Latest news from the Northern Territory

The latest issue of Top Centre magazine (issue 24.2) from the Diocese of the Northern Territory is available on their website.

Food for prayer.

2024 Melbourne Synod wrap-up

The Synod of the Diocese of Melbourne has been held the last few days.

The Melbourne Anglican has several stories, as well as the text of Archbishop Philip Freier’s last Synod Presidential Address before his retirement.

Photo by Jenan Taylor / The Melbourne Anglican.

Where is our mission confidence?

“Last week, I enjoyed Xiao Long Bao with the family in a restaurant just behind Bourke Street in Melbourne City. On our way back to the car, we walked past two billboards casting their messages onto the famous Swanston and Flinders Street intersection.

The first billboard was hilarious; it advertised Melbourne’s Fringe Festival by emulating Paris’ Olympic Opening Ceremony with a Last Supper mock-up. Melbourne’s creatives apparently have the comedic and artistic flair of the inside of a vacuum: ‘Let stupidity repeat itself’! (no I’m not offended, except by the boorishness).

The second billboard stands outside St Paul’s Cathedral. This gothic lookalike sits on the busiest intersection in Melbourne’s CBD. It is a favourite spot for news reporters, city workers, protesters, and more. In every direction a tram is clicketing with passengers heading to the MCG or to theatre shows and the symphony.

With this kind of amazing frontage, which is probably unbeatable anywhere else in all of Melbourne, what message would you like to convey to the 100,000s people who pass by every day?…”

– Murray Campbell in Melbourne has some important observations for all churches.

Here’s another message, posted by private individuals, across from St. Paul’s Cathedral several years ago:

Bishop Darrell Parker’s Presidential Address to the Diocese of North West Australia

“The life saving and life transforming ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ continues steadily across the North West of Western Australia.

I’m deeply conscious that first and foremost, before we say anything concerning the details of that ministry, we must thank God for his mercies in what has been achieved. He surely is the one who makes this happen and empowers it by his Spirit, so it’s in sincere thanks, gratitude, and praise that I begin this Presidential Report to our Diocesan Synod.

If we together have achieved anything of eternal significance in this last year, our first instinct must be to humble ourselves before our Creator, Saviour, and King, and say ‘thank you’. I say this because ‘our’ works in gospel ministry are firstly ’The Lord’s’ works in gospel ministry. Our gospel acts of service belong to him well and truly before we undertake or even conceive of them. Paul reminds us of this truth in Ephesians 2:10,

…. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

This address is classified into three parts:

(1) Our Ministry Environment
(2) Diocesan Ministry Initiatives and Change
(3) Some Episcopal Observations …”

– Read it all here. A great reminder to pray for ministry in the North West.

Archbishop to Decide as Perth Synod Weakens Faithfulness in Service

“The Synod of the Diocese of Perth met this last weekend amid ever-growing concern about the direction that the Diocese is heading under the leadership of Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy.

The matter which davidould.net has received most correspondence about is the proposed changes to Faithfulness in Service to effectively weaken moral requirements for church workers.

We’ll come to that in a moment but, perhaps to set the scene of what is happening in Perth, here is a fascinating set of answers to questions. All documentation for this article comes from photos provided by attendees at the synod since the Diocese of Perth no longer publishes any of their synod documentation online (including the Presidential Address). …”

– Do read the latest at davidould.net.

Photo: Diocese of Perth.

Christian sexual ethics and the abuse of adolescents: Lessons from the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle

“I encourage everyone interested in law and religion issues to read this challenging piece published on the Australian Broadcasting Commission website from Emeritus Professor Patrick Parkinson: “Christian sexual ethics and the abuse of adolescents: Lessons from the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle” (24 September 2024). …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster commends some important, but sobering, reading.

(Image: Assoc. Professor Neil Foster speaks at a Diocese of Sydney Safe Ministry training event.)

Bathurst Synod 2024 Presidential Address

Bishop Mark Calder this morning delivered his Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Bathurst. Click the image above to watch.

Or read the text (PDF file).

“I only have one agenda.

His name is Jesus.

I want everyone in our churches to know Jesus, love Jesus, trust Jesus, serve Jesus and share Jesus.

And I want everyone not currently in our churches to hear of Jesus, turn to Jesus, revel in Jesus as Saviour and serve Jesus as Lord.

I was elected by the Bishop’s election board in 2019 for that agenda.

The board made it clear that they wanted change. Not just any change, but Gospel-shaped, Jesus- focused change.

Of course, I am not suggesting that Jesus wasn’t on the agenda prior to my appointment. However, the reality of the prior years, is that there were many other distressing and distracting issues which needed to be addressed.

I have now been here five years, and under our ordinances, I have three more.

So I want to share with you five lessons I’ve learnt in five years and three prayers I will continue praying in my last three years. …”

– Whether you watch or read, be encouraged to share the link to this page so that others can pray, and help in other ways.

What on earth am I doing here? — Bishop David Bassett

“I wonder if you’ve ever asked yourself this same question?

Here I am seven or so months into my new role as Assistant Bishop here in Perth. I’ve met too many people to remember, been lost more often than I care to admit, and have spent significant time at my desk praying ‘what do I do now?’ But don’t get me wrong, I am so glad to be here, there are so many blessings, and I keep seeing how God is working here.

