Australian and English evangelicals: A conversation with Andrew Atherstone

From Lionel Windsor at The Australian Church Record –

“Andrew Atherstone is Professor of Modern Anglicanism at the University of Oxford. He has been in Sydney for the Annual Moore College Lectures, held in August 2026, on Anglican Evangelicalism in the Age of John Stott, Jim Packer and Dick Lucas: Surviving and Thriving in a Mixed-up Denomination.

The lectures explored the recent history of Anglican evangelicals in England and the question of whether to stay or leave in the face of liberal and heterodox bishops.

In this interview, the ACR asked Andrew particularly about the mutual influence between Australian and English evangelicals, and the contribution of some key Australian figures. …”

– Read the interview here.

(Interestingly, he mentions a link to the Diocese of Bathurst.)

Love for our Jewish neighbours

Russell Powell reports from Sydney Synod:

“Symbolically moved on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney has rejected anti-semitism and called for prayer for ‘our Jewish neighbours’ in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

Moved by the Rev Andrew Bruce, the Synod lamented anti-semitism in Australia and ‘encourages all Sydney Anglicans to guard against any form of racism in our lives or in our churches’. …”

– Read the full story here.

Anglican Aid’s Annual Report 2025-26

The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has published it sAnnual Report for 2025-26.

“Your gifts and prayers have helped to strengthen churches and transform communities in the world’s poorest nations.

You have helped provide clean water, food, emergency supplies, access to education, medical care, and Bible training to participants of more than 140 projects in 30 countries. …”

Download your copy to understand better what this key organisation is doing on behalf of Sydney Anglicans.Very encouraging and much cause for thanksgiving.

Archbishop Ric Thorpe’s sermon at Melbourne consecrations today

As he assembled his new episcopal team, Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Ric Thorpe, consecrated three new assistant bishops in Melbourne’s St. Paul’s Cathedral today.

– The Archbishop’s sermon at the service can be seen here.

Speaking to the new bishops, he says,

“You are being sent on the mission of Jesus Christ. You’re called to help the church make disciples – people who know, trust, and follow Jesus, and to help others, to follow him.

And this is the good news.

Although we have turned away from God. He has not turned away from us.

Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again. Through him, there is forgiveness from the past.

There is reconciliation with God. We can have a new life today and a hope for the future.

This gospel is the message by which the church lives, and the good news Melbourne and Geelong need to hear through God’s people.

Our diocesan vision, which is emerging right now, is clear. We seek to be a renewed church, proclaiming Christ across Melbourne and Geelong, so that every person might encounter the love of God.

And that vision is not a slogan. It’s an invitation to join in with God’s mission. …”

Some background of those consecrated is printed in the Order of Service.

It’s a reminder to pray for the progress of the gospel in Melbourne (and Geelong, and the whole country).

Gafcon gives thanks for Sydney Synod formally welcoming the Abuja Affirmation

From Gafcon:

“Praise God that this week the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia passed a motion formally welcoming the Abuja Affirmation and giving thanks for the reordering of the Anglican Communion as the Global Anglican Communion.

We rejoice in the Synod’s recognition of Sydney’s ‘joyful partnership with the Global Anglican Communion’, flowing from its longstanding partnership with Gafcon since the lead-up to Jerusalem 2008, its commitment to the Jerusalem Declaration, and its practice of principled disengagement from the Canterbury Instruments of Communion.

Please pray for The Most Revd Kanishka Raffel, Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of New South Wales, as he serves as a member of the Global Anglican Council. Pray for wisdom and faithfulness at this significant moment in the establishment of the Global Anglican Communion, strengthening faithful Anglicans and advancing the proclamation of Christ throughout the world.”

– Source. Photo: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Related: The Abuja Affirmation.

A surprise visitor

“A few months ago, a Carnarvon man walked into church for the first time and said, ‘My family has been praying for me, and I thought I’d come to church today.’…”

– Here’s a short, but wonderfully encouraging, story from the Diocese of North West Australia.

Thanks from Bathurst

From the Diocese of Bathurst –

“This afternoon Bishop Mark addressed Sydney Synod to say ‘thank you’.

Reflecting on what Christ has accomplished across the Diocese over the past seven years — new gospel workers, growing attendance and Bible study groups, and a significant increase in children’s and youth ministry — he warmly thanked Archbishop Kanishka and members of Synod for their extraordinary partnership:

‘Without your vision and generosity, none of this would have been possible. Thank you for believing that gospel ministry in regional and rural New South Wales, matters. To God be the glory!’ ”

– Text and photo from the Bathurst diocese Facebook page.

We want to commend Christ without compromise

“When the Apostle Paul asserted his rights as a Roman citizen, he wasn’t standing on pride – he was clearing a path for the gospel. That same strategy drove discussions at Sydney Synod this week as members confronted rising threats to freedom of conscience. …”

– Russell Powell reports from Sydney Synod.

“A glimpse of what God is doing among us”

Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net reports on Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s 2026 Presidential Address to Synod on Monday 15th September –

“A Mandarin-speaking woman who first encountered church through AI translation and two young men who decided to read the Bible together before seeking baptism were among the stories highlighted by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel in his Presidential Address to Synod.

Weaving together statistics and personal testimonies, the Archbishop pointed Synod members to evidence of God’s work across the diocese.

Referring to Synod’s goal of 5 per cent growth through conversion, Archbishop Raffel said churches were increasingly reaching people from overseas backgrounds, who make up 31 per cent of the population. …”

– Read his report.

You can also read the full text of the Archbishop’s address or  see the full video.

Thanks, as always, to SydneyAnglicans.net.

