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.)
Bishop of Tasmania calls for submissions against ‘draconian’ bill
Bishop John Harrower encourages submissions against a ‘draconian’ Abortion bill proposed for Tasmania.
Related:
Pastoral Letter.
When murder looks like abortion.
Archbishop of Canterbury’s inauguration sermon
“For nearly two thousand years the Church has sought, often failing, to recognise in its way of being that Jesus is the Son of God. The wind and waves divided Jesus from the disciples. Peter ventures out in fear and trembling (as you may imagine I relate to him at this point). Jesus reconciles Peter to Himself and makes the possibility for all the disciples to find peace.”
– Read Archbishop Justin Welby’s sermon delivered at his inauguration ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral overnight. (Photo: Diocese of Durham.)
Rural ministry in Canberra & Goulburn
“…Director of St Mark’s National Theological Centre Professor Tom Frame has been appointed to a ‘tent-making’ unpaid position overseeing the new Mulwaree Mission District…”
– from the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn.
Your guide to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s inauguration
“The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby’s public ministry will commence on Thursday when he is enthroned – or ‘installed’ – in two special seats in Canterbury Cathedral. …
The date of the ceremony resonates in several ways: March 21st is the feast day of St. Benedict of Monte Cassino, a significant figure for both Canterbury Cathedral and Archbishop Justin himself, who is an oblate of the Order of Benedict. A thousand years ago, the cathedral was a Benedictine monastery.”
– Everything you wanted to know about this week’s enthronement – from the Anglican Communion News Service.
(March 21 is another anniversary which is perhaps more significant – the execution of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1556.)
Diocese of Tasmania submission on “Voluntary Assisted Dying”
Bishop John Harrower has posted some details on his diocese’s submission concerning “Voluntary Assisted Dying” in Tasmania – and he has also written a Pastoral Letter on proposed Abortion legislation for that state.
Archbishop Welby and the E-Word
“Archbishop Justin Welby very seldom uses the E-word – ‘Evangelical’. He mentions it only when amongst friends.
Speaking at New Wine, for example, in 2006 he declared: ‘I’m an orthodox Bible-believing Evangelical … Scripture is my final authority for all matters of life and doctrine.’ But it’s not a label he usually chooses to define himself. …
… Although the ‘Evangelicalism’ label will not often be heard at Lambeth Palace, that other momentous E-Word – ‘Evangelism’ – falls much more frequently from Welby’s lips. His abiding passion is for people to come to faith in Christ and for churches to grow.”
– In an article to be published in the Spring 2013 issue of Cross†Way, Andrew Atherstone provides a very informative profile of the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
St. Helen’s Thanksgiving service for Chappo
The video from the Thanksgiving service for John Chapman, held at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London a week ago (1st March 2013), is now available on Vimeo.
Participants include William Taylor, Dick Lucas, Richard Bewes and Hugh Palmer.
Dick Lucas remembered the first time he met Chappo – and Hugh Palmer preached from Romans 1.
The video runs for 51 minutes and is most edifying.
BC cathedral congregation backs same-sex blessings
“The congregation at Christ Church Cathedral [in Victoria, British Columbia] has voted more than 90 per cent in favour of blessing married homosexual couples. … Rev. Logan McMenamie, dean of the cathedral, said he was pleased with the result of the vote and proud of the way the cathedral’s parishioners came to the decision.”
– Report from The Times Colonist. h/t Anglican Essentials Canada blog. Photo: Christ Church Cathedral.
Good news for Braidwood
The Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn’s Bishop Stuart Robinson is continuing his ‘150th birthday [of the diocese] pilgrimage’ – and is using every opportunity to preach evangelistically.
This morning he and his wife Jane, with members of the local church, entered Braidwood and Stuart preached evangelistically in the park. He reports that more than 20 people made commitments or recommitments to Christ.
Bishop Robinson would appreciate continued prayer support (next “Bungendore, then Goulburn (Good Friday) then on Easter Saturday, Reid in Canberra and on Easter Day around Parliament House to the lawns of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture for a sunrise evangelistic service at 7.15am.”)
Photo courtesy Alex Rea at The Braidwood Times.
Indaba with an MBA?
“It would be wonderful for His Grace to take note of the grave errors and blatant misconduct of the American Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, reflect on the evidence already provided during his predecessor’s tenure, and if, as some suspect, there is a need for the two North American Provinces to repent and return to Jesus Christ in the historic and Biblical sense, that they be called to do so and set to one side until they have.
What is not called for is making nice, photo ops, smiles and handshakes with those who have broken covenant and relationships unilaterally by their stubborn independence and arrogance.…”
– Bishop David Anderson of the American Anglican Council writes about the true nature of reconciliation and the task ahead of the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
Related: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s latest sermon – on Reconciliation – “Faith and Conflict”.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…