Light trumps darkness
“Reformation trumps Halloween. In fact it’s no contest.
For reasons unclear to me we’re being enticed by a dark festival of American origins that brings stocks of evil and bizarre to shelves where weeks before fresh food or other cheery merchandise sat. In supermarkets and $2 shops throughout Australia, the dark, the gruesome, the macabre and the scary hold sway.
Why witches hats, ghoulish masks and spider webs? As if swinging with the breeze, parents bend to accommodate this strange festival, children are attracted to it and society is the worse for it.
By strange coincidence, the same weekend as Halloween, the Presbyterian Church of Australia celebrates light. …”
– Presbyterian Moderator-General John Wilson on the light of the gospel, as rediscovered by Martin Luther.
Encouragement from the Pressies in Queensland
The latest issue (4/2016) of Pres Life, the magazine of the Presbyterian Church in Queensland, is now available. It’s a 1.6 MB PDF file.
Rejoice with those who rejoice at the Lord’s salvation in Christ, and join with them in praying for the progress of the gospel in that state.
Russian Patriarch concerned about liberalisation in Church of England
“On October 18, 2016, His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, met with Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury at the Lambeth Palace in London. …
Patriarch Kirill drew Archbishop Justin Welby’s attention to the Russian Orthodox Church’s concern over the liberalization of the Church of England’s teaching on church order, particularly, the ordination of women as priests and bishops and on the family and morality. His Holiness Kirill expressed hope that the Church of England will oppose challenges of the modern world and seek to preserve the Gospel’s teaching. …”
– from The Russian Orthodox Church. Photo: Lambeth Palace.
Presbyterian Moderator General reports on the General Assembly
“The triennial meeting of the General Assembly of Australia testified to our fundamental unity around the truth of God’s Word and the power of Christ’s gospel.
It’s time to reflect and review a most excellent week…”
– New Presbyterian Moderator-General John Wilson reviews the recent General Assembly of Australia.
Evangelical Fellowship in the Church in Wales responds to Archbishop Barry Morgan
From GAFCON:
The Archbishop of Wales, the Rt Revd Barry Morgan, has recently claimed that ‘sex properly belongs’ in committed same sex relationships and that the Bible can be interpreted as supporting such relationships, but the Evangelical Fellowship of the Church in Wales considers these remarks to be a licence to disregard biblical authority.
The Governing Body of the Church in Wales met in Lampeter 14th -15th September, 2016. Following the press coverage of the Archbishop’s address, the executive committee of EFCW responds as follows:
We want to wish the Archbishop well in his retirement. We note the Archbishop’s final presidential address at Governing Body, and still struggle to understand how his approach to scripture is not just licence to disregard its authority. We believe that the inclusivity of Jesus, to which the Archbishop referred, was one not only of loving everyone, but also of calling everyone to a degree of repentance which would result in following him exclusively as Lord. We note Jesus gave an invitation to everyone, but warned repeatedly and frequently of consequences for those who rejected him. We are therefore delighted that one of the closing discussions at Governing Body got people talking about the need to engage in mission and evangelism. We hope and pray that these are the issues that occupy the time and energy of the Church in Wales in the years to come.
16th Sept 2016. (Source: Evangelical Fellowship of the Church in Wales.)
Photo: The Church in Wales.
Presbyterian Church of Australia re-affirms the biblical view of marriage
Here’s a post from John Wilson, the newly commissioned Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. In part, he says,
“Wednesday evening saw the reaffirmation of the Presbyterian Church of Australia’s resolute commitment to uphold the biblical and traditional view of marriage … For the sake of transparency, we held the debate in public. We took the risk that our debate might be disrupted or our decisions misreported.”
Full comments below:
“Wednesday evening saw the reaffirmation of the Presbyterian Church of Australia’s resolute commitment to uphold the biblical and traditional view of marriage. The Presbyterian Church has always believed and still believes that marriage is the lifelong union of one man with one woman, voluntarily entered into, excluding all others.
Through informed and thorough theological debate, the Church demonstrated that it has not moved from its historic position or the commitments expressed in 2013.
This week, the church strengthened its position by declaring that it cannot allow its ministers to conduct celebrations of same sex marriage.
The church went even further this time. It debated the point at which it should withdraw as a denomination from cooperating with the state in celebrating and registering marriages under the Marriage Act. The major alternatives were: at the moment the Marriage Act is redefined to include same-sex marriages (if it is changed), OR, at a later point – yet to be determined – when we are forced by legislation to conduct same-sex marriage. The church chose the second option.
The Presbyterian Church has been at the forefront of the spiritual battle in Australia to uphold and preserve the biblical and traditional view of marriage. It has been resolute in its opposition to same-sex marriage. The church maintains that while God provides forgiveness of, and redemption from, all sin through Christ, he condemns homosexual behaviour, along with all other forms of sin.
For the sake of transparency, we held the debate in public. We took the risk that our debate might be disrupted or our decisions misreported. Sadly, an online article was published without consultation by Eternity News on Thursday morning that placed our position in a different light.
Rev John P Wilson
Moderator-General
Presbyterian Church of Australia.”
New Presbyterian Moderator-General
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia is meeting in Sydney this week.
David Cook concluded his three-year term as Moderator-General. Read his final address here.
John Wilson, Clerk of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, was installed as Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. He is pictured here with his wife Paula. Read his address to the GAA (PDF).
