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.

Urgent prayer for victims of Bondi shooting

“Please join me in praying urgently for the injured and families of victims of the shooting at Bondi Beach.

Pray for the safety of the Jewish community and residents of Bondi. Pray for the police and medical teams in their work. Lord have mercy.”

– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel via X.

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.

How new laws could impact believers

“A new podcast from the Freedom for Faith group aims to keep believers informed of looming threats to religious freedom in Australia.

Freedom Matters features Bishop Michael Stead, the chairman of Freedom for Faith and diocesan spokesman on religious freedom in conversation with Monica Doumit, the director of public affairs and engagement for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and a fellow board member of Freedom for Faith. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell highlights an important new podcast.

Watch the podcast at Freedom for Faith.

Aged Care, VAD, Religious Freedom and s 109

“Should a religious aged care provider be able to operate in accordance with its religious convictions?

This issue is being debated in NSW at the moment in the context of the law allowing “voluntary assisted dying”.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022 (NSW) allows persons with a terminal illness to choose death, which can be self-administered or administered by a health professional. Many health professionals have religious convictions which mean that they find the procedures for persons to choose death morally unacceptable. They do not wish to be involved in the process.

Under the legislation there is a right for individual health professionals to conscientiously object to the procedures, and to decline to be involved: see sections 9, 21 and 32. Faith-based hospitals may also decline to be involved in VAD procedures. However, at the moment faith-based aged care facilities are obliged to allow medical practitioners onto their premises to administer VAD. …”

– Associate Professor Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia.

Related:

Contact your MP – via Freedom for Faith.

Antisemitic slurs must be rejected

Here is a media release from the Diocese of Sydney:

Antisemitic slurs must be rejected

The rally staged outside the New South Wales Parliament on Saturday has rightly drawn condemnation from across the community – particularly as it occurred on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 pogrom against Germany’s Jewish community.

The black-uniformed protestors, carrying banners with the slogan ‘Abolish the Jewish Lobby,’ were clearly intent on spreading fear and antisemitism.

Authorities must investigate whether Saturday’s neo-Nazi rally in Sydney breached laws against inciting racial hatred.

Christians are defenders of free speech. We prize the freedom to declare ‘the praises of Him who called (us) out of darkness into his wonderful light’.

This includes defending the freedom of others to disagree with us, and even to mock the truth we proclaim.

But speech that incites hatred is illegal in New South Wales.

Antisemitism has traded in lies, hate and violence for centuries. When it appears in modern day Australia it must be named, resisted and rejected.

Antisemitism—whether from the far left or far right—has no place in Australian society.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
10 November 2025.

– from SydneyAnglicans.net.

An honourable approach to dishonourable laws

“Australian Christians face increasing challenges in balancing our obligations to civil authority and God’s word. The question of when to obey God rather than government has become one of the most significant issues confronting the modern church. What the government does is one thing; how the church responds is another.

We must tread carefully, courageously, and biblically, remembering that it is in the Christian DNA to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Taking up the cross must at least include a willingness to suffer under the hand of an unjust government, laws, or abuses of those laws, as we seek the salvation and good of others and live for God’s glory. If Jesus was willing to die, we must at least be willing to go to jail. …”

– The Australian Church Record highlights this article by Andrew Barry, first published in their 2025 Synod Journal.

Image: Menai Anglican Church.

Airbags on Pokies

At the Cathedral website, Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, has published his letter to Members of the Legislative Council of NSW.

“I write to request your support for the Gaming Machines Amendment (Mandatory Shutdown Period) Bill 2025, which I understand has been introduced into the Legislative Council of the NSW Parliament.

This bill would enact reforms that the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has been unanimously calling for, for several years. We represent over 250 Anglican parishes throughout Sydney, the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, Wollondilly, the Southern Highlands and Blue Mountains. …”

– Read the full letter here.

NSW Presbyterians and the Conversion Practices Ban Act

“The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of NSW has adopted a response to the state’s conversion practices legislation, affirming that biblical Christian ministry is ‘neither harmful nor coercive’, and committing to continue teaching the biblical views on sexuality and gender.

Meeting on Friday, September 26, the Assembly passed guidance to church sessions for navigating the legislation while maintaining confidence in proclaiming biblical teachings on marriage, sexuality and identity. …”

– At AP, the Australian Presbyterian online journal, John McClean, Convenor of the PCNSW Gospel, Society and Culture Committee, shares the NSW Presbyterian Church’s response.

“We will obey God”

From SydneyAnglicans.net –

“The Act purports to give churches, schools and parents permission to teach about sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual activity and religion. But, respectfully, we do not need the permission of the government to teach about such things,” said Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, drawing a line in the sand in his opening address to the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney.

“I want to state clearly and publicly to you all – that ‘I will stand by any clergyperson or church worker who finds themselves brought before a tribunal or court because of this poorly conceived law. We must not be silenced or intimidated from teaching God’s good plan for human sexuality and relationships. We will insist on the freedom to do so, respectfully but without fear.’ We will obey God”

The act being referred to was the NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 which Premier Chris Minns promised would not restrict churches in prayer or preaching. That pledge has now been undercut by Anti-Discrimination New South Wales (ADNSW). …

– Russell Powell reports.

Kanishka Raffel and the Sydney Anglican Synod promise to stand with Christians over conversion practices laws

John Sandeman reports on Monday night’s gathering of the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney –

“Clergy, church workers, and any Christian taken before a tribunal when accused of breaching the Conversion Practices Ban Act in NSW have been assured by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel and the Sydney Anglican Synod that they will be supported. ‘I concluded by saying, and I want to say this clearly and publicly to you all, that I will stand by any clergy person or church worker who finds themselves brought before a tribunal or court because of this poorly conceived law,’ the Archbishop declared in his presidential address to the Synod, repeating an assurance he had sent to his clergy as the new law began to operate.

‘We must not be silenced’, he added. ‘We must not be silenced or intimidated from teaching God’s good plan for human sexuality and relationships. We will insist on the freedom to do so respectfully, but without fear, we will obey God. We can do nothing less.’ During the debate, Raffel made it clear his support extended to lay people caught up in tribunal hearings as well. …”

– Do read it all on this important issue.

Related:

Living Faith website.
“Living Faith is a Sydney Anglican ministry to Christian persons who experience attraction to the same sex and/or gender incongruence.”

Image: Archbishop Raffel during his Presidential Address.

Do Christians have freedom to pray?

“Before the last election, Christians and other people of faith were assured  that ‘an individual of their own consent seeking guidance through prayer will not be banned’.

Now, this promise in relation to the Conversion Practices Ban Act, appears to have been breached by guidelines surrounding the act from Anti Discrimination NSW (ADNSW). …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has this important update.

Do watch the embedded video.

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.

← Previous Page — Next Page →