The Link – from Armidale Diocese – May / June 2024

The latest issue of The Link – the magazine of the Diocese of Armidale – for May / June 2024 is now up on their website.

For your encouragement and prayers.

Let there be light in Coonabarabran

Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder was in Coonabarabran today, preaching and dedicating a new window.

He asks,

“Will Coonabarabran be the next church you lovingly pastor? These lovely saints say ‘come over and help us’. Today their final window was dedicated ‘to all who serve Christ with love and loyalty’.”

– Food for prayer at the diocesan Facebook page.

Commissioning at Narromine

On Saturday, Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder was in Narromine, “to welcome Luke and Lauren Merriman to Narromine and commission Luke as stipendiary lay minister.”

Bishop Calder continues, “Thanks be to God.”

Do uphold in prayer Luke and Lauren and the church at Narromine.

– More photos on the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.

Prayer — theme of the Bathurst Diocese Conference 2024

The video recordings of the talks on Prayer given at the recent Bathurst Diocese Conference have been made available as a playlist here.

In addition, last Friday, Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder preached at Moore College chapel in Sydney:

For your edification and encouragement – and a reminder to pray for the churches of the Diocese of Bathurst.

With thanksgiving, Church Army Australia taps out

“After the best part of a century of ministry across the nation, 2024 will mark the final year of the Church Army in Australia.

‘In recent years the only ministry being undertaken by the Church Amy in Australia has been through Kihilla retreat and conference centre,’ says Captain Tim Scheuer. ‘Prior to this, numerous attempts had been made to revitalise Church Army’s ministry. However, it became obvious that God’s blessing was not on these efforts and so the board made the decision to formally wind up the ministry.’…

The organisation’s chairman, former Sydney rector the Rev Tom Melbourne, adds:

‘We want to praise God for all he has done through the ministry of Church Army Australia across 90 years. Only in glory will we truly be able to see the eternal impact that Church Army’s officers have had as they have shared the gospel across Australia.’…”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Judy Adamson reports on the end of operations for the Church Army in Australia. Do read it all.

Images: Church Army Australia archival website.

Bathurst Diocese newsletter Pentecost 2024

Here’s the Bathurst Diocese newsletter for Pentecost 2024 – Download the PDF file from their website.

Please continue to pray for the churches and towns of the diocese – and for Bishop Mark Calder, as he seeks to faithfully preach Christ, encourage the churches, and listen to the concerns of all.

Hope25 Launch Video Pentecost 2024

Here’s a video to introduce Hope25.

You can learn more at the Hope25 website:

“Hope 25 is an opportunity for us to share the hope that we have in Jesus.

It is an intentional season of sharing hope in Jesus for every parish and community in the Australian Anglican Church.

We are asking each parish to commit to doing (at least) one thing to help share the hope that we have in Jesus during this season.

We aren’t going to tell you what to do, but we will provide resources and support so that each parish can act locally and contextually, sharing the hope we have in Jesus in a way that best fits your context. It may be that you have multiple different groups within your parish and a number of different events are needed to engage with those group. Or, you may choose to band together on one event, it is entirely up to each parish or community to choose.

Dates: Easter Day (April 20, 2025) to Pentecost Sunday (June 8, 2025)”

Armidale Preaching Conference Review

From The Expository Preaching Trust:

“On 6-7 May we held a fully subscribed Preaching Conference in St Peter’s Cathedral, Armidale.

The conference was sponsored by the Trust and co chaired by Rod Chiswell, the Bishop of Armidale, and David Cook of the Trust. …”

– Read here.

Evangelism in Bathurst Diocese – Sharing Jesus for life

A very encouraging editorial from The Australian Church Record:

“Through the goodness of God, combined with the kindness and service of his people, the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst has experienced renewal in recent years. Fresh vision, boldness, and a firm grip upon biblical preaching and teaching has spread through its churches. Evangelism has been at the forefront of the minds of its leaders and very much within the hearts of its people.

