Matthew Gospel hits the stage

“An engaging stage dramatisation of the gospel produced kingdom fruit in Geraldton.

Geraldton Anglican Cathedral member Eugenie Harris produced The Matthew Drama, a 90-minute retelling of the Gospel of Matthew with a cast of 15 local Christians.

‘More than 200 people attended the two performances which happen as theatre-in-the-round so the audience is central to the action,’ she said. …”

– Encouraging news from the Diocese of North West Australia.

Anglican Diocese of North Queensland enters receivership

“A church diocese covering a third of Queensland has entered receivership to help fund ongoing compensation payments to victims of child sex abuse.

The Anglican Diocese of North Queensland covers 75 congregations, from the Torres Strait to Mackay and west to Mount Isa. …”

– Report from ABC News.

(The ABC report does not outline how this move will affect parishes, but notes that “schools and aged care service providers” will not be directly impacted.)

Image derived from the North Queensland Diocese website.

Top Centre issue 2 for 2025

Top Centre is the News Publication of the Diocese of the Northern Territory.

The latest issue was published online a few weeks ago, and it’s ideal reading to fuel your thanksgiving and intercession for the churches and people of the Northern Territory.

At the moment the Diocesan Synod is meeting in Darwin (prayer point!) – so it’s good to read Bishop Greg Anderson’s article on the Diocese’s Strategic Plan –

“This is the last in my series of articles on the Diocese’s strategic plan. I have written before about our vision statement “Growing communities in the love of Jesus Christ” and about our values: love, unity in diversity, hope, integrity, courage, safety and faithfulness to our foundations. Now, finally, I want to say something about our two strategic objectives: “Promote the gospel” and “Provide effective support structures around ministry.”

Those two objectives are about what we plan to do, under God, to achieve the growth in our churches and Christian engagement with our neighbours across the Northern Territory which we all hope for.

Promoting the gospel starts with having at the very centre of all our ministries the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord. How much unpacking we have to do to get all the meaning from those four words, not to mention why we think this is a good strategy! …”

As well, there’s an article reflecting on Greg’s decade as Bishop, another on more Andersons moving to the Northern Territory, and much more.

Download your copy of this issue – On this page, click on the button “Download latest issue”.

And you can download the Strategic Plan poster and booklet from the Diocesan website.

Talks from the Bathurst Diocesan Camp 2025

Dr. Mark Earngey spoke at the Bathurst Diocesan Camp earlier this month. His theme – “Why Church?”

Bishop Mark Calder has now posted the videos for your encouragement and edification.

Bathurst Winter 2025 Newsletter

The Winter 2025 edition of the Bathurst Diocese Newsletter is now up on their website.

Plenty to pray about, including –

“Grenfell – you’re invited to join many in welcoming the Rev’d Steve and Mrs Clenda Wockner as we commission Steve as their new minister – Sat 23 Aug, 11am.”

– Download the newsletter for your interest – and your prayers.

Discover serving in Bathurst Diocese

From the Diocese of Bathurst –

INFORMATION ZOOM EVENING
12 AUGUST @ 7:15 PM – 8:30 PM

Are you interested in ministry opportunities and pathways outside of the city? Are you curious about what it actually looks like to minister out west? Are you keen to hear about what it is like to SHARE JESUS for LIFE in the Bathurst Diocese?

Join us for an Information Zoom session and have all your questions answered! All welcome!

– Interested? Register at this link.

(And even if you are not able to go, you can still pray for the progress of the gospel and the building up of Christ’s people in Bathurst.)

Bathurst Diocesan Prayer Diary — July 2025

The Bathurst Diocesan Prayer Diary has been updated with the latest points for prayer and thanksgiving.

Maybe you could use it to help you pray for the work of the gospel in this huge area of New South Wales.

“Please pray for our diocese as a whole, that the Lord
…would fill us with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.
See Colossians 1:9-10”

Download here (PDF file).

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.

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.

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