Moving to a five-day working week for the welfare of clergy

“We have always made clear to our new clergy that their stipend is not a salary for ‘services rendered’, but rather an allowance so they don’t have to work for a living.

Set free from that burden, they are able to adopt that particular lifestyle which is ministry—that is, giving of themselves to shepherding their sheep and seeking the lost…”

– Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder shares his thoughts on the advantages of having a five-day working week for clergy.

Mark Short elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia

From John Sandeman at The Other Cheek:

“Mark Short, the Bishop of the Canberra-Goulburn diocese, is the new Primate – titular head – of the Anglican Church of Australia.

He is an alumnus of Moore Theological College, and was elected as Bishop of Canberra in 2019. Prior to that, he served as National Director of the Bush Church Aid Society from 2011.

His election means that the head of the Australian Anglicans is once more an evangelical. Short has been involved in EFAC, the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion. …”

– More here.

Read some of Mark’s addresses on the Canberra Goulburn Diocese website.

Update:

The Melbourne Anglican has this story.

Grafton and Riverina adopt five-day week for thriving clergy

“Clergy health and safety has been behind the decisions two dioceses in NSW recently made to reduce the number of days their ministers worked.

The synods of the Anglican Dioceses of Grafton and Riverina both voted to embrace five-day working weeks for clergy in June. …”

– Story from The Melbourne Anglican.

Bishop of Tasmania’s 2025 Synod Presidential Address

Bishop Richard Condie gave this Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania, meeting in Launceston on 13 and 14 June 2025 –

“ You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

What an encouragement to us as we commence our Synod to know we are joined together as citizens with God’s people, as brothers and sisters in his household, and indwelt by the Spirit of God himself, gathered around Jesus as our cornerstone, our guide and the reference point for all that we do. …”

– Bishop Condie shares the latest encouraging developments in the Diocese of Tasmania.

Food for your prayers.

Image: Richard Condie in a Hope25 message for the Diocese of Bathurst.

Prisoners seek Prayer

From the Diocese of North West Australia:

“Inmates at Greenough Prison are turning to the chaplain for prayer and encouragement.

Geraldton Assistant Minister Mal Walker has begun filling in as prison chaplain two days a week and says the experience has shown him God’s immense love for people.…”

– This and other matters for prayer and thanksgiving on the website of the DNWA.

Bishop of Bathurst’s Newsletter — HOPE25 Report edition

From the Bishop of Bathurst.

– Read it here.

In uncertain times – the message of Hope everyone needs to hear

“Here’s 3 minutes from this weekend’s message. Given the USA’s intervention in the Israel–Iran conflict, I suspect some will find this helpful to hear today. A reminder that even in global uncertainty, Christ remains supreme — and our hope is secure in him.”

– Bishop of Bathurst Diocese, Mark Calder, shares this excerpt from the coming weekend’s message.

Whatever your views about aspects of the current conflict, and whatever might have happened by the time you see this, Bishop Calder brings us back to what is the most important message of all.

See it on Facebook – or watch the full message here.

Southern Cross June-July 2025

The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine from the Diocese of Sydney is now available online – and printed copies are arriving in churches.

Among the articles is “Our mission opportunity“ – from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel –

“The most recent Census tells us that, for the first time since statistics have been collected, less than half of all Australians identify as Christian (43.9 per cent). The next largest group in Australia is those who say they have no religion (38.9 per cent). Islam is the second-largest religion in the country, at just over 3 per cent of the population.

So, the very high number of people who say they have no religion is a huge mission opportunity. I can tell you that as I travel around the Diocese every single church has people visiting for the first time, or people who have joined in the past year. Sometimes they have had no contact with a church before; sometimes they’ve been away from church for a long time – maybe even decades. …”

– Read it all at SydneyAnglicans.net.

A Crisis of Existential Crises: Outside of Christ, Everything is an Existential Crisis

In the first segment of his The Briefing for 18 June 2025, Albert Mohler points out why so many people are terrified of ‘existential crises’.

Related:

He’s Still There and Still Not Silent – Revisiting Francis Schaeffer’s Classic – Douglas Groothuis at The Gospel Coalition.

“Shortly after becoming a Christian in 1976, I read Schaeffer’s books, starting with The God Who Is There. Not long after, I read He Is There and He Is Not Silent, and I’ve read it many times since.

I developed a Christian worldview through his books, and Schaeffer gave me an intellectual courage that has only grown over the years.”

Archdeacons commissioned in Bathurst Diocese

This morning, a special service was held at Holy Trinity Dubbo to commission The Ven Andrew Thornhill as Diocesan Archdeacon, and The Rev James Daymond as Archdeacon of the North West.

Video here.

It’d be good to continue to pray for these men and for the continued work of proclaiming Christ is this huge area of NSW.

The night the Diocese, the College and the ACL all almost imploded

Moore College Principal Dr. Mark Thompson gave the keynote address at the Anglican Church League’s 2025 Annual General Meeting on 12 June 2025.

The meeting was held in the T.C. Hammond Common Room – an appropriate venue, as you will see from his address.

The talk is more than just a fascinating glimpse into the history of the Diocese of Sydney.

Take the time to listen (31 minutes) – and good to share:

________

Or you can download a PDF file of the talk, including footnotes, with much thanks to Dr Mark Thompson. (file updated 14 June)

Top image:
David John Davies – Principal of Moore College 1911–1935 with the Moore College crest (from Moore Centenary History by Marcus Loane), and Everard Digges La Touche (image from Sydney Anglicans by Stephen Judd and Kenneth Cable).

TMA introduces Archbishop-elect Ric Thorpe

The June 2025 issue of The Melbourne Anglican introduces Archbishop-elect Ric Thorpe:

“The Archbishop-elect of the Diocese of Melbourne has urged its members to pray for strength to be aligned with God’s purpose as the Church entered a new season.

London Bishop Ric Thorpe was elected Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne at an election synod comprising more than 700 clergy and lay leaders in May.

He called on Melbourne Anglicans to ask God to strengthen the diocese’s foundation and their spiritual lives during the transition. …”

– Read here.

See also:

Can the new Melbourne Anglican Archbishop revive a shrinking church? – Bishop Ric Thorpe is interviewed in this 16 minute segment from ABC’s The Religion and Ethics Report, published 11 June 2025.

Helping out at Condobolin

From the Diocese of Bathurst:

“Bishop Stuart Robinson, along with Janie, began their 6 months in Condobolin [on Saturday] afternoon with a full church, joyful singing (thanks to the West Wyalong crew!), and warm fellowship.

They were blessed to have members of the local Presbyterian church join them, and everyone enjoyed an ‘Italian banquet’ of pizzas in the rectory after the service. Please pray that many will return and that this time will be Christ-honouring and kingdom-building.”

– via the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page. For your prayers.

Survey results: How often do Rectors preach in the Sydney Diocese?

“In January 2025 the ACR emailed out a survey to all Sydney Anglican Rectors – numbering just over 250. The survey was short and uncomplicated to ensure a good number of respondents. Below are the results for the survey and the questions that were asked.

The catalyst for the survey followed some anecdotes about preaching frequency amongst our Rectors, especially amongst those Rectors who serve in what might be called a large church.…”

– Mike Leite, Editorial Director of The Australian Church Record, shares the results of the ACR’s survey.

How to face dying with joy and confidence — rather than fear and dread

Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder shares this message in his HOPE25 series.

He speaks from John 11:17-45. He also mentions Titus 3:5.

Good to watch, even better to share.

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