Unborn babies have taken another battering in Victoria today

Here’s a media release from The Australian Christian Lobby, 24 May 2022 –

“Commenting on Bernie Finn’s expulsion from the Victorian Liberal Party today, the Australian Christian Lobby’s (ACL) National Director, Wendy Francis, said,

“Abortions are only going to increase whilst pro-life speech is regarded as disrespectful, particularly when it applies to politicians who have the capacity to vote and change laws on life issues. Media reports indicate that Bernie Finn’s commitment to ‘pray for an end to abortion’ was the final straw for the Party who voted to expel him from their ranks today.”

Whilst, sadly, pro-life speech such as this will always sound disrespectful to those that don’t want to hear it, advocating for the child in the womb is perfectly respectful. It’s encouraging to witness  a new, young, pro-life generation rising up around the globe.

“The Liberal Party of Victoria has seriously underestimated the impact this move has had on their pro-life conservative base,” Ms Francis continued. “It will be a tough journey for them to regain their confidence in the leadup to the State election in November.

“Freedom of thought, worship, speech and association are basic tenets of the Liberal Party of Australia. And yet, today, a democratically elected member has been expelled from the Liberal Party of Victoria for exercising these very rights.”

Annual General Meeting 2022

The Annual General Meeting of the Anglican Church League will be held on Thursday 16th June 2022 from 6:00pm at St Andrew’s Cathedral School, 474 Kent Street, Sydney.

Financial members may vote. (Renew here.)

Agenda here.

Entry & room arrangements:

Election survey probes parties on faith freedom

“A survey of political parties and candidates on their attitude to religious discrimination has revealed varying levels of support – and in some cases, no support – for measures to ensure religious freedom. …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net writes about the religiousdiscriminationsurvey.au website.

Related:

The Australian Christian Lobby (not associated with the Anglican Church League – we just have the same initials) has produced a page of “various documents and videos to help you make an informed choice on Election Day”, including this page where they share the answers given to their questionnaire in each electorate as well as each candidate for the Senate.

And not forgetting the call to pray –

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-6.

Allowah Children’s Hospital Dollar Matching Appeal

We’ve previously mentioned the attempts by the Allowah Children’s Hospital in Dundas (run by Presbyterian Church) to find funding.  They are “the only hospital dedicated to the health of children with disabilities in NSW”.

They’ve launched a new appeal – see a video about it here.

Freedom22 – National Conference 2022

It’s just a week to the Freedom for Faith: Freedom22 Conference in Parramatta:

“Religious Freedom in Australia has reached a crisis point.

The promised protections in the Federal Religious Discrimination Bill have been put on hold, and new State laws have removed several religious freedom rights from faith communities.

These new issues include unprecedented intrusions into prayer, unsympathetic treatment of conscience exemptions, reduced employment rights for religious schools, and a troubling surge in discrimination cases against Jewish, Muslim and other minority faith groups.

Will there be room for authentic expression of faith in Australia’s future?

Register for the Freedom22 National Conference on May 3 at Parramatta’s Park Royal Hotel to hear our distinguished speakers explain the content and consequences of these laws, as well as how we arrived at this cultural moment.

The Freedom22 speakers are:

Book via the Freedom for Faith website.

SC Supreme Court rules some breakaway churches must return properties to Episcopal Diocese

“The S.C. Supreme Court ruled some of the parishes that broke away from the Episcopal Church more than a decade ago must hand over their properties to the national church and its affiliated South Carolina diocese.

The court’s April 20 ruling orders 14 of 29 parishes that split from the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina to begin the legal process for handing over ownership of the properties to the Episcopal Church. …”

– From The Post and Courier, Charleston, South Carolina.

See also this Pastoral Letter from Bishop Chip Edgar of the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina:

“The ruling raises many issues that will have to play out in the coming weeks before any actions are taken, so our first response must be to quiet our hearts before the Lord as we pray for grace to meet the days ahead. Some of our churches are relieved that the court ruled their property does indeed belong to them. Some are grieving deeply, as the courts ruling went the opposite direction.”

This has been a very long running dispute – and not all the websites linked in our archival posts are still active, but the post summaries will give some perspective.

Bishop Chip Edgar began as Bishop of the Diocese last month, succeeding Bishop Mark Lawrence who has been Bishop of the Diocese since 2008.

Update:

Lawyer AS Haley, The Anglican Curmudgeon, has posted what may be his last of many posts on the subject –

South Carolina Supreme Court Divides the Baby

His conclusion:

“There will be one final chapter to this desultory story once the federal courts dispose of the name and trademark claims, probably in ECUSA’s favor.

I shall not return here to comment; I am done with everything that involves the Episcopal Church. Let it reap what it has so assiduously sown.”

ePetition: “Please unanimously reject the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021”

In order to oppose and stop the passage of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 through the NSW Legislative Council, an ePetition has now been launched.

The text reads:.

