A small step forward for religious freedom – with Bishop Michael Stead

From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Religious Freedom will be debated in the Australian Parliament this week.

Two parliamentary reports were released late on Friday afternoon. MP’s and Senators have spent the weekend reading them.

The reports show the Coalition and Labor broadly in support of introducing improved protections for people of Faith.

The reports recommendations are set to go to the party rooms on Tuesday morning, and the House of Representatives as early as Tuesday afternoon.

Anglican Bishop Michael Stead is the new chair of Freedom for Faith.”

– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

And please pray about the expected vote this afternoon (Tuesday 8th February).

See also:

Submission to the Senate Legal Affairs Committee on the Religious Discrimination Bill – Freedom for Faith.

Moderator of the Church of Pakistan calls for prayer following attack

The Moderator of the Church of Pakistan calls for prayer after last week’s attack on two Anglican pastors in Peshawar.

Anglican Mainstream is hosting a short video asking for your prayers.

Advance Australia Fair?

“Watching the Australia Day celebrations whilst on holiday was much more interesting and revealing than I had anticipated. Normally I am bored to tears by these kinds of events however I have to say that I was impressed, and I learned a great deal. It was like a cross between the BBC’s Children in Need, celebrating the good that charities and volunteers do, and BBC Scotland’s Hogmanay show – a bit kitsch and cliched, but nonetheless something that makes you glad to be Scottish – or in this case, Australian.

The wonderful work done by Australians throughout the country was highlighted and the music was… not bad.The fireworks and setting in Sydney harbour (as well as the 12 Apostles and other spectacular Aussie scenery) made one thankful to be an Australian – or in the case of yours truly – a guest in this wonderful country.

But the whole show also revealed something deeply disturbing. …”

– Sometimes it takes a visitor to our country to point out what we might otherwise miss. David Robertson writes at AP.

Religious school tells parents it will apply its religious beliefs

“The above heading doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? Isn’t that what one would expect, that a school set up to educate students in a particular religious view would apply those beliefs in its practices? But the press in Australia sees it differently, apparently.

‘School rules: Brisbane college expects students to denounce homosexuality’ is the way that the Sydney Morning Herald puts it (Jan 31). Citipointe Christian College has sent a letter to parents spelling out its views on a number of issues, letting them know that the College expects students and parents to be aware of these views if students are to be sent there.

Here I will comment on whether the College is legally justified in so doing. …”

– Neil Foster writes at Law and Religion Australia.

Richard Johnson to the inhabitants of New South Wales

In 1792, Chaplain to the Colony, the Rev. Richard Johnson, penned an evangelistic booklet which was thus addressed –

“To the British and other European Inhabitants of NEW SOUTH WALES and NORFOLK ISLAND.

My Beloved, I do not think it necessary to make an apology for putting this Address into your hands; or to enter into a long detail of the reasons which induced me to write it.

One reason may suffice. I find I cannot express my regard for you, so often, or so fully, as I wish, in any other way.

On our first arrival in this distant part of the world, and for some time afterwards, our numbers were comparatively small; and while they resided nearly upon one spot, I could not only preach to them on the Lord’s day, but also converse with them, and admonish them, more privately.

But since that period, we have gradually increased in number every year…”

– Read it all here (PDF file).

(Photo: Richard Johnson’s Address – copy held by Moore College.)

Related posts here.

The Church of England’s astonishing appointment

“The words ‘La La Land’ came to mind when I heard of the appointment of the new Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments. This role manages the process for the appointment of bishops, deans and other senior posts in the Church of England, and it is to be filled by Stephen Knott, currently Justin Welby’s deputy chief of staff. …”

– At Christian Today, David Baker is disturbed by a recent appointment in the Church of England.

Sadly, it seems to be business as usual for the Church of England.

Related:

Stephen Knott to be new Archbishops’ Secretary for Appointments – Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.

Reformed Church in America splits as conservative churches form new denomination

“On New Year’s Day, 43 congregations of the Reformed Church in America split from the national denomination, one of the oldest Protestant bodies in the United States, in part over theological differences regarding same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. …”

– Story from Religion News Service.

Link via Albert Mohler’s The Briefing for 13 January 2022 (from 12:10.)

– worth hearing his commentary on the history of the Reformed Church of America, and what might happen to the new grouping. There are many parallels in the Anglican world.

