“A lose-lose position for everyone in the Church of England” — CEEC statement

“We are deeply saddened and profoundly grieved that General Synod has given a ‘green light’ to the proposals put forward by the House of Bishops. The Church of England now appears set on a course of action that rejects our historic and biblical understanding of sex and marriage, by departing from the apostolic faith we are called to uphold. This decision will be extremely distressing for evangelicals in this country today, as they consider the impact of the decision on their ministry and as they continue to contend for Jesus in their local contexts. 

This seems to us to be a lose-lose position for everyone in the Church of England. Those who wanted more change will continue to ask and push for greater change. Those of us who have been trying to uphold the historic and biblical understanding of marriage and singleness say change has gone too far. This decision has settled nothing and has only served to deepen divisions and cause deeper hurt. 

We will continue to work alongside evangelicals across the country, who today share our sense of great sadness and dismay, to contend for biblical faithfulness and to live lives that Jesus has called us to. We are grateful that several speakers noted the need for some kind of settlement, though this would need to be without theological compromise.  We believe that putting in place new imaginative structures, ‘good differentiation’, is the only way we are going to be able to reach a settled outcome, that maintains the highest degree of unity possible within the Church of England and the Anglican Communion.”

– Source.

Anglican Aid launches Syria Earthquake Relief fund

“With your help, Anglican Aid is meeting the needs of vulnerable Syrians who are experiencing distress as a result of the 2023 Turkey-Syria Earthquake. …”

– Read the details at Anglican Aid in Sydney.

There’s also a Prayer for Syria and Turkey you may wish to use at home or in church.

Image: US Geological Survey.

Men Meeting the Challenge Conference 2023

This year’s Men Meeting the Challenge Conference will be held at Arndell Anglican College, Oakville, on Saturday 25th March.

All the details are available at the conference website.

Michael Calder appointed as Priest-in-Charge of St. John’s Wishart

From the Diocese of Bathurst Facebook page comes the news that the Rev. Michael Calder, who has been serving as Assistant at St Bart’s Toowoomba, has been appointed as as Priest-in-Charge of St. John’s Wishart in Brisbane.

Do pray for Michael and his wife Rachel and the St. John’s congregation, as well as for Peter Judge-Mears and his family and members of the church who formed Southern Cross Anglican Church, Southside late last year.

At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell reports on the consecration – for the Diocese of North West Australia – of Bishop Darrell Parker:

“They came from all parts of Australia to see Bishop Darrell Parker consecrated as a bishop to serve the Diocese of North West Australia. But it was his former boss, the Bishop of Armidale Rod Chiswell, who summed up his task.

After a sermon from Titus chapter one, where the Apostle Paul exhorts Titus to appoint elders to the churches on Crete, Bishop Chiswell estimated there might be a similar number of churches in the Diocese of the North West.

He reminded the new Bishop of the sign over the doorway of the Armidale Diocese office which reads ‘Jesus is Lord’. ‘For people to have the certain hope of eternal life, we must keep speaking this truth in love,’ Bishop Chiswell (below) said. …”

– Read it all here.

Image of Mrs Elizabeth and Bishop Darrell Parker from the St. Andrew’s Cathedral lifestream.

‘LGBTQIA+ Anglicans [in Melbourne] standing proud amid same-sex marriage debate’

“LGBTQIA+ Anglicans in Melbourne are celebrating during the city’s annual Midsumma Festival amid news Church of England bishops have continued to prohibit same-sex marriages within the church.

The Midsumma Festival, which runs in January and February each year, is a month-long event showcasing LGBTQIA+ arts and culture. The festival was first held in 1988.

Churches and religious organisations have been involved with the festival for years. …”

– Story from The Melbourne Anglican.

(Photo: St. Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne as the backdrop for an evangelist’s sign on Princes Bridge.)

How do I pray for central west NSW?

Here’s a brief video from The Bush Church Aid Society’s National Director, the Rev Greg Harris.

Please pray for 2023 Sydney ordinands

From SydneyAnglicans.net:

Please pray for these candidates as they prepare for ordination on February 18, 2023 and for taking up positions at the following parishes:

Brian Barker,              Hurstville Grove
Kingsley Box,              Yagoona & Condell Park
Brodie Cutmore,         Engadine
Cathy Dell,                  Lalor Park
Russell Denten,          St Luke’s Miranda
Joshua Goscombe,    Gladesville
Ed Hannah,                St Luke’s Liverpool
Alex Hitchcock,          Annandale
Jaison Jacob,             St John’s Paramatta
Sarah Kinstead,         Anglicare Hospital Chaplain
Benjamin Ko,             Northmead Anglican
Braydon Lucas,         Gladesville
Andrew Marrett,        St James, Turramurra
Lachlan Orr,               Naremburn/ Cammeray
Matt Shannon,           Wollongong Cathedral
Netane Siuhengalu,   West Ryde
Jeremy Smith,            Stanhope Gardens
Miles Stepniewski,     Riverstone
Ned Teuben,              Artarmon
Simon Wang,             St John’s Campsie
Scott Williams,           Picton/Wilton
Nick Wood,                Kirribilli and Neutral Bay.

