Freedom for Faith conference 2025

A reminder from Associate Professor Neil Foster with a reminder of the upcoming conference –

“Freedom for Faith is holding its annual conference on religious freedom and the law on September 27th, and is offering a student ticket discount. There is a great line-up of speakers- do come along!

The conference will be held on Saturday September 27th, 10am-3:30pm, at Village Church Annandale (Sydney) and the Student price: is $45.

Speakers include Prof Patrick Parkinson and Ass Prof Alex Deagon – both of whom will be launching books – as well as Monica Doumit, the head of public affairs for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

There will also be a conversation between Julian Leeser MP, the Federal Liberal Member for Berowra and Shadow Attorney General, and Dr Hugh McDermott, the NSW Labor Member for Prospect and Parliamentary Secretary (Assistant Minister) to the NSW Attorney General. …”

– Details here.

Are You Willing to Walk for the Unborn?

“I often talk to people who question why it took the Christian church so long to abolish slavery. They then quickly add that if they had been alive back then, then they would have definitely stood up and said something.

But I often wonder whether they really would …”

– Mark Powell shares details of the next Love Sydney Walk for Life – at AP, the online Presbyterian journal.

Rwanda Centenary Celebration

“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We give thanks to God with the people of Rwanda as they mark a momentous milestone: the centenary of gospel proclamation in the Anglican Church of Rwanda.

For one hundred years, the good news of Jesus Christ has been faithfully preached in Rwanda, taking deep root in its communities, transforming countless lives, and shaping the spiritual foundation of an entire nation.

An event to mark this centenary was held last week in Gahini, Rwanda, as we gathered with over 10,000 people on the same hill where the East African Revival began. …”

– Gafcon General Secretary Bishop Paul Donison writes at the Gafcon website.

Double Vision

“What should we be asking God to do in Australia over the next ten-to-twenty years?

A few weeks back TGCA got together about forty people to give the better part of a day to thinking and praying about that question. We asked what, if anything, we might be able to achieve by working together that would not be possible apart. It was a stimulating day and the ideas that have begun to emerge are, I believe, exciting.

I want to share one of them with you here. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Rory Shiner shares an ‘ambitious but modest’ idea which emerged from the meeting.

Wales: Will they learn?

Commentary from Anglican Futures –

“ ‘Every failure teaches a man something, if he will learn.’ So, says Charles Dicken’s character, Daniel Doyce.

The Church in Wales has been beset by problems for many years.

In 2008, the Bishop of St David’s stepped down after leaving his wife amid speculation about ‘a scandalous’ relationship with a married member of his staff.

In 2021, after the Rt Revd Richard Pain resigned, an Independent Review into the Diocese of Monmouth found, ‘a culture of entitlement’ and that several witnesses commented on,‘[T]he prevalence of swearing and an excessive intake of alcohol among bishops and senior clergy.’

In 2022 …”

– Read it all at Anglican Futures.

Archival image from The Church in Wales website.

Book now for the ACL Synod Dinner on Monday 15th September

The Anglican Church League invites all members of Sydney Synod to the 2025 ACL Synod Dinner. (Pre-booking essential.)

Hear our panel of guests speak on Hope from the Coal Face.

The Rev Canon Bruce Morrison has been the Senior Minister at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Parramatta for over twenty years.

The Rev Jason McPhail is the Assistant Minister at St John’s, Keiraville International Church.

Mrs Wendy Potts is the Anglicare Sydney Learning Consultant – Evangelism.

Jason McPhail and Wendy Potts contributed to the recent Hope for the Illawarra Mission.

Dinner bookings are absolutely essential as space is limited.

Synod members: Please feel free to invite other members of Synod to sign up for the dinner too! All are welcome, members and non-members.

Please book by Wednesday 10 September by pre-paying $34 via PayPal or Credit Card:

 

See also

The Synod Survival Guide – by Dr. Robert Tong.

Gafcon Theological Educators Network meeting

Prayer update from Gafcon (published on Thursday):

“We give thanks for today’s gathering of international theological leaders at Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia, under the leadership of The Revd Canon Dr Bill Salier, coordinator of the Gafcon Theological Educators Network.

The event gathered theological leaders from across the globe, including The Rt Revd Canon Dr Ashley Null (Bishop of North Africa, Wittenberg Center for Reformation Studies), Dr Jake Griesel (George Whitefield College, South Africa), The Revd Canon Dr Mark Thompson and The Revd Dr Mark Earngey (Moore Theological College), The Revd David Clancey (Bishopdale Theological College, New Zealand) and The Revd Peter Blair (London School of Theology), as well as other key members of the Anglican academic world.

Pray that the Lord will bring great fruit from the discussion about the importance of Reformation studies for the good of the Gafcon movement, as together we seek to guard God’s gospel by growing orthodox leaders through the strengthening of seminaries across the world.”

– Source: Gafcon. And a reminder to pray for and support clear, faithful theological education throughout the Anglican Communion.

GSFA Centenary Greeting to Angola

As the Anglican Church in Angola gives thanks on its centenary, Archbishop Dr Justin Badi sends greetings from the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches –

“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ in the Anglican Church in Angola

Grace and peace to you as you celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Anglican Church in Angola. On behalf of the Primates of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA), we assure you of our prayers on this historic day. …”

– Read his message here.

Donison Down Under Tour — November 2025

A prayer point from Gafcon –

“We pray for the upcoming November visit to Australia and New Zealand by our General Secretary, The Rt Revd Paul Donison, as he presents the ‘Gafcon Global Vision’ events, and visits key leaders in the two countries.

