Diocese of Bathurst Bishops’ Newsletter — Christmas 2023 edition

The Christmas 2023 edition of the Bishop of Bathurst’s newsletter is now available.

Download your copy (PDF file) to be better informed, so you pray for – and seek to encourage – those who hold out the word of Life in this vast area of NSW.

Is this the man the church needs to stay relevant?

From The Australian:

“The new Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane is wearing black jeans and desert boots, a harbinger of the informal style he plans to bring to the role. Jeremy Greaves may be just the man the churches need to stay relevant in an increasingly challenging world.

Or he could be an agent of their destruction …

Greaves is the personification of a progressive church leader. If asked, he will allow Anglican priests in the sprawling Brisbane Diocese to perform same-sex marriage blessings and he’s in favour of ordaining gay priests.”

– Read here (subscription).

Alternatives:

Churches of the Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Bathurst Christmas Reflection – Bishop Mark Calder on Finding Permanence in a World of Change

Bishop Mark Calder’s Christmas message for 2023:

“In a world where everything bears the label ‘temporary,’ the Christmas season invites us to discover the enduring permanence found in Jesus Christ.

Imagine labelling the items in your life – microwaves, cars, homes – as either ‘temporary’ or ‘permanent.’ The result is confronting: almost everything is temporary, except for Jesus.

As we celebrate his birth, we’re not just commemorating God stepping into our world as one of us; we’re affirming the timeless reign of a permanent King. Jesus is the exception in a world of transience, offering reliability, dependability, and lasting hope.

This Christmas, amidst the chaos of life, run to Jesus. In him, find not only help but a source of unwavering hope, strength, and inner transformation. Amidst the temporary, Jesus stands as the permanent promise of a Kingdom that never ends.

May this Christmas be a reminder that, in Jesus, we discover hope and help and strength in the face of our world – and our lives – which are often confusing and uncertain.

Bishop Mark Calder
Anglican Diocese of Bathurst, covering central and western NSW.”

See the video version here.

This remote town feels like heaven to some, but it has a great gospel need

“Photographs of Exmouth show endless clear blue-water beaches, with expansive horizons.

The nearby Ningaloo Coast is world heritage listed. It is known for its reef, for whale sharks, sea turtles, rays, humpback whales, and a network of underground caves.

The town is gateway to the reef, where people dive and swim.

It’s in a 6504 square kilometre municipality, but most people live in Exmouth itself, a town of 2800.

Its population swells in winter, as people visit during the cooler months. Many people in town spend their spare time fishing, or just enjoying the environment.

Exmouth residents, the Venerable Simon Roberts and Alison Roberts, can see much lostness, just as anywhere. Some people are escaping difficulties, others just living for the enjoyment of life, a hedonistic lifestyle in a beautiful location.

Mr and Mrs Roberts are there for neither. Instead, they hope to bring people something that will satisfy more deeply than either escape or enjoyment: a relationship with God.

They moved to Exmouth around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, Mr Roberts is rector of Exmouth and Onslow Anglican Church and archdeacon of the Pilbara. …”

– The Melbourne Anglican has this story on Simon and Alison Roberts and the churches in Exmouth and Onslow. Food for prayer.

Map: Diocese of North West Australia. Exmouth and Onslow circled.

Archbishop of Perth set to push on with controversial Ordination

From David Ould:

“The Archbishop of Perth, Kay Goldsworthy, will proceed with the ordination to the priesthood of a man who is openly living in a relationship with another man on Thursday evening despite a large growing protest in the Diocese.

I understand that more than 700 signatories have been received on a letter of protest. These 700 signatories represent close to 15% of regular church attendance in the Diocese and do not include members from one large church, St Matthew’s Shenton Park, which is organising its own response and will effectively double the number protesting. This leaves easily one quarter of regular church goers in the Diocese now protesting against an ordination. …”

– Read here.

Photo: Diocese of Perth.

Bathurst Diocese Advent Newsletter 2023

The Bathurst Diocese Newsletter for Advent 2023 is now available here as a PDF file.

Great to use to pray for the churches of the diocese and the people they seek to serve with the gospel.

Bishop Mark Calder writes:

Dear friends,

My guess is that most of us are well and truly getting into Christmas planning and shopping.

Some of you may have purchased an Advent calendar which are increasingly popular. However, the secular version seems to be all about helping kids countdown to Christmas. That is not actually what Advent is about!

Advent is about preparing for Christ’s second coming! In Advent we look forward to Christ’s second coming and then celebrate his first coming at Christmas because it marks the beginning of God’s plans to save the world through his Son Jesus.

My Advent sermon series this year is called “On that Day” and arises from a song by CityAlight.

We will be reminded that when Jesus returns, we will rise; we will see him; we will know him, and we will keep on singing!

