G26 Travel Arrangements

A Gafcon prayer request from a couple of days ago –

“Today we pray for the many complex travel arrangements being made for the G26 Conference in Abuja, Nigeria. With just weeks to go, hundreds of delegates are booking flights, applying for visas, arranging accommodation, and finalising countless logistical details. Pray for smooth itineraries, affordable fares, timely visa approvals, and protection in every stage of the journey.

We remember especially those travelling long distances from across Africa, South America, Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Pray that no financial, administrative, or unexpected obstacle would prevent those invited to attend from gathering with us.

May the Lord grant safety in transit, unity in purpose, and joy as we gather authentic Anglicans — guarding God’s gospel and generating missional resources for the glory of God.”

– The G26 Conference is planned for 3-6 March, in Abuja.

The Pastor’s Heart will be there:

“Can you please help fund our coverage of the first gathering of the GLOBAL ANGLICAN COMMUNION.

We’re planning a series of daily broadcasts from ABUJA NIGERIA for the first week in March, as the faithful bishops gather to move away from Apostasy, Colonialism and Canterbury to a faithfulness to Jesus Christ. We will be there with the full coverage.”

Bathurst Diocese newsletter Summer 2026

The Newsletter of the Diocese of Bathurst is now available on their website.

It includes this letter from Bishop Mark Calder:

“Dear friends,

For many Australians, summer is a season of gathering – time with family, perhaps a few days away by the coast, a change of pace from the year just past. And yet, we know that this year summer has been anything but restful for so many across our nation.

Some communities have been living with the fear and disruption of bushfires; others have endured the devastation of flooding. The long work of recovery has begun.

Closer to home, across our own Diocese—and particularly in the west—summer has brought a different but no less heavy burden. The lack of rain is becoming acute. Dams are drying, stock numbers are being reduced, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead weighs heavily on farmers and their families. For many, summer has been a time of anxiety, watching the skies and refreshing the weather apps, hoping for relief.

As God’s people, we are invited to bring all of this before him. Please pray that, in his mercy, God would send good, soaking, refreshing rain in the right measure. Pray too for those facing the slow grind of drought—that they would be given strength, patience and grace to keep trusting God through circumstances that often feel overwhelming.

Across our Diocese, I trust that we will commit ourselves this new year to loving and serving one another in practical and generous ways. As we draw near to God together, may we keep turning up for one another—encouraging, supporting and spurring each other on in love and good works—so that we may continue Sharing Jesus for Life.

With every blessing,

Mark

Bishop Mark Calder.”

The newsletter includes important prayer requests, notably to –

“pray for the bishop’s election board as they prepare to begin in earnest on 19 March”.

At 1:00pm on Saturday 19th September, there will be a Service at All Saints Cathedral in Bathurst for the end of Bishop Mark’s episcopacy.

Please pray for Mark in the coming months before his retirement, and pray that the Lord may lead the Bishop’s Election Board to the right man to continue the work of building up the Churches in the Diocese of Bathurst.

A additional reminder for prayer:

“Pray for our parishes without clergy – that the Lord raise up clergy to love and serve our people:

1. Bourke / Brewarrina
2. Coonamble
3. Warren
4. Cumnock
5. Trundle
6. Condobolin
7. Coonabarabran
8. Wellington
9. West Wyalong
Including these with resident lay ministers for whom we are very thankful:
10. Nyngan
11. Coolah–Dunedoo.”

– Download the Summer 2026 Newsletter here (direct link to PDF) or via this page.

Diocese of the Northern Territory Prayer Cycle for 2026

The Diocese of the Northern Territory’s Prayer Cycle for 2026 is now available on their website.

A great way to be reminded to pray for gospel ministry in the Northern Territory and around Australia.

On this page – or direct download (PDF).

Please pray for 2026 Ordinands

SydneyAnglicans.net has published a list of those to be ordained next month –

“Please pray for these candidates as they prepare for ordination on February 21, 2026 and for taking up positions at the following parishes …”

– See the list here.

World Watch List 2026

Open Doors has released their World Watch List for 2026.