The question is an important one for us all to be asking: what on earth am I doing here?…”

– Bishop David Bassett, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Perth, reminds us why we’re here.

Moore Matters — Spring 2024

The latest issue of Moore Matters from Moore College is now available – at churches across Sydney – and for download from the College website.

This issue is especially encouraging – with news from Bathurst, Canberra, Adelaide, Tasmania, North West Australia, and more.

– Download or read online here.

Anglicare Sydney extends community services to the Bathurst diocese as Anglicare Central West

Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Bathurst and Anglicare Sydney:

“Joint statement: Anglicare Sydney extends community services to the Bathurst diocese as Anglicare Central West

We are delighted to share that Anglicare Sydney is extending its community services to the Bathurst Diocese to help deliver and grow those services to the community in the region.

Currently community services are delivered through a partnership arrangement with Anglicare NSW South, NSW West and ACT (SWACT). Following agreement between Anglicare Sydney and Anglicare SWACT, Anglicare Sydney will provide these services from October.

Regionally, these services will be known as Anglicare Central West.
This decision followed careful consideration, prayer and discussion over the past six months.

The need for community services in the Bathurst Diocese is great, and it is our desire to see a strong, flourishing and expanded service of care to the community.

Anglicare Sydney is delighted to welcome the Anglicare SWACT Central West team and looks forward to providing much needed services in the Bathurst Diocese, such as food and financial assistance, including emergency relief, food hampers, no interest loans for eligible clients, and other community services.

Key areas of focus for Anglicare Sydney in the Central West include the strengthening of partnerships with local churches, as well as understanding and responding to specific regional needs and opportunities.

Anglicare Sydney is recruiting a locally based, mission aligned Regional Manager for Anglicare Central West, to help lead the growth of its services.

Please join us in thanking God for the work of Anglicare SWACT, for this new partnership with Anglicare Sydney, and that together we would see more communities loved in the name of Jesus.

Bishop Mark Calder & Simon Miller, CEO Anglicare Sydney.”

– PDF file.

Regional ministry in the Bathurst Diocese – Mark Calder, James Boardman and Sally Phelps

From Moore College:

“Vice Principal Simon Gillham chats with Bishop of the Bathurst Diocese, Mark Calder and regional workers James Boardman and Sally Phelps. They share the joys and challenges of doing ministry in a regional area and share about the exciting growth and opportunities available in the area.

Would you continue to pray for the gospel growth in the Bathurst Diocese and that many would head out into regional ministry.”

– Watch here, and do pray.

Latest North West Network (August 2024) now available


The latest North West Network (dated August 2024) – from the Diocese of North West Australia – is now available to be downloaded as a PDF file.

Use it to inform your prayers for the men and women, boys and girls, of the North West, and for the churches seeking to share the saving news of Jesus with them.

Plenty of encouragement.

– Download here. (1MB PDF file.)

A fresh encounter with John’s Gospel

“An epic Bible reading at St Jude’s Carlton invites attendees to encounter Jesus in a powerful and immersive way.

John’s Gospel will be read aloud in full, allowing people to experience the entire book and notice the threads running throughout.

The event is part of a series of free public readings Simon Camilleri will deliver across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney churches in September 2024.

Mr Camilleri said he was excited to present the entire gospel story for people who may never have heard it before. …”

– Story on page 28 of The Melbourne Anglican for September 2024.

Simon is reading John’s Gospel at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Saturday 7th September.

Minister for Gulgong announced

From the Diocese of Bathurst Facebook page:

“Bishop Mark Calder announced today the appointment of the Rev’d Josh Taylor as assistant priest in Cudgegong Valley, with responsibility for Gulgong. Josh and Jordon will arrive in Gulgong early in 2025. Praise God!”

– Read more here.

Also from the Diocese of Bathurst, here’s the latest list of parishes – for your prayers:

Review – Darkness: The Conversion of Anglican Armidale

Presbyterian Minister Graham Barnes reviews Darkness: The Conversion of Anglican Armidale, 1960-2019, by Thomas Fudge.

“Darkness is Professor Fudge’s ‘accidental (p.1)’ book on the history of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale from 1960 to 2019, and the battles between theological liberalism and evangelicalism. The book is thirteen chapters long, 800+ pages, and for the most part theology and history are interwoven.

For Fudge, the watershed moment was the 1964 Election Synod where the evangelical Clive Kerle was elected Bishop of the Diocese. …

Not being an Anglican, and not knowing the individuals nor the events that Fudge seeks to describe, I will try limit this review more to Fudge’s theology, focusing on the earlier and later parts of his book. In truth, many of his comments, in particular about individuals, were poor to say the least.”

– Read the full review at AP.

Related:

Responses to a new book about the recent history of the Diocese of Armidale – 09 April 2024.

“John Chapman led a diocese to go evangelical, and outrage lingers still” – 17 June 2023.

Chappo’s contribution to the Anglican Diocese of Armidale – Tim Stevens, 2014.

John Chapman touched on his time in Armidale several times in this 2012 interview with Richard Chin (on Vimeo). If you only have time for one segment, you may want to jump to 1:13:27. (He recalls events around the 1959 Billy Graham Crusade.)

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