20,000 New Testaments for Canberra & Goulburn
Parishes in the diocese of Canberra & Goulburn are giving away 20,000 New Testaments to help celebrate the sesquicentenary of their diocese.
Diocese of Tasmania Presidential Address 2013
Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower’s 2013 Presidential address – delivered at the Diocesan Synod today – is now online (PDF file).
“In my 2012 address to Synod I mentioned the approaching “social tsunami” of issues that would be entering public debate. These issues – euthanasia, marriage redefinition and, unexpectedly, abortion, amongst others – speak to the nature of humanity, the characteristics of community, and the fundamental manner in which life is embraced, respected and affirmed in our society…”
From the Bishop of DNWA, June 2013
Bishop of North West Australia, Gary Nelson, shares the latest from his diocese…
BISHOP’S REFLECTIONS
Over recent weeks I have been thinking about being thankful. A friend Peter sees thankfulness as one of the attitudes that can transform our lives. I’ve appreciated his reminder about thankfulness as an essential mark of being Christian. At times it’s easy to take people for granted, or just expect our situation to remain stable and fulfilling. But Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:
… give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Don’t have to wonder about God’s will for us at this point! Christians should be leading the way in thankfulness. Read more
Tasmanian Abortion Bill update 24 May
Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower has the latest (What is the current status of the proposed changes? What is actually being proposed, as it currently stands? What can I do?) at his blog.
CMS Lasting Hope appeal
Archbishop Peter Jensen, and Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Stuart Robinson have each appeared in videos promoting the CMS NSW & ACT branch end-of-financial-year appeal. (Use them in church!)
Archbishop Jensen, Bishop Robinson.
Equality not the issue says Archbishop
Archbishop Peter Jensen on former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s change of mind on ‘same-sex marriage’ –
“Equality is not the issue. The consummation of a marriage by a man and a woman is unique and cannot be replicated. The precious differences between men and women, likewise cannot be replicated in any other bond.”
Full story:
Archbishop Peter Jensen has publicly disagreed with former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has done a turnaround and now says he supports same sex marriage.
Dr Jensen says Mr Rudd’s comments “do not grapple sufficiently with the question of what marriage is and what it is for”. Read more
Support palliative care not euthanasia — NSW Council of Churches
Media release from the NSW Council of Churches:
“8 May 2013. Support palliative care not euthanasia.
The NSW Council of Churches today called on all members of the NSW Legislative Council to vote against a private member’s bill that would legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide in NSW. Read more
NSW Premier wrong to support gay marriage, says Council of Churches
Here’s a media release (19 April 2013) from the NSW Council of Churches –
“The NSW Council of Churches today expressed strong disappointment at a decision by Premier Barry O’Farrell to support same sex marriage in NSW amid concerns over the constitutionality of such law reform. Read more
‘O’Farrell comes out for same-sex marriage’
“Barry O’Farrell has declared his strong support for legalising same-sex marriage in Australia…”
– Sydney Morning Herald report. Photo: NSW Government.
The Salamanca Declaration
“Yesterday I signed the The Salamanca Declaration and joined with other Christian leaders in presenting the Declaration to Michael Polley the Speaker of the House who then gave it to Rene Hidding MP to table in the Legislative Assembly. From the Media Release …
A document representing Tasmania’s Christian community will be tabled in parliament as a unified response to the social issues currently dividing public opinion. Every major head of church in Tasmania has come on board to sign The Salamanca Declaration…
The Salamanca Declaration is an affirmation of classical Christian values and the need to uphold them despite unprecedented attack. Seeking the common good of all Tasmanians, it puts forward three points of agreement summed up in the words life, liberty and legacy.
– Bishop John Harrower shares the latest on action by Christians in Tasmania.
Media report: Churches blast reform ‘tsunami’ – The Mercury. (h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)
New Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force
Bishop Ian Lambert from Canberra & Goulburn will be the new Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force – from July 1 2013.
A hole in History the shape of an empty tomb
We missed seeing this earlier – but Ian Palmer, the new Bishop of Bathurst, has written this Easter message in the April edition of 3D, the newspaper of the dioceses of Canberra & Goulburn, Bathurst, and Riverina. (Page 14 in this PDF file.)
It’s also a good reminder to pray for him and for Christian ministry in rural areas —
“Almost 40 years ago, in July 1973, Liz and I were in a bank in London when four armed men burst in.
We found ourselves lying on the floor fearfully eyeing the man standing over us with a shotgun, while his companions smashed their way into the tellers’ area and stole money from behind the desk and the safes.
It was a terrifying experience and although we eventually got out unharmed, all these years later the details remain vivid and the emotions powerful. Read more
Rushed policy making is poor policy making — Abortion Tasmania
Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower writes:
“Today we submitted the Anglican Church of Tasmania’s Submission to the Draft Bill and Consultation Paper proposed by the Tasmanian Government’s Health Minister as a private member’s bill. …
With others, we protested the initial 2 weeks response time given by the Tasmanian Health Minister and it was extended to 4 weeks! However, this time frame overlapped with the time we had been given by the Government to lodge our submission on the Euthanasia legislation. Well may we say: rushed policy making is poor policy making! Moreover, rushed policy is not only a dis-service to Tasmanians in governance but dismissive and divisive of our community.
This Tasmanian Government has made it very hard for us to engage effectively because of bringing out proposal after proposal for major social change. This rushed and turbulent process has been unnecessary and it has added distress to our community when life is already very challenging for many Tasmanians.
Some excerpts from the Anglican Church of Tasmania’s Submission…”
– Read it all here. The Anglican submission (PDF) highlights a range of significant issues of interest to all Australians.
We care for the mother and the unborn child
“In my distress at the draconian draft Tasmanian Abortion legislation, I cannot help but come back to basic statements of our wider communities’ commitments to humanity in all its seasons…”
– Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower is appalled by proposed changes to Tasmanian legislation which, he says, eliminate “any concept of legal protections for an unborn child, even in situations irrelevant to termination, such as acts of negligence or assault that result in prenatal death”.
He is urging Tasmanian Christians to make submissions by 5:00pm tomorrow (Friday 5 April 2013).
Bishop of NWA’s Easter Message
Bishop of North West Australia, Gary Nelson, writes in the March 2013 Northwest Network (PDF – grab a copy for your prayers) –
As I write there is a cyclone brewing off the coast near Port Hedland – just another aspect of life and ministry in the North West. I managed to fly out of Karratha before the alert turned from blue to yellow, but as the airport doors opened for boarding the winds blew in with menacing intent. I can only imagine how fear could easily grip you when caught in the destructive winds and torrential rain of a cyclone. Please pray for those who live and serve in these regions.
Easter is rapidly approaching and I look forward to sharing with the people of Geraldton the good news of what Jesus has done in his death and resurrection. Read more
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…