North Korea is still identified as “the most dangerous country to be a Christian”, but there are many other runners-up.

Much to pray about – including the people of Iran.

See the list here.

Trauma and devastation after Philip Yancey’s adultery

From The Pastor’s Heart, the first episode of 2026 “and not the episode we had planned”:

“How should Christians react to news one of our heroes has engaged in an eight year sinful affair with a married woman?

• How should churches respond when leaders fall?

• Why do accountability structures fail?

• How do we speak of grace without minimising harm?

• What does faithfulness look like for pastors, churches and ordinary believers in moments like this?…”

– A most sobering discussion with strong exhortations at the end.
Watch or listen here.

Anglican Aid’s 2026 Prayer Diary

Anglican Aid’s Prayer Diary for 2026 is now available for download.

Tim Swan, CEO of Anglican Aid, writes,

“Our 2026 Prayer Diary includes 31 days of prayers and prayer points for a range of partners providing emergency aid and relief, ministry training, food security, clean water, education, and more.”

– Read his full letter, and download the Prayer Diary, at Anglican Aid’s website. There’s also an option to request printed copies.

No Longer The Lucky Country for Jews

Published last Friday, just two days before the attack at Bondi, this interview is disturbingly prophetic.

“Julian Leeser joins John Anderson for an assessment of the disturbing return of anti-semitism to the Australian public sphere.

Leeser sets out the historical contours of anti-semitism and why Hamas’s October 7 attacks became a catalyst for hostility on Australian soil.”

While the discussion does critique some of the political responses to anti-semitism, the video is especially useful to help us understand how people in the Jewish community are feeling – and those feelings must have been amplified greatly in the last week. Fuel for your prayers.

– Watch here.

Bondi pastoral note from the Bishop of Bathurst

Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst Mark Calder has released this pastoral note this morning, in text and on video.

“In moments like this, we are reminded of the radically upside-down nature of the Christian faith. Our leader — our King — urges us to love our enemies, not to kill them. Our Lord laid down his life for his enemies. Our Lord forgave those who drove in the nails.”

“Dear friends across Diocese,

What we’ve been hearing about has disturbed our hearts deeply.

Many of us don’t even know how to process it. I know for myself that I turned the TV off last night — not out of denial, but as an act of self-protection.

What has happened is not only tragic; it is outrageous. Anger is an appropriate response when something like this occurs on our shores — reflecting ancient conflicts between peoples whose origins are far away from here. We don’t want this here. We don’t want it anywhere, of course. And yet we find ourselves asking: why bring it here? Don’t people come to Australia to escape such things?

In moments like this, we are reminded of the radically upside-down nature of the Christian faith. Our leader — our King — urges us to love our enemies, not to kill them.

Our Lord laid down his life for his enemies.

Our Lord forgave those who drove in the nails.

And our Lord will one day return to bring justice, and his righteous rule will last forever.

This is what Advent is about. It is designed to lift our eyes from the muck of this world to the coming — the Advent — of our King, who will right all wrongs and rid the world of evil and death. Come, Lord Jesus.

But what are we meant to do about this today?

Teachers and children still have to get up and go to school. Retailers will open their stores. Accountants will pore over the books. Farmers will be out and about — some still finishing harvest.

Life goes on, even when our hearts are heavy.

The only way we can deal with this is:

• to cast all our cares on him who cares for us

• to admit that there is much in this world we will never understand

• to turn to the Lord who is close to the broken-hearted, who saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34)

• and to pray.

We pray for those being treated in hospital — for healing and comfort.

We pray for the families of those who have died — for comfort in their distress.

We pray for the many witnesses to what has happened, who may be traumatised for a long time to come, and for police and paramedics who are stretched and under great strain — that they may receive the care and help they need.

We pray for members of the Jewish community, who may be living on edge — for protection, reassurance, and hope.

And yes, we pray even for the perpetrators and those who stand with them — that they may bow the knee to Jesus, who loves his enemies.

Above all, we turn our eyes to Jesus — the true light of the world — who alone can bring light into this darkness.

