Archbishop of York completes visit to Australia

From the Archbishop of York’s website –

“The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, recently visited Australia and Hong Kong, where he encouraged Anglican churches, schools and communities in their shared mission of proclaiming the gospel.

His visit began in Western Australia at the invitation of Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy AO. At the opening Eucharist of the Diocese of Perth’s 52nd Synod at St George’s Cathedral, Archbishop Stephen preached and joined clergy and lay representatives gathered from across the diocese. The service included a Welcome to Country from Barry Winmar and a Gospel procession led by the Boodjar Bidi Performance Group. During the Synod, the Archbishop was formally invited to address members, sharing greetings from the Church of England and affirming Archbishop Kay’s vision and leadership. …

Archbishop Stephen also spent time in Brisbane, where he joined Archbishop Jeremy Greaves in preaching and engaging with clergy from across the Anglican Church of Southern Queensland …”

– Report here. Photos here.

Image credit: Allan Brady.

Bishop Mark Calder to be BCA President from 2027

Some news from The Bush Church Aid Society –

“As we head rapidly towards the end of the year, there are some changes to the BCA community to let you know about for 2027. …”

– Changes to the BCA Community for 2027 – Greg Harris, BCA National Director, shared these updates last month.

Top Centre magazine — issue 3, 2026 — Diocese of the Northern Territory

We missed seeing this when it went online a few weeks ago – Issue 3 for 2026 of Top Centre, the magazine of the Diocese of the Northern Territory.

As always, plenty of food for prayer for the Top End and Centre.

Find it on this page – or direct link to the PDF file.

Archbishop Ric Thorpe — For the Harvest

Unveiled at last month’s Melbourne Synod, Archbishop Ric Thorpe shares his vision for Melbourne –

“The name comes from Matthew 9:35–38. Jesus sees the crowds with compassion, describes the harvest as plentiful and calls his disciples to pray for workers. He invites us to see the people around us with that same compassion, to pray and to go where he sends us.

Many churches and their leaders are stretched. As our communities change, we want to strengthen what is bearing fruit and help churches respond to the people around them. Our confidence is in Christ, who gives his Church life and hope.”

– Read about For the Harvest here – and be in prayer for the churches of Melbourne and the people of Melbourne.

Matt Brain elected Bishop of Bunbury

Bishop of Bendigo, Bishop Matt Brain, has been elected Bishop of Bunbury in Western Australia.

In a message today to the people of the Diocese of Bunbury, Archdeacon and Administrator of the Diocese the Ven. Geoff Chadwick writes  –

“Dear all,

No doubt you have been waiting to know who has been elected as our next Bishop.

It is my pleasure to announce that it is The Very Rev Dr Matthew Brain. He comes to us from the Diocese of Bendigo having previously been the Assistant Bishop of Canberra/Goulburn, Rector of Kambah and the Diocesan Youth Minister and Rector of Kalbarri.

He has experience in ministry training and development.

He is married to Rachael and has five adult children.

His other interests include cycling and he takes pleasure in playing the guitar.

I can assure you that we in the Diocesan Office will do all that we can to make him and Rachael welcome.

The date of his installation will be decided in due course.

May I also advise you not to contact him until he is installed. He will have much to do in Bendigo as he navigates his departure.

I look forward to working with him as we discover where God is leading the Diocese Please pray for him, his wife Rachael and the Diocesan team during this time of transition.

With Blessings.

Geoff

Archdeacon and Administrator.”

See also this pastoral letter from Bishop Brain to the Diocese of Bendigo. (PDF file.)

Top photo from the August 2026 issue of The Spirit from the Diocese of Bendigo.

Earlier:

Four Australian dioceses pray for wisdom in seeking new leaders – 03 September 2026. Now add prayers for Bendigo.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Nungalinya College Darwin seeking an Assistant Principal

Nungalinya College in Darwin is seeking a new Assistant Principal. Applications close at the start of November.

Might you, or someone you know, be the right person for the job?

From the advertisement on the College website:

“Nungalinya College is the premier training institution for Indigenous church leaders, located in Darwin. Nungalinya is formally supported by the Anglican, Uniting and Catholic churches of the Northern Territory.

As a theological college, Nungalinya provides education and training within a Christian context, with students coming from remote Northern Territory communities. The College is committed to providing a culturally respectful, supportive and inclusive learning environment and works sensitively within an ecumenical environment that values Indigenous cultures and First Languages.

The College is seeking an experienced and committed Christian leader to support the Principal in the effective strategic and operational management of the College.

The successful applicant will contribute to the College’s academic leadership, staff development, RTO compliance and continuous improvement, while fostering a Christ-centred learning environment that honours and supports Indigenous students, communities and culture.…”

– See the website for further details.

Australian Anglicans become more evangelical, redress debts mount

General Synod in Melbourne wrapped up yesterday. John Sandeman at The Other Cheek filed his last (?) report from the meeting –

“The Anglican Church of Australia is tilting further and further towards evangelicalism, an analysis of the election results from the General Synod (national church parliament) shows. This is seen clearly in the election of members to the Standing Committee of the General Synod. A quirk in the first-past-the-post method of elections makes changes in the [churchmanship] of the synod transparent, as it displays trends easily. …”

– Read here.

We need to be reminded that the story is bigger than numbers and ‘politics’ and pray that – despite the enormous challenges mentioned in this article – men and women, boys and girls, across Australia will hear the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved for eternity.

Do pray for General Synod as it meets in Melbourne 9-14 August

The Nineteenth Session of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia will be held from Sunday 9 August to Friday 14 August 2026 in Melbourne.

“The Session will commence with an Opening Service at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, at 5.30 pm on Sunday, 9 August.”

Today and tomorrow, General Synod members will be travelling from all around Australia. Please pray for them as they travel and as they meet for this Session.

Via the GAFCON Australia Facebook page, here are some prayer suggestions –

“Please continue praying with us for General Synod for the Anglican Church of Australia, as it kicks off next week (August 9-14) in Melbourne.

Pray that there would be helpful motions and that godly, competent people will be appointed to all General Synod bodies.

Thank God for faithful people who serve as General Synod members and on General Synod bodies currently.

Pray for wise and gospel-focused decisions about how to respond to dioceses that are struggling financially. Pray that ministry will be prioritised over money.”

And you could pray for each of the members by name, asking for the Lord’s blessing, grace and wisdom, and that Christ will be honoured in all discussions and decisions.

Image: The crests of the Australian dioceses, thanks to the Anglican Church of Australia.

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?”

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.

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