In this interview Dr. Null speaks about why it is important for Anglicans to know about Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.
Reformation Sunday & Slogans
“Friends in Christ, this Sunday we celebrate Reformation Sunday (including Bach’s cantata 79, written for the occasion, as part of the 10:30am service).
The Reformation began as a series of protests (hence ‘Protestant’) against abuses of the mediaeval Roman Catholic Church, perhaps most notably the sale of indulgences. By the way, in this context, an indulgence is not something to do with giving into luxury, one too many chocolates or wines. Nor is it the collective noun for grandparents, as in an ‘indulgence of grandparents’!
The word had and still has a special meaning for Roman Catholics. That Church taught that God forgives believers the eternal punishment for our sins. But we must also purify ourselves from the ‘temporal punishment’ due to every sin, either in this life, or after death in Purgatory. Purification takes place through prayer, acts of charity, patiently bearing suffering, and so on – or via gaining an indulgence. …”
– At the Cathedral website, Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant explains why Reformation Sunday is worth celebrating.
Anglican Church Comes to Crossroads Over Teaching on Homosexuality — Will It Compromise in the Name of Unity?
In his The Briefing for Thursday 27 October 2022, Albert Mohler comments on what’s happening in the Anglican world. He responds to an article originating from New Zealand –
“…this takes us back to an article that also ran in the Times just a matter of a few weeks ago, and the headline tells you a lot about how the mainstream media messaged this kind of story.
The headline in the article by Pete McKenzie is this, ‘Anglican Church Delivers A Kick In The Guts To Gay Parishioners.’
… Pete McKenzie in this article, which was date-lined from Wellington in New Zealand basically is unabashed in arguing that it’s the conservative Anglicans who are holding the church back, and they are doing great harm.”
– Listen or read at AlbertMohler.com.
‘Men Have Forgotten God’: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Back in 2018, to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The National Review republished an article adapted from his 1983 Templeton Address.
Among his remarks are these words which have great relevance today –
“Within the philosophical system of Marx and Lenin, and at the heart of their psychology, hatred of God is the principal driving force, more fundamental than all their political and economic pretensions.
Militant atheism is not merely incidental or marginal to Communist policy; it is not a side effect, but the central pivot. To achieve its diabolical ends, Communism needs to control a population devoid of religious and national feeling, and this entails the destruction of faith and nationhood. …”
– Read it all.
Photo: US Library of Congress, via The National Review.
The Greater Love Declaration
From the UK:
“The Greater Love Declaration is a statement by Ministers and Pastoral Workers from across the different Christian Denominations as a statement of classic, orthodox Christian teaching on marriage, sex and identity.
In it we affirm the essential and unchangeable place of this teaching in Christian theology, its foundation in Christ’s own example of self-giving love, and our duty and commitment as ministers of the gospel to uphold, teach and proclaim it.”
– ‘The Greater Love Declaration’ was launched last week by ministers from several denominations. The website states,
“It is our hope that this will be of use to Ministers, who wish to declare their loyalty to Biblical, and historic Christian teaching; to all Christians, who wish to understand their own beliefs better; and to anyone else who wants to understand standard, orthodox Christian teaching on Marriage, Sex and Identity.”
The initiative has been commended by a range of Christian leaders.
Family Bible Reading – Interview with the Windsors
The Australian Church Record asks Bronwyn and Lionel Windsor about their family, prayer, and reading the Bible.
“To begin with, we read a children’s Bible with our baby daughter before bedtime, even though ‘reading’ meant she only wanted to find all the pages with pictures of camels.”
– Encouragement for families in all stages of life.
New 9Marks Journal – The Pastor and Church Administration
Here’s the latest issue of 9Marks Journal with a topic that’s close to most pastors!
Are There Many Ways to God? Most “Evangelicals” Say Yes.
This 3 and a half minute video from Ligonier Ministries in the US shares one key finding from the latest ‘State of Theology’ survey. (Link via Tim Challies.)
Chronics and the cross
“An older Christian once told me, ‘if you live long enough, you will suffer’. Over the years, I have seen how true this statement is and for our young family, it has been around the area of health.
As I look back, I have vivid memories of two occasions where my wife and I sat anxiously while the doctors were trying their best to deliver to us sad and life-changing news.
Having walked through such dark moments, I am now even more convinced that we need a good theology of suffering. This is especially so, given the rise of the wealth-and-health gospel, which though appealing, does not prepare Christians for the grim reality of the brokenness of life this side of heaven. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Moore College graduate Tawanda Masango writes from Zimbabwe.
Also hear his podcast from June 2020 – COVID-19, God’s Megaphone.
Photo: Gospel Coalition, Africa edition.
Persistent Prayer
“Prayer is a very special privilege for the people of God. Why don’t we pray more consistently than we do?
Come with me to the parable in Luke chapter 18, verses 1 through 9. It is about a powerful judge and a powerless widow. …”
– In his Word on Wednesday at Anglican Connection, John Mason writes to encourage us to pray.
John Howard condemns ‘disgraceful’ treatment of Andrew Thorburn
“Former prime minister John Howard has argued the treatment of Andrew Thorburn over his affiliation with the church group City on a Hill went against the ‘spirit of this country’. …”
– Interviewed on Sky News Australia, from about 10:00 into the video clip.
David Cook — Letters to the Editor
“I am a mostly frustrated letter writer to the Editor of the Australian newspaper, about 1 in 5 of my letters get published and then sometimes, with unacceptable editing!
Recently I wrote a letter in response to a column by Tony Abbott in which the former PM quoted Margaret Thatcher as saying that, ‘reality will always trump ideology’.
Abbott’s 3 examples of ideology were the virus hysteria, the emissions obsession and cultural self loathing …”
– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook reminds us how the Scriptures bring us back to reality.
Essendon-Thorburn: How to join the conversation
“What happens when a Christian’s values clash with workplace values? Andrew Thorburn decided to resign from his new job at a football club one day after starting work.
Kamal Weerakoon, a GS&C committee member, takes up the issue, provides the facts behind the Essendon Football Club-Andrew Thorburn imbroglio and offers some helpful conversation primers for you to consider.”
– Some helpful tips from the Presbyterian Church’s Gospel, Society and Culture Committee.
Photo; Christ College Sydney.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…