“To the President and Members of the Legislative Council, the petitioners of New South Wales state that that they are completely opposed to the passage of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021, in any form, which provides for state sanctioned/funded assisted suicide/euthanasia.

A cornerstone of our legal system is that ALL human life has inherent value and must be treated with dignity and respect. The petitioners request that the House unanimously oppose the bill, in any form, and reject it.”

The ePetition can be accessed via the Legislative Council’s ePetitions page.

Those signing the ePetition need to declare that they are a resident of New South Wales.

The ePetition closes on 25th April 2022. 

Related:

Kevin Conolly, MP for Riverstone, explains the NSW euthanasia bill – AP.

Kevin Conolly explains the NSW euthanasia bill – part 2.

GAFCON 4 goes to Rwanda

“After two meetings in Jerusalem in 2008 and 2018, and one in Nairobi in 2013, the organisers of the five-yearly Global Anglican Future Conference have decided that the 2023 meeting will be held in Kigali, Rwanda.

The conference has been a landmark in international Anglicanism. …”

– Russell Powell writes at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Image: GAFCON.

The Challenges of Global Anglicanism #7: Anglican evangelicalism

From Church Society in the UK:

“Bishop Henry Scriven, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion reflects on the future for Anglican evangelicals around the world in his contribution to our Lent series for 2022.”

Holy Week Message from Archbishop Foley Beach

“We do not pray to a God who is aloof. We pray to a God who knows what it is to suffer pain, who through the suffering of the Cross made the way of life and peace and has not abandoned us to our suffering. …”

Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, and Chairman of GAFCON, Dr. Foley Beach has released his Easter message – Read it all here.

The Challenges of Global Anglicanism #6: Episcopacy in England, Africa and North America

Church Society is continuing its series on the Challenges of Global Anglicanism:

“Lee Gatiss introduces three bishops from different parts of the Anglican world who speak about episcopacy and being a bishop today.

The bishops are: Rod Thomas, Bishop of Maidstone in the Church of England; Stephen Fagbemi, Bishop of Owo in the Church of Nigeria; and Julian Dobbs, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).”

Watch or listen here.

GAFCON Australasia Conference 2022 set for August

The GAFCON Australasia 2022 Conference is planned for 15-18 August.

See the website for details and booking.

Archbishop Ben Kwashi addresses Gafcon GBE meeting

“On the evening of 22nd March, the General Secretary of Gafcon spoke via Zoom, to an audience consisting mostly of members of the Gafcon Great Britain and Europe branch, with others looking in from Africa and North America.

Interviewed by Bishop Andy Lines of the Anglican Network in Europe, Archbishop Ben began by recounting his journey of growing up in a Christian home, then making a firm commitment to following Christ at the age of 20. …”

– From GAFCON GB & Europe. Watch the video here.

Gafcon Ireland Conference 2022

Gafcon Ireland’s Conference – What is the Gospel? – was held on Saturday 26 March 2022 at St. Anne’s Cathedral Belfast.

Archbishops Ben Kwashi and Foley Beach spoke, along with the Revd. Dr. Nick Tucker.

You can see the full event here.

If you know someone who wants to understand what has been happening in the Anglican Communion, and why GAFCON is needed, this address by Archbishop Foley Beach is a very clear and helpful introduction. It’s also wonderfully encouraging to see that the Lord has not been left without a witness.

He turns to the Letter to Jude to help us understand the pagan theology which is infiltrating the Anglican Communion.

“For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” – Jude 4.

Archbishop Foley Beach is introduced and answers questions about himself and ACNA here.

His “must see” address begins here. (Note: If GAFCON Ireland later edits the video, these times might not be accurate.)

Related: these items from our Resources section:

‘Take a stand’ – says Michael Youssef

“The problems in America all started in the pulpits … when the authority of the Scripture ceased – with it came the confusion that we are facing now.” – Dr Michael Youssef.

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“‘Stand for Christ. Stand for the truth. And let the chips fall where they may.”

Senior Pastor of Atlanta’s Church of the Apostles, Dr Michael Youssef, has a prophetic call to share with evangelical pastors today. It is to not give up trust in the scriptures in the face of contemporary challenges on sexuality.

Dr Youssef tells the story of leading his church to depart the US Episcopal Church when the denomination moved against biblical teaching on sexuality, and the way God has blessed them since.

In light of all this, Dr Youssef quotes 1 Samuel saying, ‘Those who honour me I will honour.’

Speaking in terms of the Sydney Anglican Church, Dr Youssef says, ‘I know this diocese, I love this diocese, and I know that God will continue to bless this Diocese even more… when you take a stand.’

Dr Youseff says, ‘Everyone I know who honoured the Lord and took a stand, God blessed that.’”

– Very encouraging.  Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

Do watch it all. Dr. Youssef also speaks of his first days in Sydney and those who had a huge influence in his life – including Donald and Marie Robinson, Moore College, and learning Biblical Theology.

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