The Plateau Problem and a deeper issue

“It’s a moment of honesty for Sydney Christians as we face up to an ‘elephant in the room.’ Despite rises in giving, clergy numbers and population the number of Christians in Sydney Anglican Churches is in plateau or decline. …”

Dominic Steele speaks with Dr Raj Gupta. Plenty to think about and to pray about.

– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

Reports from Melbourne Synod 2022

From The Melbourne Anglican:

“14 October 2022

Hello! Welcome to Friday. Tonight will be the final evening session of the 2022 Melbourne Synod, before delegates meet at St Paul’s Cathedral on Saturday. Melbourne Anglican editor Elspeth Kernebone here with a summary of proceedings so far. …”

– Summary and links to updates here.

Perth Synod: Archbishop’s “breach of trust and failure of integrity” disappoint conservatives

“This past Saturday and Sunday has seen the annual synod of the Diocese of Perth on Australia’s west coast.

Over that weekend and since then many delegates who were present have contacted me to let me know of what happened. …”

– David Ould shares reports from last weekend’s Perth Synod.

Photo: Diocese of Perth.

Reconciliation and the Rugged Cross

“The Sydney leg of a whistlestop tour of Australia by the Archbishop of Canterbury began with a meeting with Indigenous leaders around a campfire in the centre of Glebe. …”

– Russell Powell at SydheyAnglicans.net has this report on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit to Sydney this week.

Introducing City on a Hill

Guy Mason, Pastor of City on a Hill, and also an Archdeacon in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, introduces the church after they have had quite a bit of media coverage in the last few days. Also a good reminder to uphold them in prayer.

Societas 2022 from Moore College now available

The 2022 edition of Societas, the Moore College students’ magazine, is now available, including in electronic format for download.

It’s a great way to learn about – and to be informed to pray for – the students and faculty of Moore College.

The past, present and future — Southern Cross October-November 2022

From Russell Powell at Anglican Media Sydney:

“Southern Cross should be in your churches by this weekend [or next], seeking to encourage Sydney Anglicans about the past, present, and future.

The past is the great impact of John Chapman, through a new book on his ministry and influence from Dr Baden Stace.

The present includes stories on what happened at Synod and the new Album by Sydney’s own City Alight, with great new music for our churches.

The future is the new ministry areas in the Greenfields (as well as the changing face of Brownfields).”

You can download your PDF copy now at magazine.sydneyanglicans.net.

Sydney diocese declares ‘breach of fellowship’ with Australian Church

“The synod of the diocese of Sydney has carried several motions urging changes to the way in which the diocese interacts with the Anglican Church of Australia. …

One motion carried at the Sydney diocesan synod noted ‘with godly grief the deep breach of fellowship in the Anglican Church of Australia exposed at the eighteenth session of General Synod on matters of doctrine and human sexuality’. It requested the synod’s Standing Committee ‘to consider our future approach as a Diocese to meetings of the General Synod’…

Speaking at a pre-synod dinner, Dr Davies, who is the first bishop of the diocese of the Southern Cross, said that, if Sydney diocese really cared for Australia, the ‘best clergy’ and lay people should be sent to dioceses where there were ‘welcoming bishops’. It also needed to support, through the Gafcon diocese, ‘hurting Anglicans’ in dioceses led by ‘revisionist bishops’.”

– Muriel Porter writes in The Church Times – also at Virtueonline.
Photo: Sydney Synod 2022.

Bishop Glenn Davies’ ACL Synod Dinner address, 2022.

Diocese of the Southern Cross.

Bathurst Diocese Service for Thanksgiving for Queen Elizabeth II

A memorial service for the late Her Majesty the Queen was held in Bathurst on Thursday 22 September.

See Bishop Mark Calder’s address above.

Download the Order of Service here.

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s sermon at the Provincial Memorial Service

SydneyAnglicans.net has published Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s sermon at the Provincial Memorial Service at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on Wednesday (21 September 2022).

“On the day the news broke of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I was surprised but not alone in finding myself overcome with emotion. Prime Ministers and policemen and countless visitors to this cathedral, throughout the day and days since, were in tears. Perhaps it was that we did not know how much we loved her. Grief is the price we pay for love, the late Queen once said. …”

Full text here.

The service can be seen here, and the Order of Service can also be downloaded.

Thanks to Anglican Media Sydney for the image.

Armidale Synod meeting this weekend

For your prayers:

Armidale Synod is meeting Friday September 23 to Sunday September 25 at Calrossy Anglican School in Tamworth.

It will their the first in-person full synod since 2019.

Do pray for the churches of this large area of NSW as they hold out the words of eternal life. And pray for Bishop Rod Chiswell and his leadership team.

Image: The Diocese of Armidale stretches from Boggabilla to Lightning Ridge and Walgett, to Quirindi to Tenterfield.

Provincial Memorial Service from St. Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney

The Provincial Memorial Service for Queen Elizabeth II is taking place at 11:00am today (Wednesday 21 September 2022) at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.

The service can be seen here, and the Order of Service can also be downloaded.

Bishop Mark Calder’s Presidential Address to Bathurst Synod 2022

Photo: Bishop of Armidale Rod Chiswell with Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder at last night’s Synod service (16 September 2022).

The Second Session of the 50th Synod of the Diocese of Bathurst is meeting this weekend.

This morning Bishop Mark Calder gave his Presidential Address.

He begins:

If we, the people and churches of this diocese, become clear, passionate, and determined about that most privileged work of SHARING JESUS for LIFE, we will be transformed and revitalised.

That’s a huge claim.

Do I have that much confidence in our strategic plan and its implementation? Am I over-confident in my leadership as bishop? A firm “NO” to both of those.

My confidence is in the power of the gospel – because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.¹

My confidence is in the convicting power of the Holy Spirit – who testifies about Jesus² and will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement.³

My confidence is in Jesus – the one mediator between God and humankind, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.⁴

My confidence is in our great God who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.⁵

My confidence is in you – the clergy and people of this diocese, who are increasingly clear about our calling as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.⁶

My confidence is in our churches who share the devotion of the Acts 2 church – to teaching, to one another, to hospitality, and to prayer. So may it be, that we too, enjoy the favour of all the people, and the Lord adds to our number those who are saved.⁷

When the gospel is clearly lived out and proclaimed; when the Holy Spirit does his convicting work; when people grasp the mediating work of Jesus; when God our Father draws people to himself; when we obey our calling and become devoted to all that the Acts 2 church was devoted to; then, we ourselves – our churches – and our diocese – will be transformed and revitalised. …

¹ Romans 1:16, ² John 15:28, ³ John 16:8, ⁴ 2 Timothy 2:5-6, ⁵ 2 Timothy 2:4, ⁶ 1 Peter 2:9, ⁷ Acts 2:42-27.

Be encouraged to read it all here (PDF file). The text has many Bible references for your edification.

Please pray for the members of the Synod and individual church members across the Diocese of Bathurst.

Clergy shortage, biblical marriage on Melbourne Synod agenda

“Upholding biblical marriage and parish vacancies will be key issues on the agenda at the 53rd Melbourne Synod in October, according to agenda documents.