“Grafton Synod indicates rejection of both National Constitution and Bishops’ Agreement”

“The Synod of the Diocese of Grafton, which met this last weekend, has passed a number of controversial motions and heard a question which indicate a walking away from aspects of the national church constitution and the recent Bishops’ Agreement. …

the Synod debated asking the General Synod to introduce same-sex marriage and blessing liturgies. That motion, as expected, was passed along with a number of related matters. What surprised some delegates at Synod was that the following motion was comprehensively defeated:

27. Standard of Worship and Doctrine

That this Synod affirms the authorised standard of worship and doctrine of the Anglican Church of Australia as set out in the Fundamental Declarations and Ruling Principles of the Constitution.

The motion was defeated in a vote by houses with approximately 2/3 of the delegates voting against.”

– David Ould has a report.

New ACL Council elected for 2019-2020

The Anglican Church League is pleased to announce the following office bearers were elected at our AGM on 6 June 2019.

Please continue to pray for the work of the Council and Executive, that they would serve humbly and faithfully to help promote Christ and the reformed evangelical Protestant faith through the structures of the Anglican Church of Australia.

The Anglican Church League, Office Bearers and Councillors for 2019 – 20

President: The Rev Andrew Bruce
Chairman: Dr Robert Tong AM
Secretary: The Rev Canon Tom Harricks 
Minutes Secretary: The Rev Matthew Whitfield
Elections Secretary: The Rev Gavin Poole
Membership Secretary: The Rev. Michael Leite
Communications Secretary: The Rev Dr Lionel Windsor
Treasurer: Dr Laurie Scandrett

Vice-presidents

Dr Claire Smith
Dr Laurie Scandrett
Mr Clive Ellis
The Rev Canon Dr Mark Thompson
The Rev Canon Phil Colgan
The Rt Rev Ivan Lee

Councillors

The Rev Roger Cunningham
Mr Jeremy Freeman
The Rev Dr Raj Gupta
Mr Edward Hannah
Mr Luke Jackson
Mr Angus Martin
Mrs Michele Morrison
The Rev Scott Newling
The Rev Caitlin Orr
The Rev Gavin Parsons
Mr Malcolm Purvis
The Rev Craig Roberts
The Rev Mike Taylor
The Rev Kate Haggar
The Rev Jason Ramsay
The Rev James Warren
The Rev Nigel Fortescue
The Rev Dave Keun

Emeritus Vice-presidents

The Rev Canon Dr Bruce Ballantine-Jones OAM
The Rt Rev Dr Paul Barnett AM
The Rev Canon Allan Blanch
Mr John Colquhoun
The Most Rev Dr Glenn Davies
The Rev Neil Flower
The Rt Rev Dr Harry Goodhew AO
The Rev Tom Halls
The Rt Rev Dr Peter Jensen
The Rev Phillip Jensen
The Rev Neil Macken
The Rt Rev Gary Nelson
The Rev Dr Peter O’Brien
The Rt Rev Dr Reg Piper
The Rev Canon Jim Ramsay
Mr Bruce Robinson
The Rev Gordon Robinson
The Rt Rev Ray Smith
The Rt Rev Peter Tasker
The Rev Dr John Woodhouse
The Rev Zac Veron.

Sydney Rector elected Bishop of The Murray

Announced in churches across the Diocese of The Murray today, this news from Dr Robert Tong AM, Chair of the  Bishop Election Committee and Chancellor:

“Following the retirement of Bishop John Ford, the Bishop Election Committee of the Diocese of The Murray is pleased to announce the election on 25 May 2019, of the Reverend Keith William Dalby to be the 5th Bishop of The Murray.

The bishop-elect is the Rector of St John’s Gordon in the Diocese of Sydney. He served his curacy at Mitcham (Adelaide Diocese) and then ministered in the Diocese of Ballarat as Rector of Timboon and then Rector of Warracknabeal before moving to Sydney.

