Anglican Mainstream responds to French vote
Anglican Mainstream in the UK has published a brief statement on this morning’s vote to approve ‘same-sex’ marriage in France.
New Executive Secretary for Anglican Mainstream
“The Trustees of Anglican Mainstream are delighted to announce that the Revd Andrew Symes has accepted appointment as Executive Secretary of Anglican Mainstream in succession to Dr Chris Sugden…”
– from Anglican Mainstream.
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 New Westminster to retire
The Bishop of New Westminster, Michael Ingham, has announced that he will retire at the end of August.
“It’s time to hang up the mitre, park the shepherd’s staff, pull the ruffles off my fancy sleeves, and go play golf.”
Looking back on his time as Bishop, he writes, “Our witness to faith frequently encountered strong religious opposition. Strangely, the secular world has been more supportive.” (These related posts might help explain why.)
Easter Message from Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council
Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council, has sent this 2013 Easter message –
To the Faithful of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and friends from Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:14 Read more
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
Abortion Tasmania: Hospital Chaplain’s perspective
Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower writes:
“Hospital Chaplain, Reverend Alan Bulmer, has written to Health Minister for Tasmania, The Hon. Michelle O’Byrne, in response to her draft Abortion Legislation for Tasmania.
As I read his sensitive letter, I was reminded again that the pastoral consequences of the life and death of the unborn are a very real part of a hospital chaplain’s ministry. His letter brings the personal aspect of the death of the unborn to the Minister’s attention and asks for the reconsideration and withdrawal of this draft legislation…”
– Read extracts of the letter at Bishop Harrower’s blog, or the full thing here (PDF).
Easter messages 2013 from around Australia
Here are some of the Easter messages we’ve seen so far from Anglican leaders around Australia –
Bishop of Tasmania John Harrower writes of Jesus as the Good Shepherd,
“He is not some hireling who will run away when the surprises hit, and the going gets tough. Rather, he is ‘the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.’…”
Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn Stuart Robinson’s Easter message. He also has a video message and shares this invitation for Good Friday,
“Do please consider joining me (or praying for) – this Friday at 11.00am, Belmore Park, Goulburn. It will be an ‘open-air’ Easter Service where I will explain the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection and invite people to respond.
I’ll be walking with the cross I’ve been carrying around the diocese from our Cathedral at around 10.30am to the park.”
In his video message, Archbishop of Melbourne Philip Freier, says,
“The victory of death over his life was not as it seemed. Christians know that Jesus’ death on the cross was a victory over sin and death. Even more his victory is for all time – his light overcoming the darkness of sin and despair in every age. He has made the impossible possible.”
Defence Anglicans Administrator (until a new Bishop is appointed) Eric Burton has an Easter message entitled, “A kick in the guts”.
Please pray for all who speak in Christ’s name this Easter, whatever their churchmanship, that they will speak faithfully and clearly the words of eternal life. (And maybe a word of thanks to those who do would be appropriate.)
Archbishop Peter Jensen on the new Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop Peter Jensen was asked for his thoughts on the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in a 3 minute segment on SBS TV.
He said the new Archbishop would be “enormously welcomed” and respected if he were to visit Australia.
See it here – ‘Anglican Aussies welcome new Archbishop of Canterbury’.
(Photo: SBS.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…