Archbishop Glenn Davies was present to convey greetings to the Assembly.
Please pray for our Presbyterian brothers and sisters in their commitment to share the gospel of Christ with our nation. (See John Wilson in this video on Presbyterian plans to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with evangelism.)
Adrian Reynolds to be Training Director for the FIEC (UK)
News from The Proclamation Trust:
“The Trustees of The Proclamation Trust (PT) today announce that Adrian Reynolds, Director of Ministry for the Trust since 2009, will be leaving his post at Easter 2017 to take up a role as Training Director for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC)…”
Latvian Lutherans end ordination of women priests
“The General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia … has voted to end the ordination of women to the priesthood…”
– News from last month via Anglican Ink: a counter-cultural move in Latvia. (Photo: Riga Cathedral.)
Church of Scotland votes to allow ministers to be in same-sex marriages
“The Church of Scotland’s highest law-making body has voted to allow its ministers to be in same-sex marriages.
The church’s general assembly, which opened in Edinburgh on Saturday, voted in favour of extending a law passed last May that permits ministers to be in same-sex civil partnerships.
The decision, after years of deliberation, means the church maintains the traditional view marriage as between a man and woman, but allows individual congregations to ‘opt out’ if they wish to appoint a minister or deacon in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership…”
– Story from The Guardian. (Photo credit: Church of Scotland.)
Related (from June 2012): St. George’s Tron, Glasgow, secedes from Church of Scotland.
“We believe the Church of Scotland is choosing to walk away from the biblical gospel, and to walk apart from the faith of the worldwide Christian Church.”
Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh elects new Bishop
“The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh elected a Georgia pastor Saturday to be its next leader in a landmark election to succeed the retiring Bishop Robert Duncan, who led the diocese’s break with the Episcopal Church eight years ago.
Clergy and lay delegates elected the Rev. James Hobby, who got his start in ministry in Southwestern Pennsylvania a quarter century ago…”
– Story from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
See also this report from the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Photo: Trinity Anglican Church, Thomasville.
Easter messages 2016
Easter is a wonderful opportunity to speak with clarity about the meaning of the Lord Jesus’ death, and the implications of his Resurrection.
Please pray that church leaders will communicate that message as they should, that Christ will be honoured, and that men and women will turn to him in repentance and faith.
Here are some of the messages we’ve spotted so far.
Will our messages to the world this Easter be as simple and clear as the sign in the photo? –
Diocese of the Northern Territory, Bishop Greg Anderson –
“Political commentator Mungo MacCallum recently described Malcolm Turnbull’s performance in the top job as ‘a hugely disappointing resurrection’.
Maybe it is good that the word resurrection still has some place in today’s media. But the first resurrection sets the benchmark. All other so-called resurrections, including the PM’s, are inevitably hugely disappointing. They all, in the end, run out…”
Diocese of Armidale, Bishop Rick Lewers –
“What is surprising about Easter is that the death of Jesus on the cross is all about clemency. Not His, but ours. It is where God would take upon himself the sins of the whole world, accepting the blame for what we have done in preference to leaving us stranded in our blameworthiness with no hope of forgiveness…”
Presbyterian Moderator-General David Cook –
“Toplady’s hymn expresses it well:
‘Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling;
Naked turn to you for dress;
Helpless look to you for grace;
Foul I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.’
By dying on that cross, Jesus won our salvation…”
Diocese of Melbourne, Archbishop Philip Freier –
“What is the resurrection promise of Easter Day? – God’s love will endure and continue, no matter what. Christians look to Jesus’ rising from the dead as not just an historic action but as the promise of his presence with us today – even in the worst of circumstances…”
Australian Baptist Ministries, National Ministries Director Keith Jobberns –
“The Easter celebration is a reminder that humans have been given a second chance. The Easter narrative records that in Jesus, and through relationship with Him we can find freedom from the shackles of fear, acceptance despite our faults and the opportunity to begin anew with God and our fellow humans…”
Diocese of North Queensland, Bishop Bill Ray (PDF)–
“Yes, Christians believe that ‘on the third day Jesus rose from the dead’, but Christianity is more than just believing, it is living this new life in Christ and bringing it to others…”
(Photo: Bicycle bearing a gospel message, in Federation Square, Melbourne, with St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in the background, 19th March 2016.)
Presbyterians plan to celebrate — with evangelism
To celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the doors of the castle church in Wittenberg, the Presbyterians want to proclaim Christ with a national campaign.
Freedom of conscience clause ‘eliminated’ by Church of Iceland
“The Church of Iceland has scrapped its freedom of conscience clause, ending the right of clergy to refuse to solemnize same-sex marriages…’
– George Conger reports at Anglican Ink.
(Map: Wikipedia.)
See also:
Bishop speaks out for gay marriage – Iceland Monitor.
The Bishop who is spring cleaning the church – Nordic Labour Journal.
Liberalism and the Church of Scotland
David Robertson, minister of St. Peter’s Free Church in Dundee, has been reflecting on the direction of the Church of Scotland. (Ten Reasons Why the Church of Scotland is in Decline – March 20, 2015.)
As a result, he was recently invited to take part in a public conversation with a prominent Church of Scotland minister.
The full transcript of the only recording (mp3 file) is both disturbing in what it reveals of classic liberalism, and most encouraging in David’s example in speaking the truth.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…