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.

Save the date for Anglican Aid’s 2024 Conference

From Anglican Aid in Sydney:

“We are thrilled to announce that Anglican Aid’s 2024 one-day conference will take place on Saturday 31 August at Moore College.

After the success of last year’s ‘Social Justice Reframed’ event, we will once again gather with 200 thoughtful Christians to consider the intersection of Christian aid, development, and the gospel.

This year’s international guest speaker is Bishop Mwita Akiri, Anglican Aid’s partner in the Diocese of Tarime, Tanzania and Chairman of GAFCON Tanzania. …”

– Read more here.

May – June 2024 Southern Cross now available

Anglican Media Sydney has published the May – June 2024 issue of Southern Cross magazine.

Copies will be available in churches shortly, but you can download a PDF version, or read it online, now.

This issue includes a tribute (page 30) to the Rev. Stephen Gabbott who was called home last month.

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!”

Sydney in shock and grief — Cathedral prayers

“ ‘We have been rocked in a way that we have not experienced for many years,’ Archbishop Kanishka Raffel told a prayer service at St Andrew’s Cathedral on Tuesday night, 16 April, drawing together clergy and members of churches surrounding Bondi Junction as well as members of the public. …”

– A report on last night’s Cathedral prayer service for Bondi – at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Archbishop of Sydney’s statement on Sydney church stabbing

Here’s a statement issued this afternoon by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel –

“Anglican Diocese of Sydney

Archbishop’s statement on Sydney church attack

All of Sydney will be shocked by the attack on Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and members of his congregation at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Wakeley, Western Sydney. We deplore all acts of violence wherever they take place and whatever their motivation.

I have written to the church community to assure them of our prayers for the recovery of the Bishop and others who were injured, as well as our prayers for the man who committed the attack.

At the same time, we also deplore the violent acts of those who took to the streets and endangered members of the Police and Ambulance services who were seeking to bring relief and safety to those in need. This is unacceptable.

The NSW Police have declared last night’s attack as religiously motivated. Jesus urges his followers to ‘love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’, nor should a whole community be blamed for the acts of a young individual about whom we know very little at this time.

I call on all people of faith and goodwill to maintain respect for our Police and other services, as well as to prayerfully uphold the harmonious, good relations between different communities which has been carefully nurtured in our city over many years.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel,

April 16, 2024.”

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Prayer for Bondi


“A service of solemn prayer for those affected by the tragedy at Bondi Junction will be held at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney on Tuesday, April 16 at 6pm.

The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, will attend. …”

— Read more at SydneyAnglicans.net.

A prayer for victims of violence

After this afternoon’s tragic and distressing scenes at Bondi, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has published this prayer at SydneyAnglicans.net.

It’s a prayer you may choose to use yourself – and it would be appropriate to use in church tomorrow.

The post also notes:

Praying for the victims and their families at Bondi Church, Sunday April 14th, 2024.

Explainer: NSW Conversion Practices Ban

Anglican Media Sydney has published a helpful explanatory post on the newly passed NSW “Conversion Practices Ban Act”.

See it out for an outline of what the law means, and how church leaders have responded.

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.

‘Indefinitely mothballed’: Quake-hit cathedral’s dire future unless $30m found by August

“The Christ Church Cathedral rebuild has a funding gap of $114 million – and if $30m isn’t secured by August this year, the project will be indefinitely mothballed, it has been announced.

And the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited said a ‘mothballed scenario’ would ‘be hidden from view, and people will not be able to visit it, or preserve it, because it will remain a construction site in suspension’.

The iconic building had lain in ruin for many years after the Canterbury earthquakes. …”

– Report from NewstalkZB, New Zealand.

Photo: Christ Church Cathedral in 1978.

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.

Food, glorious food for the soul

“We live in a busy age where the temptation is more and more to be disconnected as we live our lives. Look around eating establishments outside the home and it is very common to see headphones cutting off conversation, and to see eyes glued to screens even among people seated at the same table.

The same kind of thing can creep into the family mealtime. What’s more, with the kind of schedules many of us have, the mealtime can be inconvenient, rushed and detached. Many spend their meal times around screens (common or individual) with very little opportunity for the kind of fellowship that sharing a meal can and should provide. …”

– The latest Ministry Matters newsletter from CCAANZ (the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand) is all about food.

Bishop Jay Behan (pictured) writes on “Breaking bread together – The power of the family table”.

There’s also an article on how CCAANZ churches are using food to share the gospel.

Making the most of an “extensive job description”

“There are no doubt many anniversaries to be celebrated in 2024, but the one I am personally thankful for is the 30th anniversary of the appointment of the Archdeacon for Women’s Ministry.

I’m reflecting, with thanks to God, about all that has been done, who did it, and how we can continue building on this vital work.  …”

– Archdeacon Kara Hartley reflects – at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Bathurst Easter Newsletter 2024

For your prayers and encouragement. (PDF file.)

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