“To know and love the indigenous people of this land”

In his response to the Voice Referendum result, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel says there should be renewed effort towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ministry.

“The people of Australia have now spoken on the Voice to Parliament,” the Archbishop said in a statement. “Whatever your reaction to the outcome it is timely to remember what the Sydney Anglican Indigenous Peoples Ministry Committee affirmed this year – it is God’s voice that is sovereign over all peoples and lands.”…

– Read Russell Powell’s report at SydneyAnglicans.net – complete with a brief video message from the Archbishop.

Full statement below:

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney Public Statement

The people of Australia have now spoken on the Voice to Parliament.

Whatever your reaction to the outcome it is timely to remember what the Sydney Anglican Indigenous Peoples Ministry Committee affirmed this year – it is God’s voice that is sovereign over all peoples and lands.

The conversation around the referendum highlights the need for reconciliation with the indigenous people of this land and should spur us on to the true work of reconciliation through Jesus.

Our ministries of care and education for and by indigenous people, through Anglicare and our schools, are an important part of this.

I was encouraged by our last Synod warmly welcoming and listening to the voices of our indigenous brothers and sisters. I recall the words of the Rev Michael Duckett who challenged us to spend as much time as we have spent talking about the Voice, talking about the spread of the gospel among first nations people.

“Put your efforts and your prayers,” he said “into the spread of the gospel among my people here so the Sydney Diocese can showcase to the world what it means to be reconciled to the First Nations peoples through Christ Jesus.”

What a wonderful and humbling vision! To know and love the indigenous people of this land. To direct our prayers and our efforts into helping to raise up the next generation of ministry leaders. To pray for First Nations people, young and old, to know the Lord.

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us, so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. PS 67:1,2

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
15 October 2023.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s statement on antisemitism

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement

In recent days we have witnessed repugnant expressions of antisemitism in Sydney which have appalled most Australians and heightened fears among the Jewish community.

The conduct of some individuals in our city including flag burnings and aggressive verbal incitements to violence against Jewish people have shocked and repulsed our city. It deserves the strongest condemnation and must not be tolerated.

I have joined other faith leaders in calling for national unity and harmony so that our multi-cultural, multi-faith community may continue to thrive without hate or violence.

I urge all people, whether they adhere to a faith or not, to reject antisemitism in all its forms. I call on all community leaders to deplore the vilification which we have seen recently and pursue harmony, mutual respect and peace.

Anglicans in Sydney, including my predecessors as Archbishop, have had a history of warm and constructive relations with the Jewish community. In Psalm 23 King David, whom Jews and Christians both honour, wrote of walking through the valley of the shadow of death, comforted by the goodness of God. So we pray that those who mourn will be comforted, strengthened and protected in these times of darkness and sorrow.

The sin of antisemitism has a long and shameful history. It must be repudiated in the strongest terms. My prayer is that all Australians offer to our Jewish fellow citizens every assurance of support and love.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

13 October 2023

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net

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.

Prayer for Israel — Diocese of Sydney Media release

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement from Archbishop Raffel

Sydney Anglicans have been shocked and distressed to hear of the attacks on the Jewish people and the State of Israel that have taken place over the last 24 hours. We express our deep sympathy for the families of those who have suffered the loss of loved ones through these indiscriminate attacks, and also for those in Gaza suffering through no fault of their own. We assure the Jewish community in Sydney of our prayers for those injured or in danger and for the establishment of lasting peace and security. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and long for the day when swords will be beaten into ploughshares.  (Is 2:4)

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

October 8, 2023

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net

Howard Guinness and the beginnings of evangelical university ministry in Australia

Coming up at Moore College on Wednesday 1st November –

“Dr Howard Guinness, of the well-known Irish brewing family, was sent to Australia in 1930 by Inter-Varsity Fellowship to develop Christian student groups on university campuses. His visit was the catalyst for the establishment of Sydney University and Melbourne University Evangelical Unions on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

During his later parish ministry in Broadway and Vaucluse, his ongoing involvement in EU missions has left a lasting legacy in university campus ministry.

Dr Ruth Lukabyo will examine Dr Guinness’ work and legacy in this free event.”

– Details and booking from the College.

For more background see:

Remembering Howard Guinness – including Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane’s sermon at the funeral of Dr. Guinness in 1979.

Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane remembers the beginnings of the SUEU – audio recording from 1980.

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!

Bishop Glenn Davies speaks about the ACL

ACL Council Member Michael Latten reports on last week’s visit to Moore College of Bishop Dr Glenn Davies:

On 21 September, 42 students and faculty members came to an Anglican Church League lunchtime talk at Moore College.

Former Archbishop of Sydney and Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Cross, Glenn Davies, with his characteristic wit and humour, outlined the impact of the ACL over the last 100 years in establishing and sustaining the Protestant, Reformed, and evangelical character of the Sydney Diocese and in supporting evangelicals in Australia and beyond.

