Bathurst Diocese celebrates Bicentennary of Holy Trinity Kelso

Holy Trinity Kelso is the oldest parish west of the Blue Mountains, this year marking its bicentennary.

On Saturday, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel was in Kelso as part of the celebrations. Above, he is pictured with Mark Calder, Bishop of Bathurst.

Photos via the diocesan Facebook page.

Also see Archbishop Raffel’s sermon on 1 Peter 2:4-10 at the anniversary service.

Archbishop of Adelaide and Primate Geoffrey Smith announces resignation

“Adelaide’s Anglican Archbishop Geoffrey Smith has announced he will resign as Archbishop on November 8 and as Primate… of the Anglican church of Australia effective October 8th.

This will bring on the separate election process for both positions.

‘The time is right for Lynn and I to reconnect with family and friends by moving back to Queensland. Lyn and I will move to the Sunshine Coast, where we will settle and look forward to becoming involved with the local church and community,’ Smith writes in a letter to Adelaide clergy. …”

– John Sandeman at The Other Cheek has the news.

Photo: Diocese of Adelaide.

The latest North West Network

The most recent issue of North West Network (March 2025) is now up on the website of the Diocese of Northwest Australia.

– Download your copy for your encouragement and for food for prayer. (PDF file – linked from this page.)

Bishop Richard Condie — Hope for the hopeless — Luke 8:40-56

The Diocese of Bathurst is running HOPE25, with some special messages after Easter.

The Bishop of Tasmania, Richard Condie, begins the series by preaching from Luke 8:40-56. His topic? Hope for the Hopeless.

Very good to watch and share.

Coming sermons:

Three short Good Friday reflections from Luke 23 — Bishop Mark Calder

Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, shares three short reflections from Luke 23 for Good Friday.

See Luke chapter 23 (ESV).

1. He has done nothing to deserve death.Luke 23:2-25.
2. Today, you will be with me in paradise. Luke 23:32-43.
3. Surely this was a righteous man. Luke 23:44-47.

Ministry opportunities expand in Bathurst

From the Diocese of Bathurst Facebook page:

“Back in August when our bishop wrote an article for Southern Cross, he said we needed just 11 more ministers, so that each of our 28 parishes might just have one! As of now, we need 15! Two of our ministers have moved to Sydney multi-staffed parishes, one has retired, one moved to another role, and another had to leave ministry for personal reasons.

Perhaps if you’re in a multi-staffed city parish, you might consider our situation and the tremendous opportunities which await. Please email our bishop: bishop@bathurstanglican.org.au.”

– Facebook.

See also:

Bathurst Diocese Ministry Opportunities.

“Folded and complied” — Conversion Laws Dilemma For Melbourne Anglicans

“Melbourne Anglicans face a dilemma. They must decide whether to obey state laws or the teachings of the Bible.

Their diocese demands that members sign a Code of Conduct that among many other rules, agrees not to seek to change or suppress a child’s gender — as dictated by Victoria’s conversion laws under the Change Or Suppression (Conversion) Practises Prohibition Act 2021.

Those who don’t sign the Code are banned from serving in the church or attending synods.

They include religious liberty analyst Elizabeth Kendal who laments that many church members have folded and complied with the code of conduct, ignoring Biblical teachings on gender and sexuality. …”

– Report from Vision Radio.

See also:

A Canary In The Anglican Coalmine – Mark Durie.

(Photo: St. Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne is the backdrop for an evangelist’s sign on Princes Bridge.)

Diocese of the Northern Territory Prayer Cycle 2025

If you would like help in praying for the work of the gospel in the Northern Territory, see the recently-published Prayer Cycle for 2025.

– Download your copy here. Direct link to PDF file.

The Link – Autumn 2025 – from the Diocese of Armidale

Published online a few weeks ago, the Autumn 2025 issue of The Link from the Diocese of Armidale has local stories and food for prayer.

Available here. Or direct PDF file link.

Talks from the Bathurst Diocese 2025 Conference

Videos of the talks from the Diocese of Bathurst 2025 Conference – held last weekend – are now available for your encouragement and edification.

And food for your prayers too.

Prayer update from Cobar — March 2025

If you are praying for parishes in the Diocese of Bathurst, you’ll want to see the latest brief video update from James Daymond in the BCA-supported parish of Cobar.

Earlier:

New Resident Minister for Cobar after 20+ years – November 2022.

Melbourne election synod: Board members step down

“On 12 March the Board of Nominators sent a communication to synod members. The update, from the Chair of the Board Dr Jenny George, addressed five matters. …

What was very clear in the three-page update was that this task of selecting potential candidates to bring to the election synod was onerous and time consuming. Dr George wrote that a number of board members had stepped down ‘for a variety of personal reasons’. The board initially consisted of 18 members. As of 12 March, there are 14 members, who are listed in the update. …”

– Report from Penny Mulvey at The Melbourne Anglican.

Pray for Central Western NSW – BCA March 2025 Prayer Video

The Bush Church Aid Society’s Greg Harris shares prayer points for the Central West of NSW.

See the BCA website.

A Canary in the Anglican Coalmine

“At a recent meeting in Germany, religious freedom experts from around the world warned of a climate of ‘increasing intolerance’ towards people of faith in Western nations. Anja Hoffmann, Executive Director of the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe, who was one of the organisers of the event, said:

It is very worrying that the peaceful expression of personal religious beliefs on matters relating to marriage and family has become the potential end of a political career or employment, or even the beginning of a court case … This is a serious threat to religious freedom and leads to widespread self-censorship among traditional believers in the West.

Australia is not immune from this slide into intolerance. …”

– Mark Durie, Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne School of Theology, has republished this important essay on his website.

Written for Quadrant, and first published in the March 2025 issue, it’s a wakeup call for Christians and churches across the country. Essential reading.

Top Centre News — Issue 1 for 2025

The first issue of Top Centre magazine from the Diocese of the Northern Territory was published online a few weeks ago.

It includes one article, “Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Cyclone Tracy”, and another on the centenary of Oenpelli mission.

– Click on ‘Download latest issue’.
Much food for prayer.

Related:

Letter from Principal of Nungalinya College, Darwin, Dr. Keith Cole – written 1st January 1975, just after Cyclone Tracy.

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