The Well prepares Indigenous stream

“The Rev Michael Duckett looks out at the firepit, surrounded by gum trees, at Macarthur Indigenous Church’s ministry centre at Wedderburn.

We’re talking about plans for the first-ever training program designed for Indigenous people in the Sydney Diocese…”

– Russell Powell has this encouraging story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Diocese of Tasmania recognises the Global Anglican Communion in recent Synod

We missed this news from Gafcon Australia when it came out last month –

“We are delighted by the motion recently passed by the synod of the Diocese of Tasmania. The following was moved by the Venerable Jennifer Hercott:

‘That this Synod:

1. Notes that this Diocese has previously affirmed and assented to the Jerusalem Declaration as a faithful expression of Anglican doctrine and identity;

2. Acknowledges its continued constitutional relationship with the Church of England in England as presently established;

3. Recognises the Global Anglican Communion as a genuine expression of Anglican fellowship, grounded in historic orthodoxy and shared commitment to the authority of Scripture;

4. Declares that this Diocese considers itself to be in fellowship with those Provinces and Dioceses within the Global Anglican Communion that uphold the doctrine and teaching reflected in the Jerusalem Declaration;

5. Encourages the strengthening of relationships, prayer, and mutual support with these Anglican bodies for the sake of the gospel and the unity of Christ’s Church. …’ ”

– Read more at Gafcon Australia, where the question is posed, “Could your diocese propose a similar motion? Or your local church begin by adopting the Jerusalem Declaration?”

The Sydney Family Album 3 — William Cowper

In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, penned a series of posts entitled “The Sydney Family Album”, for his website, Theological Theology.

We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.

Here’s the third, a guest post by Peter Bolt on William Cowper.

Other posts in the The Sydney Family Album series (as we add them) are in our Resources section.

The Sydney Family Album 2 — Samuel Marsden

In 2011, Mark Thompson, now Principal of Moore College, penned a series of posts entitled The Sydney Family Album, for his website, Theological Theology.

We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.

Here’s the second, a guest post by David Pettett on Samuel Marsden.

Related:

Sunday sermons shed light on pioneer – SydneyAnglicans.net, December 2016.

The Sydney Family Album 1 — Richard Johnson

In 2011, Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore College, penned a series of posts entitled The Sydney Family Album, for his website, Theological Theology.

We felt they merit wider distribution, so, with Mark’s kind permission, we are re-posting them on the ACL website, at the rate of one a week.

Here’s the first, starting at the beginning with Richard Johnson.

How Katoomba shaped a generation of Sydney Evangelicals with Phillip Jensen, David Cook and Al Stewart

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“For a generation of Sydney evangelicals, the Katoomba Christian Conventions weren’t just events in the calendar – they shaped church programs across the city.

In the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, thousands gathered under the circus tent and then later in packed auditoriums to hear the Bible taught, sing with conviction and be raised up for ministry.

But how did Katoomba become such an influence in Sydney evangelicalism? What decisions shaped its extraordinary impact? And what lessons are there for today.

We start a new occasional oral history series on the Pastor’s Heart, with former Katoomba Chairs Philip Jensen, David Cook and Al Stewart, reflecting on Katoomba’s phenomenal influence, the priority of expository preaching, the importance of guarding the platform and why ‘we teach the Bible’ became a defining conviction.”

– Watch here.

Much cause for thanksgiving, as well as some sobering memories, and a reminder to pray for the continued work of the Katoomba Christian Conventions.

23 volunteers, five languages, one mission

From Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net –

“Peter Au knows the stones and stories of St Andrew’s Cathedral better than almost anyone. But for him and his team of 23 welcomers, a visit is never just about the architecture – it’s about the Architect.

Earlier this year, The Daily Telegraph newspaper recommended that people visit the Cathedral, on the corner of George and Bathurst streets. ‘Plenty of history in this place as the host of countless state funerals and royal visits,’ the paper said. ‘Pop in when you’re next in the city. Soul-cleansing stuff.’

The writers may not have realised just how literally the welcomers take that description. …”

– Read about this strategic ministry.

Related:

St. Andrew’s Cathedral history.

The Sydney Family Album – 8, Howard Mowll – Dr Mark Thompson.

ACL AGM Address 2026 — Dr Lionel Windsor

The Rev Dr Lionel Windsor, New Testament Lecturer at Moore Theological College and ACL Council Member, gave the occasional address at the Anglican Church League’s 2026 Annual General Meeting.

His topic was: “Built on the foundation, joined together: Does God care about inter-church organisations?”  A talk on Ephesians 2:20–22.

“How do we define who the ACL is from a theological point of view? There are two dangers when we attempt to define ourselves theologically. At one end of the spectrum, we create too grand a vision and start believing church political networks like the ACL are central to God’s purposes in the universe. Yet at the other end, there is the danger that we become purely pragmatic, seeing the ACL as exclusively a human organisation. …”

– Listen to the full 19 minute talk here:

 

Or download the 19MB mp3 file at this link.

Bishop Richard Condie’s 2026 Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania

Bishop of Tasmania Richard Condie delivered his Presidential Address at the 2026 earlier this month.