While Bishop Davies noted the strong influence of the ACL in Sydney on diocesan elections today, he warned that we must never take for granted the evangelical character of the diocese. Like those who came before us, we too must contend for the gospel in Sydney and beyond.

Southern Cross magazine Sept-Oct 2023

The latest copy of Southern Cross magazine from the Diocese of Sydney is now out and will be available in parishes.

You can also read it online, or download your PDF copy.

St. Andrew’s Cathedral Community Garden

Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant writes in the Cathedral newsletter about plans for a new ministry space at the Cathedral:

“Friends in Christ, it was a pleasure to show the site and plans for the Cathedral Community Garden to many in-person attenders last Sunday. It was obvious that seeing it ‘from the inside’ as it were is really helpful to imagining what an excellent outdoor ministry space it could be for the Cathedral and for the community.

For example, you could easily imagine a BarBQ there in the summer shade, and how much easier it will be to welcome people into the Chapter House, as well as improved wheelchair access to the Cathedral proper.

To remind you, the project will provide a community garden that will

Completing the Garden will also remove the eye-sore of a building rubble site that has stood unusable behind hoardings next to our beautiful Cathedral for well over two decades.

Let me put all that into a bit of historical context…”

– Read about the plans at the Cathedral website.

Now, where and how for Sydney Anglicans – with Raj Gupta and Zac Veron

From the Pastor’s Heart, an important episode on the future of the Anglican Church in Sydney –

“We engage in a ‘Stockdale Paradox’ discussion, confronting the brutal facts about attendance, finances and National Church Life Survey data about mission, newcomers and maturity.

Plus we review the recent Sydney Anglican Synod debate where leader after leader poured out their heart.

The gap is widening between the diocese’s declining attendance and Sydney’s growing population.

We look at the hard facts and attempt to chart a way forward.

Zac Veron is the senior minister of Bayside Anglican Church, Sydney.

Raj Gupta is the senior minister of Carlingford Anglican Church, Sydney.”

– Watch or listen here (though it’s recommended you watch so you can see the charts).

New Perth Assistant Bishops introduced

The Diocese of Perth has posted brief videos introducing the two new Assistant Bishops of the diocese. Many of readers will know Archdeacon David Bassett who was ordained in the Diocese of North West Australia and who is now heading back west from Adelaide.

See the videos here.

Bible colleges in the world’s poorest places

“Theological colleges, schools, health centres and biblical resources are the fruit of rich partnerships with Anglican dioceses around the world.

The Synod’s Mission Hour for 2023 shared stories that told of the Sydney Diocese’s service and support worldwide, particularly in areas of great gospel growth and great poverty. …

The Anglican Church of Congo runs more than 1000 churches, 700 schools and 90 health centres. A partnership began in 1992 when Sydney sent the late Peter Dawson as a missionary bishop to pioneer the Diocese of Kindu, in a remote central part of the country.”

– Tara Sing at SydneyAnglicans.net reports on encouragement and the need which was shared at Sydney Synod.

Related:

Back in 1997, ACL News spoke with then recently-returned Bishop Peter Dawson. Amid the turmoil in the country at the time, he saw great opportunities for the gospel –

“People are hungry for biblical teaching and we have seen a new church being opened every two weeks for the last few years. New congregations, new people being converted, Bible colleges full. There is a great opportunity for someone to go out and be a lecturer in one of these new Bible colleges. Great opportunity for teaching the Bible and building up Christians.”

In our From the Vault section.

Bishop of Bathurst’s Synod Presidential Address 2023

Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder gave his Presidential Address to the Synod of the diocese this morning.

Video of the address is now available here.

There’s been a lot happening in the diocese. Bishop Calder spoke about:

Included were these remarks about assistance from Sydney –

“Last synod I was able to report that following my presentation and our video of thanks, Sydney synod agreed to renew their initial support of $250,000 a year for six years, for a further six years. This is extraordinary. Given the long history of suspicion between our dioceses, we don’t deserve such generosity. But that is the nature of grace – it is undeserved. Thanks be to God for the humility of Bishop Palmer, and the vision and generosity of Archbishop Davies along with the help of Bishop Stead for opening up this possibility. Bishop Stead and Archbishop Raffel have both been extremely helpful in encouraging and facilitating the extension of the gift.

This gift supports the bishop and the registrar and were it not for Sydney’s generosity, our parish assessments would need to be 20% of income, not 10%. Perhaps we’ll find one day, a way to appropriately express our thanks to Sydney Diocese. I am quite sure that old suspicions and criticisms are melting into the background.”

He also speaks about extraordinary support from the Bush Church Aid Society and from partner churches and individuals far and wide.

The full address is not too long to read and is most encouraging. Download it as a PDF file here or watch the video.

More ‘views from the pew’ at Sydney Synod

The Australian Church Record is continuing to post “views from the pew” – brief questions and answers with members of Sydney Synod –

Justice Michael Meek, Anna Davidson, Janet Austin, Andrew Buckle. and Doug Marr.

Photo: Russell Powell.

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