Ultimately, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to evangelism. It is simply sharing Jesus for life. Therefore, Bathurst Diocese has no new fancy technique to report. This diocese has modelled its evangelism from Scripture and has ‘just got on with it’.

The determination and drive of Bishop Mark Calder at the helm, consecrated and installed in late 2019, has given a very clear path forward which is bearing fruit in lives won for the kingdom, and the church of God is flourishing. Bishop Calder came to bring gospel change, has maintained this objective, and by the grace of God, many have joined with him in sharing Jesus for life. As I pause with others to reflect upon our evangelism, some key principles have emerged as being very significant for us. …”

– Read it all here. Food for Prayer.

Bathurst Bishop Mark Calder thanks Sydney church for Kids Club partnership

From the Diocese of Bathurst Facebook page yesterday:

“Bishop Mark was up in Blayney early yesterday to thank the team of 40 people (!) who have come from Norwest Anglican to help run a holiday kids club with Blayney churches.

Pictured here with Pete the minister, Tom the leader and the Rev’d Bec Choi, local convenor. Please pray for their last day today with over 70 local children! Sharing Jesus for LIFE!”

Responses to a new book about the recent history of the Diocese of Armidale

Today saw the launch of a new book – Darkness: The Conversion of Anglican Armidale, 1960-2019 by Thomas A. Fudge, Professor of History at the University of New England.

You can get a feel for the likely tone of the book from a report by John Sandeman in July 2023 (link via our website). And the University of New England website has an interview with Professor Fudge.

Today the Diocese of Armdale has published two responses to the new book –

One by Bishop of Armidale Rod Chiswell –

“‘Darkness – the conversion of Anglican Armidale 1960-2019’ is a book that seeks to bring to light hitherto unheard voices responding to the transition of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale from a middle church diocese to a lower church evangelical diocese. …”

However Bishop Chiswell challenges two of Professor Fudge’s key presuppositions as well as his conclusions.

The other is a Review of the book by Dr. Mark Earngey, Head of Church History and Lecturer in Christian Thought at Moore College –

“Professor Fudge has produced a weighty tome on some of the recent history of the Anglican diocese of Armidale. … While conversion is normally associated with light (e.g. 1 Peter 2:9: ‘that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light’), Fudge interprets the growth of evangelical Anglicanism in the Armidale diocese in terms of darkness.”

In his Review, Dr Earngey provides very helpful historical and theological perspective.

Read both responses at the Diocese of Armidale website.

Armidale Diocese gives thanks for Barraba Bash ’24

“This year’s Bash was a brilliant day!

On March 23rd, 220 youth from right across the Diocese gathered together to praise God in song, listen to his Word preached faithfully and have a whole lot of fun.

Over the day we did a deep dive into Hebrews chapter 12 as we considered big questions like ‘What does it mean to endure as Christians?’, ‘How can we carry on living for Jesus when our friends live so differently?’ …”

– Give thanks with the churches in the Diocese of Armidale for this key youth event.

Bathurst Easter Newsletter 2024

For your prayers and encouragement. (PDF file.)

Bathurst Diocese: Two more Ordinations coming up in April

“Dear brothers and sisters across our diocese,

It is with gratitude to God that I announce today that Mr Joshua Taylor and Mr Stuart Border are to be ordained as Deacons at All Saints Anglican Cathedral on Saturday 20 April at 11am.

This follows the unanimous recommendation of the diocesan ordination discernment panel, following their recent final discernment interviews with Josh and Stuart, both candidates having been prayerfully and carefully discerned for these orders over the past 12 months. …”

– More encouraging news from the Diocese of Bathurst, and a cause for thanksgiving. The Bishop’s Commissary, Dean of Bathurst James Hodson shares the news. (PDF file).

Bathurst Diocese: Lay Stipendiary Minister for the Narromine Parish

“Thanks be to God that today in the parish of Narromine it is being announced that Mr Luke Merriman is to commence there during May 2024 as Lay Stipendiary Minister. …”

– More encouraging news from the Diocese of Bathurst. (Via the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.)

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