Photo: SydneyAnglicans.net

You can watch the service live at 10:00am on Saturday 18th February (or afterwards) on YouTube.

Commissioning in Cowra

From the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page:

“A great afternoon commissioning Ben (with Alissa) Connelly for ministry in Cowra with great thanks to BCA for their partnership. In the photos you’ll see the Rev’d Greg Harris, national director of BCA and various Bathurst clergy and spouses of who gathered for today.”

– A cause for thanksgiving and prayer. See also the BCA website.

Anglicans honoured in Australia Day list 2023

“A senior public servant and a former Dean of the College of Divinity are among Anglicans in Sydney given Australia Day Honours. …”

– Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

(Image: SydneyAnglicans.net)

Darrell Parker be installed as Bishop of North West Australia on 15th February

The Diocese of North West Australia advises that Darrell Parker will be installed as the Bishop of North West Australia at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Geraldton on Wednesday 15th February at 6:00pm AWST (9:00pm AEDT).

“We would be delighted if you could join us for this special occasion, either in person or through the livestream.

But above all, please join us in praying for Darrell and Elizabeth as they work out how to serve God faithfully and well in this new role, and that under Darrell’s watch the gospel will be boldly proclaimed in all the towns in North West Australia.”

Darrell will be consecrated at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney at 7:00pm AEDT (4:00pm AWST) on Friday 3rd February 2023.

Both services will be live-streamed on the Geraldton Cathedral website.

Photo: Darrell and Elizabeth Parker.

Commissionings and encouragement in Bathurst Diocese

Many will be encouraged by recent news from Bathurst.

The Bishop’s Newsletter – Summer Edition 2023 is available for download (PDF file).

Bishop Mark Calder writes, “This is the second of a semi-regular newsletter from me as a way of trying to increase communication around the diocese.”

Highlights include:

COMMISSIONING SERVICES

Grenfell – Tim Smith 11am Sat Jan 21
Oberon – Jonny Lush 1.30pm Sun Jan 22
Cowra – Ben Connelly 1.30pm Sat Jan 28
West Wyalong – Steven Klouth 11am Sat Feb 11
Cobar – James Daymond 11am Sat Feb 18

Ordination—04 Mar, at the Cathedral, 10am – James Boardman to be made deacon.

There’s also a parish profile for the Parish of Kelso which is vacant (and in a strategic location).

There’s plenty to pray about for Bathurst (and other country dioceses). In particular, pray for Bishop Mark Calder and his wife Susan with oversight and responsibilities for such a large area of NSW. Pray for those beginning ministries from Oberon to Cobar, and for the churches in which they minister. Pray that the men and women of these country areas might thirst to hear the gospel and to know Christ.

Photos – Commissioning services held over the weekend for Tim (and Jess) Smith at Grenfell and Jonny (and Liz) Lush at Oberon. Via the diocesan Facebook page.

Dean of Sydney: ALP ‘can do better’ on Pokies

A media release from earlier this week:

“The Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, a long-time campaigner for poker machine reform in NSW, has responded to the NSW ALP’s launch of its gambling reform policy today.

He said:

Although I am pleased to see some helpful steps in the ALP’s proposals that will be helpful, the ALP can do better by committing to the principal of introducing a cashless gaming card, with mandatory pre-commitment, for poker machine use right across NSW.

With NSW losses on poker machines approaching $8 billion per annum – that’s over $20 million/day! – we urgently need ‘Airbags on Pokies’.…”

– Read it all here.

Bathurst Diocesan Prayer Diary 2023

Please be encouraged to pray for the churches and people of the Diocese of Bathurst using their 2023 Prayer Diary.

Downloadable here as a PDF file.

One of the prayer requests for Day 15 –

“Please pray for the financial sustainability task force, that you would give them wisdom as they seek to lead our diocese to a better financial position. …”

Sydney Church History — repost

We first posted this link in August 2020. As CMS Summer School at Katoomba concludes for 2023, here are even more reasons to give thanks to God:

“In 1965 John Stott, the Rector of All Souls Langham Place in London, visited Sydney to preach on 2 Corinthians at the CMS Summer School.

‘I heard only one of those Bible studies but I was so taken by the way he stuck to the text and stayed with it. He could show you the logic of the argument in the Scriptures, prior to that I had tended to get an idea from the passage and to leap all over the Bible supporting the idea from other parts, so that the people I taught knew the ‘idea’ but not the passage from which it came or how that passage fitted into some overall argument from the Scriptures. It is to John Stott I owe what ability I have to expound the Bible.’

Those were the words of the esteemed Sydney evangelist and preacher, the late John Chapman…”

– David Cook writes to remind us of our history, and how God works. At The Expository Preaching Trust.

(David Cook has served in parish ministry, as the Principal of SMBC, and as the Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.)

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