The message of Advent, and then of Christmas, is the message of Jesus coming to deal with evil and to bring righteousness. That is the only reason that, even in the midst of today’s darkness, we can still be people of hope and expectation.

God bless and comfort you today.

May God draw you to himself and remind you of his love.

May the Lord grant you that peace which passes understanding.

Mark Calder, Bishop.”

A nation in shock

“Just minutes before, they had prayed for the Jewish community at the start of Chanukah, then, as the congregation of Bondi Anglican Church was leaving, they heard shots ringing out at the beach nearby.

‘A whole crowd of people ran past our church building which goes down to the beach, very close to where the violence occurred,’ said Bondi’s senior minister Martin Morgan. ‘So as we were leaving the church we saw people running past and we came back into the church building. Two or three of our church members who are in the crowd saw what had happened.’ …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has this report and video from Martin Morgan, Rector of the parish of Bondi.

ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood case to proceed to Trial

“Archbishop Steve Wood of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is to be tried in a church court according to a memorandum directed to members of the denomination today.

Wood faces a formal complaint submitted by ACNA clergy and laity alleging bullying of staff, misuse of funds, and two separate allegations of inappropriate advances brought by a former children’s ministry director and an anonymous complainant. …”

– Jeffrey Walton at Juicy Ecumenism reports on the latest developments in ACNA.

Introducing James — The impact of theological education

From Phillip Jensen:

“Next year at Two Ways News, we are expanding our regular team of Peter and Phillip Jensen by adding James Chen.

James has just finished Moore College and has been ordained to minister at St Andrew’s and St Paul’s in Wahroonga, and we hope to have him as a regular member of our team.

So this episode introduces James to our podcast family with a fascinating description of his life story.”

– Listen here.

 

New appointments in the Diocese of Bathurst

Wonderful news from Bishop Mark Calder in Bathurst –

“I am writing with great thanksgiving to God to share several significant developments in ministry across our Diocese. These appointments represent a remarkable time of God’s provision, and I hope you will join me in praising him for the way he is raising up gospel workers for the diocese. …

These appointments represent truly extraordinary answers to prayer. In a short space of time, the Lord has provided gifted women and men for ministry across the Diocese—people eager to serve, care for his people, strengthen local churches and share Jesus for life.”

– Do read the details here – and please continue to uphold the churches of the Diocese of Bathurst in your prayers.

A Prayer for Australia

“You may have heard around the place talk of ‘doubling the number’ of gospel-centred Christians in Australia, or the idea of praying for and working toward an annual ‘five percent conversion growth’ goal. It’s showing up all over the place.

In June of 2025 TGCA gathered a group of Christian leaders to pray and work on what we might do together. We prayed, heard a bunch of papers, discussed and debated various proposals.

Following on from that day, a small group worked on refining the statement, and the Council returned to it for a final endorsement. Here’s what we came up with:

We acknowledge God works out all things according to the counsel of his will and in his mercy saves his people through the faithful preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the glory of God, as a movement of Reformed evangelicals in Australia, we commit to pray for and work toward a doubling (at least) of the number of gospel-centred Christians in our country over the next fifteen years.

We will pray for and work toward:

I find it in turn exciting, daunting, galvanising, and inspiring. I hope you do too. I trust a little commentary will be helpful. …”

– Rory Shiner, Chair of the TGC Australia Council, writes to encourage us to to fall to prayer.

Latest ministry opportunities in the Diocese of Bathurst

From the Diocese of Bathurst:

“Precious opportunities await! Please pray for the 12/28 of our parishes without clergy (down from 14!!)

1. Condobolin
2. Trundle
3. Warren
4. Bourke-Brewarrina
5. Coonamble
6. West Wyalong (locum here until Easter)
7. Wellington (locum here)
8. Coonabarabran
9. Cumnock
10. Blayney (from April 2026)

Currently we have amazing lay people in the following parishes, but would also welcome enquiries for clergy to serve part time in:

11. Coolah-Dunedoo
12. Nyngan.”

– Via the diocesan Facebook page.

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