The season of Advent is meant to lift our eyes from all the disaster which surrounds us – to see the glorious nature of the future which awaits. To see that there will one day, be an end to the mess. To understand that that Jesus has conquered all evil and even death! We’re reminded that Christians are people of hope and expectation. We are people who know that on that day – when Jesus returns – we will rise as Jesus rose!

May Advent be a time of recapturing our Christian Hope and rejoicing in all that is yet to come!

Mark.

Calling recently-retired clergy

From the Diocese of Bathurst Facebook page:

“Bishop David Robinson has graciously been helping in Coonamble as a locum. Such a blessing to that church.

If you’re recently retired and keen to serve in the Diocese this way next year, very flexible terms and conditions can be discussed. (eg;. Bishop David has served two weeks on, two weeks off, just 2.5 days a week each visit.) Please contact Bishop Mark Calder.”

Activists blessed by the Anglican Dean of Newcastle

“The Anglican Dean of Newcastle has blessed a group of activists who plan to block the city’s harbour for 30 hours this weekend.

The group say they want to send a message about climate change…”

– Report from NBN News Newcastle.

Photo: Newcastle Cathedral.

Healthier clergy, families, churches because of five-day working week

“Anglican leaders in NSW believe their full-time clergy have better mental, spiritual, emotional and physical health because of their five-day working week model.

Bathurst and Newcastle dioceses, and Norwest Anglican parish in the Diocese of Sydney say their  full-time ministers are able to focus more of their free time on family life and personal recreation under the shorter working weeks. …”

– The Melbourne Anglican speaks with Bishop Mark Calder and others, including Pete Stedman at NorWest Anglican, about a five day working week for clergy.

Two Archdeacons announced for Bathurst Diocese

News from the Diocese of Bathurst:

“Bishop Calder has announced the Rev’d Andrew Thornhill as Archdeacon of the north-west and the Rev’d Tim St Quintin as Archdeacon of the east. They will be collated at their commissioning services on 03 February (11am, Dubbo) and 13 April (11am, Mudgee) respectively. Please pray for Andrew and Tim as they prepare to take up these appointments.”

Via the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.

Photo: Andrew Thornhill with Bishop Mark Calder, and Tim & Sarah St Quintin.

Latest news from the Diocese of the Northern Territory

The latest issue of Top Centre, the magazine of the Diocese of the Northern Territory, was published recently.

You can download a PDF copy from their website – Top Centre 23.3.

It’s a great way to be informed how you can pray for gospel ministry in the Top End and Centre of Australia.

Canberra & Goulburn Diocese gives thanks for Professor John White

“John White was a longtime parishioner of St John’s, Reid, and former Professor of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at ANU. He is widely known in the scientific community for his work on neutron scattering, was a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and a Fellow and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Oxford.

John was Chairman of the Oxford-Australia Scholarships Committee and held a number of other significant roles during his long and accomplished life.

John was passionately interested in the relationship between Christianity and Science. He was a founder and former President of ISCAST (Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology), and a member of the Council Wycliffe Hall (Oxford) and St Mark’s National Theological College (Canberra). …”

– The latest issue of Anglican News from the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn includes a tribute to Professor John White. See pages 12-14 of the Sept / Oct 2023 edition (PDF file).

New appointments in Bathurst Diocese

News from earlier this week –

“With great thanks to God, Bishop Mark Calder has announced today the appointment of the Rev’d Andrew Thornhill as Rector of Dubbo from February 2024, and the Rev’d Tim St Quintin as Rector of Cudgegong Valley from April 2024. (This parish includes Mudgee, Gulgong, Rylstone and Kandos.)

Please remember Andrew and Kath and Tim and Sarah in your prayers, along with their families, as well their current parishes (Coonabarabran and Cremorne respectively) as they adjust to this news.”

– Via the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.

Photo: Andrew Thornhill with Bishop Mark Calder, and Tim & Sarah St Quintin.

Presidential Address to the Melbourne Synod 2023

Archbishop of Melbourne Dr Philip Freier delivered his Presidential Address to the 54th Melbourne Synod yesterday.

The Melbourne Anglican has published the full text.

Photo: Elspeth Kernebone via The Melbourne Anglican.

Bishop of Bathurst’s latest newsletter – Synod 2023

Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder has released his post-Synod newsletter.

Download it for your encouragement and for your prayers. (PDF file.)

Included in the prayer requests:

Parishes without clergy – Dubbo, Cudgegong Valley, Kelso, Narromine, Gilgandra, Coolah-Dunedoo, Condobolin, Trundle, Coonamble, Warren, Bourke-Brewarrina, Cumnock and Warren.

Please pray that the Lord would raise up 13 godly, able and passionate men or women to serve in ALL of these parishes, to his great glory!

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