It’s now on the diocesan website –

“Synod is about partnership. We each have our roles to play, as we bring our spiritual gifts to bear on our ministry and leadership. Each Parish and sector ministry, each chaplaincy and school has a unique context with unique mission challenges. But Synod reminds us that we do not labour alone, but alongside each other in partnership in the gospel. Paul was very aware of this as he wrote to the Philippian church. He was not a solo missionary, nor was the church in Philippi all on its own. Rather, Paul gives thanks to God for their partnership, their fellowship, their communion in the Gospel, right through his association with then. They were in this together, and so are we.

I am so thankful for your partnership and prayers and give thanks to God for them. I have been especially aware of this in recent days as we have begun to address our challenges around redress, but also in the development of our renewed shared Vision that we will launch at this Synod. We genuinely do this work together and it is a great joy. …”

Bishop Condie speaks around three points –

  1. Where we have come from
  2. Where we are now – redress
  3. The Future – Launching Tasmanian Anglicans 2031.

Under the third heading, he outlines –

– Read it all here.

Plenty of food for prayer for our brothers and sisters and the progress of the gospel in Tasmania.

Image thanks to the Diocese of Bathurst.

Letters that touched my heart

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel shares –

“In October of last year Cailey and I had the great privilege of visiting the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Although it is called a ‘library’, it is what we would usually call a museum – although that is too tame a description for the 14 galleries recording the remarkable ways in which the Lord used William Franklin Graham Jnr (known to the world as Billy Graham) to preach the gospel to more people in more places across the globe than anyone else before or since.

Attached to the Billy Graham Library is a research archive, which houses an enormous collection of papers, recordings, journals, campaign and other materials from Billy Graham’s more than 60 years of public ministry. …”

– Read it at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Also published in the current edition of Southern Cross magazine.

Faithful service recognised in King’s Birthday Honours list

“A prominent educator and a husband and wife from the Northern Beaches are among Sydney Anglicans honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours list. …”

– Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Moore College Principal to retire at end of 2027

Announcement from SydneyAnglicans.net –

“The Principal of Moore College, Dr Mark Thompson, has announced he will retire at the end of 2027.

The announcement was made at Moore College on Friday, June 5, as Dr Thompson told staff and students.

‘After discussions with the Archbishop and the Governing Board, we have decided that 2027 will be the last year that I serve as the 13th Principal of Moore College,’ Dr Thompson said. ‘No doubt there will be much more that will be said and written over the next eighteen months. But I wanted to let you know at this point, so that you won’t be surprised when advertisements for the position begin to appear in the second half of this year, and so that you might pray as the process of choosing the 14th Principal unfolds.’…”

– Read it all here. It would be really good to pray for Mark and Kathryn, for the College, and for whoever will be appointed the 14th Principal.

Also announced through the College website:

Retirement announced.

Two to remember

“It was 1856, and the new Reformed Evangelical bishop, Frederic Barker, had arrived in Sydney with his wife Jane the year before.

The bishop was responsible for most of NSW – a huge burden. He and his wife immediately saw three great needs and took action to meet them.…”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Peter Jensen commends a soon-to-be-published book on Bishop Barker by Dr. Grant Maple.

He reminds us that it is “so easy to forget our history and that impoverishes us”.

“This bill should unite Parliament” — Archbishop of Sydney Public Statement

Here’s a Public Statement, released today, from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel –

Public Statement
“This bill should unite Parliament”

I have written to the Premier, the Honourable Chris Minns, and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, the Honourable Penny Sharpe, to express support for a bill to prevent sex-selective abortions due to be brought before Parliament shortly.

The Anglican Church in Sydney has consistently opposed legislation that has the effect of expanding access to abortion. We hold that abortion is not a neutral moral choice but involves the loss of defenceless human life. Nevertheless, we grieve for mothers who see no other option, affirming that in our loving God, there is forgiveness and boundless goodness and mercy.

But regardless of the broader debates about abortion itself, this Bill should unite Parliament against sex-selective abortion, which disproportionately targets unborn girls.

A recent study undertaken by Edith Cowan University and Curtin University found that sex-selective abortion is widespread in New South Wales.

In my letter, I appealed to the government with these words: “My hope is that those who have in-principle support for abortion rights, on whatever ground, would nevertheless see merit in supporting this bill to safeguard our shared commitment to the dignity and equality of girl children. Far from empowering women, sex selective abortion reflects deeply entrenched cultural prejudice and belongs to crude discriminatory paradigms that contemporary and civilised societies have long sought to leave behind.”

For Christians, this concern is grounded in our commitment to the sanctity of human life and the inherent equality of men and women. Scripture affirms that both male and female are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), a conviction that underpins our commitment to the dignity of every human.

I urge Sydney Anglicans to join me in praying that the government will lead the Parliament in taking the small but vital step of supporting this bill.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

28 May 2026.

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

The importance of a special relationship in a crisis

From The Australian Church Record, an encouraging and enlightening contribution by Robin Sydserff of The Proclamation Trust –

“At the celebration of Dick Lucas’ 100th birthday on 14 September 2025, the overseas contribution was a series of recorded video messages from past and present Christian leaders in Australia, testifying to a special relationship. The relationship, first between conservative evangelicals in the Church of England and Sydney Anglicans, has enlarged over the last fifty years and more to embrace a much wider constituency.

In a special relationship there are times when strong things need to be said. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’ (Prov 27:6). …”

– What is the crisis? Who are the friends? How have they been a blessing to each other? Do take the time to read it all.

First published in the ACR’s Easter 2026 Journal.

Image from an interview with Robin Sydserff and David Cook on The Pastor’s Heart, August 2025.

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