Bishop Paul will be speaking at free evening events this November in Melbourne (Tuesday 18th), Hobart (Wednesday 19th), Perth (Thursday 20th), Adelaide (Friday 21st), Sydney (Wednesday 26th), Brisbane (Friday 28th), and Christchurch (Saturday 29th).

Pray that this two-week visit will energise and inspire Aussies and Kiwis as they hear important updates about our movement, and that it will help grow their Gafcon Global Vision as they hear of the many opportunities to partner with brothers and sisters around the world in generous fellowship.”

– Prayer point and photo: Gafcon. Might be good to pop in your calendar.

More prayer points and stories from Gafcon here.

Is 5% Enough?

“There seems to be a change in the cultural atmosphere in much of the West.  It may be that people are more open to the Gospel.  The question is, how should we take advantage of that?  How do we use this cultural moment to bring the gospel to those who are lost?  We always need to humbly remember that ‘many are the plans in the heart of a man, but it is the Lord’s purpose that stands’ (Proverbs 19:21).

This year’s General Assembly of the NSW Presbyterians accepted a motion I put forward to reflect on how we do evangelism.  The Assembly ask the Mission Committee to evaluate the status of evangelism within the Presbyterian church of NSW and to report back to the 2026 GA with recommendations which will help the whole church work together to bring the Gospel to all the people of NSW.

The Assembly also heard a call for the Presbyterian church to double in 20 years.  Providentially the Gospel Coalition recently held a summit where the same doubling in 20 years was agreed.  They declared that this could be done by seeing 5% conversion growth in each church over a period of 20 years.

The Pastor’s Heart, a fascinating and helpful podcast presented by Dominic Steele, has recently had three podcasts focusing on this numerical target …”

– At AP, the online Presbyterian journal, David Robertson reckons we should ‘go for glory’.

The Church in Wales departs from biblical teaching and orthodox fellowship — Diocese of Sydney statement

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has released this statement on behalf of the Diocese of Sydney —

The election of the Rt Rev Cherry Vann, a person in a same sex civil partnership, as Archbishop of Wales is a grievous departure from the teaching of the Bible, inconsistent with the understanding of marriage as expressed in the formularies of the Anglican Church, and a tragic rejection of the words of Jesus.

At a time when the See of Canterbury remains vacant, and the Church of England proceeds to develop liturgical recognition of same sex unions, this appointment adds to the increasingly irreconcilable divisions between the majority of the Anglican Communion who hold to the authority and primacy of Scripture in matters of life and faith and those churches that have departed from the teaching of Christ.

In the face of the failure of those who should be witnesses and keepers of Scripture, we give thanks for faithful Anglicans in Wales who hold to ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’ and contend for the gospel within the Church of Wales.

There is, however, a growing number whose consciences prevent them from remaining in a denomination in which the leadership has so clearly departed from the scriptures. For them, we commend the fellowship of the Anglican Network in Europe, under the pastoral care of Bishop Andy Lines.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
4 August 2025

— Media release via SydneyAnglicans.net.

Related:

Anglican Network in Europe.

“Church of England’s treatment of Bernard Randall is evil”

“The Church of England’s treatment of former school chaplain, Rev Dr Bernard Randall, deserves to be described as evil.

The Christian Legal Centre is rightly calling for Dr Randall to be restored to ministry after statutory authorities found that he did not pose a safeguarding risk. …”

– Julian Mann writes at Christian Today.

Earlier posts.

Photo: Christian Concern.

GSFA Statement on the Election of the Rt Rev Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales

From the GSFA:

Before The Episcopal Church of the United States went ahead with the consecration of Gene Robinson, who was openly in a same sex relationship, as Bishop of New Hampshire, the 2003 Primates meeting in Canterbury warned that this action would “tear the fabric of the Anglican Communion at its deepest level” if it went ahead.

Despite this warning, the divisive rejection of the historic biblical and Anglican teaching on marriage and human sexuality has been allowed to continue without any effective restraint. The election of the Rt Rev Cherry Vann as the Archbishop of Wales is the latest example and we now have a Primate of the Anglican Communion who is, to quote from her address at a Pride Cymru Eucharist in August 2021, “an openly lesbian and civilly partnered bishop”.

Faithful Anglicans of the Global South will grieve that the tear in the fabric of our beloved Communion is now established at the highest level, but this will also strengthen our resolve to restore the Scriptures to their central place in our life together and build covenanted relationships through which we are able to gladly recognise one another as partners in mission and members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church of South Sudan, and
GSFA Chair.

– Source.

“Archbishop of Wales Election Shatters the Communion”

“Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Gafcon family,

Grace and peace to you from Jesus Christ, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the earth.

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you of grievous events in our beloved Anglican Communion.

The decision by the Church in Wales to elect the Rt Revd Cherry Vann as Archbishop and Primate is another painful nail in the coffin of Anglican orthodoxy. …”

– Chairman of the Gafcon Primates Council, Archbishop Dr. Laurent Mbanda, shares a pastoral letter.

Earlier:

New Archbishop of Wales elected.

Bible Society sells its main property, Hillsong the likely buyer

“An office and former warehouse tenanted by Hillsong and smaller renters in Macquarie Park in Northern Sydney has been sold by the Bible Society. It was the former Headquarters for the NSW Bible Society. …”

– John Sandeman reports on a recent sale.

Image: OpenStreetMap.

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