Prior to ordination Keith spent 12 years as a submariner in the Royal Australian Navy. His theological training was at St Barnabas Theological College (BTh) and during his time in Gordon he completed the requirements for the award of MA in Theology from Moore Theological College. Keith is married to Alice and they have five children.

Arrangements for Consecration and Installation will be advised later.”

From The Murray diocesan website:

“The Anglican Diocese of The Murray is located in the south-eastern region of South Australia, taking in the Fleurieu Peninsula, Riverland, Adelaide Hills, Murraylands and the southern suburbs of Adelaide. The Diocese has 16 parishes or pastoral districts. The cathedral church of the Diocese is the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Murray Bridge.

The Diocese is one of three in the Province of South Australia.”

(Photo via Twitter.)

Bishop of Grafton speaks on Israel Folau

“He claims that free speech gives him the right to say anything he wants and blames others for the offence they take.

While he is free to hold to particular religious views, how he expresses these views in public is another matter. Free speech is not hate speech and should not be used to vilify others. Threatening people in this way cannot be disguised as protected religious activity. …”

– Bishop of Grafton, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Murray Harvey, has issued this Media Statement. (PDF file.)

Related:

SMBC “Hot Topics” paper on “Religious Freedom in Australia” delivered by Associate Professor Neil Foster on 01 May 2019 (PDF file).

Reflections on the Israel Folau affair – Associate Professor Neil Foster, 14 April 2019.

“…the question seems to boil down to this: can a statement that ‘homosexuals’ (along with ‘drunks’ and ‘thieves’ and others) are destined for eternal punishment unless they repent, be said to be ‘hateful’ or ‘vilifying’?

Of course many in the community will reject the notion of a God who created the world, who cares about the behaviour of human beings whom he made in his image, who judges their rebellion, and who has graciously offered a way out of condemnation through sending his son Jesus Christ to die and rise again.

But those are doctrines that have been held by the majority of people who have lived and died in the Western world for thousands of years. … These are the clear teachings of the Bible…”

Photo: Diocese of Grafton.

Around the Anglican Church of Australia – Easter 2019

Here are a few news items of interest from around the Anglican Church of Australia this Easter –

Easter message from Bishop Mark Short, Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. (PDF file)

Easter Message from Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier.

North West Ministry program kicks off in Geraldton – Diocese of North West Australia.

Shore School Council Appoints Dr Timothy Petterson as Eighth Headmaster.

Thanking God for the Butlers – Top Centre, Magazine of the Diocese of the Northern Territory. (Issue 19.1. PDF file.)

Mark Short installed as Canberra/Goulburn Bishop

New Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn to be consecrated on Saturday (6th April)

Dr. Mark Short, elected last November as Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, will be consecrated and installed at St. Saviour’s Cathedral in Goulburn on Saturday 6th April.

Please do pray for Mark and the continued progress of the gospel in that area.

Related:

Dr Mark Short to be installed as Canberra/Goulburn Bishop – Goulburn Post.

“Dr Short said he was surprised to be approached to consider the role. But in many ways it was a ‘coming home’ to the diocese and the cathedral in which he was ordained a priest and a minister.

Born in Sydney, he lived in the Riverina until age five before his family moved to Sydney’s western suburbs. He attended Saint Andrew’s Anglican School where several teachers inspired him to follow Jesus. …”

Prayer for the election of a Bishop of Bathurst

According to the timeline published in the December 2018 edition of Anglican eNews, the steps to elect a new Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst include:

“Synod Members to be invited to propose names of prospective nominees: late February.

Nominations Open: 1 March.

Nominations Close: 31 March.

Interviews, Due-Dilligence and Discernment: April.

Election and Announcement: May.”

Doubtless, all in the diocese would be glad of your continued prayers during this time.

Related:

Sydney helps Bathurst – SydneyAnglicans.net

Bishop Ian Palmer’s farewell address to Bathurst Synod.