ACR’s Synod 2026 Journal

Sydney Synod begins today and, as always, all involved would be very glad of your prayers.

If you missed it, The Australian Church Record’s Synod 2026 Journal is available for download.

Good reading from our friends at the ACR, whether you are a Sydney Synod member or not!

Southern Cross magazine for September — October 2026

The latest issue of the Diocese of Sydney’s Southern Cross magazine is now out for September – October 2026.

You can get a copy at your local church – or you can download / read it online.

Plenty of interesting and encouraging articles, including –
• The Big Church Song Survey
• Year 13 in Fiji
• Laughter
• Psalm 93

There’s also a story about Alice Cooper and the new book Evangelism in the Local Church by Paul Brennan and Dave Jensen. See it on page 7.

The Tron Church has this interview with the authors. There, Dave Jensen argues that you don’t need a celebrity to promote the gospel. (Of course, every celebrity needs the gospel!)

And The Wandering Bookseller currently has the book on special.

Photos: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Raising New Indigenous Leaders — Armidale Diocese

From the Diocese of Armidale:

“Every year we hold an Indigenous Ministry Day and this year the topic was ‘Raising Up Leaders’.

Speakers Rev. Michael Duckett and Rev. Jum Naden each opened up the Bible and shared how through Christ, we can have intergenerational hope, and that Christ is the greatest need of Indigenous peoples too. They then shared about some of the ways that Indigenous people can be trained for ministry including internships and The Well Training (including a new Indigenous stream is starting in 2027).”

– See the post for links to an article in The Link and to recordings of the sessions at Narrabri.

The article is on page 11 of The Link, Spring 2026. You can read the full issue here (3.9MB PDF file).

Anglican Church’s first female Aboriginal priest and prolific Arnhem Land artist dies — “Her constant focus was on the work of the gospel”

From ABC News –

“A pioneer within the Anglican church has been remembered by her family as a ‘strong cultural woman’, after she passed away this week in the Northern Territory. …

Reverend Y. Nunggumajbarr was ordained as an Anglican priest in 2009 at a ceremony in her home community of Numbulwar, on the Gulf coast in south-east Arnhem Land. …

In an email sent to members of the Anglican Dioceses, Bishop Greg Anderson said Reverend Y. Nunggumajbarr had ministered services in nearby Angurugu and Numbulwar for more than a decade, prior to her retirement from the ministry in 2023.

‘Her constant focus was on the work of the gospel, and what needed to happen to make it spread,’ Bishop Anderson wrote. …”

– Story here.

The Australian Church Record’s Synod 2026 Journal

Lionel Windsor, Editorial Director of The Australian Church Record, introduces the ACR’s Synod 2026 Journal –

Dear friends,

Many readers will know 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Yet Paul writes these words amid opposition to gospel truth, rejection of godly living and persecution. He therefore urges Timothy: “Continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it” (2 Timothy 3:14).

We are encouraged to remember both the biblical truths we have learned and those through whom God has taught us. As I take on the role of editor of the ACR, I am conscious of this rich heritage. This year marks 100 years since it became the Australian Church Record, building on generations of faithful evangelical witness. We give thanks for those who have stood for the gospel, most recently including Mike Leite, under whose leadership the ACR has grown and flourished.

Though today’s challenges differ, the need to hold firmly to God’s word remains. I trust this edition will encourage us to do just that.

Peter Orr examines the nature and importance of the pastoral office, while Simon Hingston considers biblical clarity in evangelism. Jen Richards offers practical encouragement for regular public Bible reading, and James Chen explores how our gatherings and the sacraments point us back to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice and forward to our future hope.

With a new Sydney synod triennium beginning, we include key sections from the Standing Committee’s report on the theological and historical purpose of synod. We have also published this on our blog as a resource that can be used in preparation for synod.

We also hear encouraging accounts of gospel ministry from Vic Colgan in Carlton, Steve Thurgar in Eagle Vale and James Daymond in the Diocese of Bathurst.

Looking beyond Australia, Rod Chiswell reflects on the recent Abuja meeting and its significance for the worldwide Anglican Communion. Finally, Peter Adam reviews Tony Payne’s Let the Word Dwell Richly, on the vital ministry of Christians speaking God’s word to one another.

I trust this edition will encourage you to continue in what you have learned, and to give thanks for those from whom you learned it.

With deep gratefulness to the Lord for our contributors,

Lionel Windsor
Editorial Director

– After reading the above, you’ll absolutely want to download your own copy of the ACR’s Synod 2026 Journal.

You can do that by clicking this link (3.5MB PDF file). (Good to share too.)

Four Australian dioceses pray for wisdom in seeking new leaders

Bishop Garry Weatherill of the Diocese of Ballarat is retiring.

Consequently, “prayers have been prepared for use in the Diocese of Ballarat during the time of discernment and election of a new bishop” and published on the diocesan website.

In addition, Bishop Donald Kirk retired from his role as Bishop of the Diocese of Riverina last Thursday, 27th August.

And, as readers of our website will know, Diocese of Bathurst’s Bishop Mark Calder will conclude his time as bishop on Saturday 19th September.

Update:

We hear that the Bishop of the Diocese of Bunbury in Western Australia is also retiring – Bishop Ian Coutts laid up his pastoral staff last Saturday, 29th August.

Without doubt the churches of the dioceses of Ballarat, Riverina, Bathurst and Bunbury would desire your prayers for them in this time of transition.

Top graphic adapted from the Ballarat diocese website.
Map of Australian dioceses adapted from the Anglican Church of Australia website.

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