Northwest Network, September 2012

Fuel for your prayers – Northwest Network (PDF) – from the Diocese of North West Australia.

ABC Q&A 10 Sept 2012 now online

If you missed (or would like to see again) last night’s Q&A programme on ABC TV, it’s now available to watch or download on their website. Don’t miss the last word. (Image: ABC TV.)

Archbishop of Canterbury interview: I don’t think I cracked it

The Telegraph in the UK has an exit interview with Archbishop Rowan Williams –

“Teetering piles of books crowd the floor of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s study. He apologises for the clutter; he is having a clear-out. Dr Rowan Williams has more than three months to go before he leaves office, yet already the preparations are under way. As we sit by the fireplace lined with icons for what he intends to be the last major interview of his episcopacy, he is happy to sift through the highs and lows of a decade at Lambeth Palace…”

– Read here.

Prayers for Defence Chaplains and those in their care

This would be a good time to especially uphold in prayer the Defence Chaplains and those to whom they minister.

Tasmanian Anglicans urge rejection of Same-Sex Marriage bill

MEDIA RELEASE:
ANGLICANS URGE PARLIAMENT TO REJECT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL

The Anglican Church in Tasmania has today urged Members of Parliament to reject the Premier’s same-sex marriage Bill, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

Assistant Bishop Ross Nicholson, said, “We are very disappointed that The Premier, Lara Giddings, has gone ahead with this legislation. It is a clear break of Labor’s promise made to Tasmanians before the 2010 election not to do this.”  Read more

Beware of Anglicans bearing gifts

The American Anglican Council’s Phil Ashey reflects on statements by the Anglican Communion Office’s Secretary General on the relationship of TEC to the Anglican Communion.

Canon Ashey writes:

“This is like an arsonist’s victim saying ‘What is surprising and heartening is that we are in conversation with the arsonist, and that even though our house has burned down the conversation has been a great learning experience for all of us.’

Secretary Kearon’s statement is important because it gives insight into the mind of those who are shaping the agenda for the upcoming Anglican Consultative Council meeting (ACC-15) in Auckland, New Zealand in October.”

– Read it all here.

Moore College Sunday — 19th August

Just a reminder to pray for Moore College (and not just this Sunday).

Resources here.

David Cook next Moderator-General of Presbyterian Church of Australia

via Gary Ware. (David is well known and loved by many Sydney Anglicans, having studied at Moore College, and spoken at many conferences and conventions. He is the former Principal of SMBC. David has been preaching at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London in recent months.)

When to jump ship?

“Anyone in a mainline denomination infected by liberalism, or some other divergence from the evangelical faith, will have faced the question of when to stay or when to go? How bad does the denomination have to get before you decide to abandon ship? Recently, this question came closer to home as an evangelical Anglican pastor in Australia, when a bishop in another diocese knowingly appointed a clergyman in an open same-sex relationship to charge of a parish. …”

– Over at The Briefing, Sandy Grant mulls the question – with help from John Charles Ryle.

‘Church leaders pay tribute as Bishop Wallace Benn nears retirement’

The Church of England Newspaper has a report on the coming retirement of Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes.
(Photo:Peter Frank / GAFCON.)

New CMS Victoria State Director

“The Revd Dr Jonathan Wei-Han Kuan has been appointed the new State Director of the Church Missionary Society in Victoria, the Chair of the Victorian Branch Council of CMS, Pam Thyer, has announced.

Dr Kuan will take up his appointment on Monday 24 September…”

– CMS Victoria media release, via Anglican Media Melbourne.

Gav Poole elected President of the Anglican Church League

Media release, 9th August 2012

At its Annual General Meeting on 9 August, the Anglican Church League elected the Rev Gavin Poole, Rector of Cherrybrook Anglican Church, as its new President. Mr Poole succeeds the Rev Dr Mark Thompson who had been the President of the League since 2005.

Dr Thompson spoke enthusiastically about the new president.

‘Gavin brings to this role his wealth of experience as a Rector in the diocese, as part of a ministry team in the United States for several years, and helped organise the FCA Leaders’ conference in London this year’, he said.

‘He is deeply committed to the evangelical character of our diocese and the importance of the work of the League in guarding and growing that critical inheritance. He is an excellent choice to lead the League into the next period of its life.’

Gavin commented,

‘I have a strong appreciation for this diocese and its evangelical heritage. We must work hard to maintain and build upon that which has been left to us by our evangelical forefathers. I am also thankful for the way Mark has served the ACL over the past 7 years. I look forward to serving in this capacity.’

The ACL Council encourages prayer for Gavin as he takes up his new responsibilities.

(Photo: The four most recent Presidents, left to right: The Rev. Gav Poole, Outgoing President Dr. Mark Thompson, Previous Presidents Rev. Zac Veron and Canon Bruce Ballantine-Jones.)

Tasmanian Parliament urged to reject same-sex marriage legislation

“The Anglican Church in Tasmania has today urged Members of Parliament to reject the Premier’s proposed legislation to allow same-sex marriage in Tasmania.

The Church continues to hold the position that marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman, voluntarily entered into for life. …” – Media release from the Diocese of Tasmania.

Bishop of Riverina to retire

“The Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Riverina, Doug Stevens, has announced his intention to retire from his present role on Sunday, November 11. …

‘Having recently turned 60, I feel that it is time to respond to what I perceive as God’s leading to return to parish ministry…”

– from page 3 of Anglican News – The Newspaper of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, August 2012. PDF file.

New Principal for SMBC

The Board of the Sydney Missionary and Bible College has announced that new Principal of the College will be the Rev Stuart Coulton.

Stuart studied at Moore College in the 1980s. He has served as Pastor of the Presbyterian churches in Burwood (1987-1991) and Blacktown (1991-2002) before teaching full time at SMBC from 2002. He has been Vice-Principal since 2004. Announcement here (PDF file).

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