Tasmanian Parliamentary Year Commencement Sermon 2019

Dr. Richard Condie, Bishop of Tasmania, preached at the Parliamentary Year Commencement Service in St. David’s Cathedral Hobart on Tuesday 19th March 2019.

“The events in the past few days remind us of the importance of the task before us, and particularly the task before the Parliament of this State of Tasmania.

The senseless act of violence and murder last Friday in the peaceful city of Christchurch, where now 50 people, one as young as 2 years of age, lie dead as a result of gun rampage.

It reminds us of the sacred trust given to governments, to work for the safety and well-being of the people whom they serve, to provide protection for the vulnerable.

There is an instruction to Christians in the New Testament about prayer for people in positions of ruling authority …”

You can read his full sermon on the diocesan website.

Make a difference in a crisis

“Sunday in Inverell I gathered with people in the Town Hall to pray for rain. Council members and even a Senator joined the gathering and a personal letter from the Prime Minister was read. I was dressed like a civilian and no one knew who I was but everyone knew that people were hurting. With no control of the weather people fell to prayer. Where else does one turn but to God when hope cannot be found in ourselves?…”

– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers knows there is something you can do in a crisis.

Bishop Ian Palmer’s farewell address to Bathurst Synod

“In his Presidential Address to the Synod of Bathurst Diocese, Bishop Ian Palmer has reflected on the challenges and changes of the past six years and pointed to a more positive focus for the future. …

He reviewed the steps that Synod had taken last year that, in conjunction with decisions of the Synod of Sydney Diocese, have provided a more secure future for the Anglican Church in Central & Western NSW. …”

– We missed this story when it was published a few weeks back. We are sure that all in Bathurst Diocese would be glad of your prayers.

North West Network December 2018

The latest issue of North West Network, the newsletter of the Diocese of Northwest Australia, is now available for download from their website. (1.1MB PDF file.)

Be encouraged, and be encouraged to pray!

Anglican Church of Tasmania finalises list of properties for sale

“The Anglican church has finalised its list of properties for sale, with 73 set to be closed and sold-off.

Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend Richard Condie, said the church had listened and responded to community feedback. …”

– Report from The Advocate.

See also: One third of Anglican Church properties removed from sale list – Diocese of Tasmania.

New Bishop for North Queensland

“Anglicans from all over Diocese of North Queensland including the Torres Strait and the West met in Townsville on Saturday November 24th to elect a new Bishop following the retirement of Bishop Bill Ray in September.

The Very Reverend Dr Keith Joseph is the seventh Dean of Darwin. He holds a PhD in philosophy, in the area of applied ethics, and prior to ordination worked as a lecturer in philosophy, but also was a soldier and officer in the Australian Army, and an administrative officer with the Australian Federal Police. In the Army he was a logistics contracts manager, and had a similar role in the Solomon Islands with the Peacekeeping Force from 2004 to 2006. He was ordained as a as a priest in the Diocese of Central Melanesia in 2006 when he took up full-time ministry, remaining in the Solomon Islands.

At the end of 2010 he returned to Australia from Melanesia, and was a parish priest in the Diocese of Newcastle. He took up his current ministry as Dean of Darwin in November 2013 and began his role on the board of Anglicare in December 2013. …”

– From a Diocese of North Queensland press release.

David Ould provides some further background:

“Dr Joseph is an outspoken supporter of same-sex marriage, the key matter of contention facing the Anglican Church of Australia today. …”

Photo: Anglicare NT.

Failure for Newcastle Diocese challenge of Sydney Affiliated Churches Ordinance

“The Appellate Tribunal of the Anglican Church of Australia has today issued an opinion on a series of questions put to it by the Diocese of Newcastle about the Diocese of Sydney‘s Affiliated Churches Ordinance.

The Ordinance allows for non-Anglican churches to affiliate with the Diocese of Sydney and so obtain a number of administrative and other benefits while not being recognised as Anglican. …”

– David Ould has the details and links.

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