Clarifying “transgender hate speech”

“An important appeal decision in November 2021, REP v CLINCH (Appeal)[2021] ACAT 106 (3 November 2021), provides significant clarification on what amounts to “transgender hate speech”, and what does not, under the law of Australian Capital Territory – and provides a helpful and persuasive set of reasons which may be influential in other jurisdictions.

Is it unlawful to say that ‘a trans woman is a man’? Not according to the Appeal Tribunal in the Rep decision …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at a clarifying decision.

Christmas message from the Archbishop of Canterbury

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Christmas message to the Anglican Communion is a somewhat sombre affair, with a focus on COVID, Climate Change, and the coming Lambeth Conference.

Related:

Canadian commentator and author Mark Steyn on GBNews spoke overnight on the Church of England’s missed opportunities during COVID lockdowns.

Your voice needed on Religious Discrimination Bill

“Supporters of protection for religious freedom are being urged to take part in a survey by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, as the Parliament considers the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021. …”

– Here’s post from SydneyAnglicans.net on an important matter.

The survey referred to closes at 5:00pm on Tuesday 21st December.

The post also includes the questions from the survey.

Statements on the nature and development of the Anglican Communion from the first Lambeth Conference to the Anglican Covenant

“The fact that the Lambeth Conference is going to be held next year means that in the coming months there will be much discussion about the nature of the Anglican Communion.

In order to provide a historical perspective on these discussions, I have decided to post a paper I first wrote in 2011 which uses primary sources to trace the development of Anglican thinking about the nature of the Anglican Communion from the time of the first Lambeth Conference in 1867 up to the issuing of the proposed Anglican Covenant in 2009. …”

– Anglican theologian Martin Davie posts the first of a three part series to give some historical perspective to the coming (and ignored by many) Lambeth Conference.

New Vicar to lead Holy Trinity Brompton

An announcement from Holy Trinity Brompton –

“The following news release was issued by the Diocese of London and the Patrons of HTB at midday on Sunday, December 5th:

Holy Trinity Brompton (known as HTB), the largest church in the Church of England, is to have a new Vicar lead its 4,000-strong congregation.

The former curate who pioneered its first ‘plant’ outside of London – the Revd Canon Archie Coates, 51, currently Vicar of St Peter’s Brighton, has been chosen as HTB’s Vicar Designate. It is expected that Canon Coates will become Vicar in September 2022, taking over from the Revd Nicky Gumbel, 66, who has announced his intention to resign his post from July 2022. …”

– Via David Jenkins at Anglican Samizdat, who also notes that Canon Coates was reported in this 2016 Christian Today article as being “very supportive” of the UK’s largest gay pride march, in Brighton.

Anglican Church of Canada trial liturgy for ‘Journeys of Gender Affirmation and Transition’

“The Anglican Church of Canada has developed a trial liturgy for ‘Journeys of Gender Affirmation and Transition’, to be used to bless the ‘gender transition process’. …”

– The Anglican Samizdat draws attention – and provides a copy of the trial liturgy.

The Latest Evangelical Convert to Rome. What Does Rome Have to Offer?

“I am not English, nor Anglican, but the story of the conversion of the former Anglican bishop Michael Nazir-Ali to Catholicism struck me.

He is not the first evangelical Anglican to become Roman Catholic, and he probably will not be the last. He stands on a tradition that has important antecedents like the conversion to Rome of John Henry Newman (1801-1890) and many more.

However, Nazir-Ali was a well-known evangelical Anglican who belonged to the ‘evangelical’ family and was a respected voice in that world.…”

– At The Vatican Files, Leonardo De Chirico, who understands the Roman Catholic Church better than most, has some reflections on the recent announcement by Michael Nazir-Ali.

Peter Jensen gives thanks for Melvin Tinker

From GAFCON:

After learning of the death of Melvin Tinker, who went to be with his Lord on 23 November 2021, Archbishop Peter Jensen paid tribute to Melvin saying,

“Melvin spoke powerfully at Gafcon 2018 in Jerusalem. He had a gift for analysing the culture from the perspective of the gospel and calling on his listeners to live for Christ alone. He was very courageous and made it clear that loyalty to Jesus was the chief commitment we should all make, even if it means leaving our denomination. For him, the word of God was the light by which we should live. His testimony remains to inspire us.”

Melvin contributed to the Lift Up Your Hearts series of devotions in April this year and an interview ahead of that series can be heard here: Melvin Tinker Everyday Global Anglicans Interview.

Continue to uphold Melvin’s family at this time.

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