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.
Related:
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. …”
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.
Gender balance and the Archbishop Election Act are also listed as priorities for debate, as are Anglican childcare facilities and kindergartens. …”
– Report from The Melbourne Anglican.
Official Cathedral Services to mourn Queen Elizabeth II
St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney has published details of official services to mourn Queen Elizabeth II.
Update: See also
The funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – SydneyAnglicans.net
The post includes some prayers you could use this week. (PDF)
Bathurst thanks Sydney Synod
This video was shown in Sydney synod on Wednesday night 14 September 2022, as part of Bishop Calder’s presentation to thank Sydney for their generous support and humbly ask that it might be renewed.
Much to give thanks for – and much to continue to pray about.
Background:
Sydney helps Bathurst – SydneyAnglicans.net, 15 October 2018.
We see the crowds
“Representatives of Sydney’s Anglican churches sitting in the church’s parliament have endorsed a three-way approach to an urgent need for ministry in new areas of Sydney.
Following a challenge from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel in his Presidential Address to ‘see the crowds’ of people moving to greenfields areas of southwestern and northwestern Sydney, Synod voted to continue contributing two per cent of parish receipts to a land fund for another 10 years. …”
– Read Russell Powell’s report from Synod at SydneyAnglicans.net, and watch the encouraging 3 minute video – ideal for showing in church!
The cracks widen in the Australian Anglican Church
“Archbishop Raffel’s ‘Do you see the crowds’ address at Oran Park was mission driven and gospel focused, particularly asking how to reach the new housing estates where 30 new churches are needed to reach the hundreds of thousands of people who are moving into the Greenfields areas to the west of Sydney.
There was no mention of Brisbane.
It was a stunning contrast to South East Queensland Archbishop’s Phillip Aspinall’s hand grenade presentation, attacking evangelicals and Sydney Anglicans, which has so far led to the resignations of two of his ministers and the splitting of two Brisbane congregations.
The second minister to resign in Brisbane is Peter Judge Mears. …”
– At The Pastor’s Heart, Dominic Steele highlights Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Synod Presidential Address on Saturday. He also speaks with Peter Judge-Mears who has just announced his resignation from the Diocese of Brisbane.
Related:
Archbishop Aspinall’s 2022 Presidential Address here (PDF file).
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel’s Presidential Address to the Synod in the Greenfields
Yesterday (Saturday 10 September 2022) the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney met at Oran Park in South West Sydney.
Archbishop Kanishka Raffel gave his first Presidential Address – a strong, encouraging and stirring call to obey the Lord Jesus and to love our neighbours.
He said, “Do you see the crowds? Crowds of people who will come to Sydney. People who will move into greenfields areas. Crowds of young people, hungry for love.”
Please do take the time to watch and think and pray and act.
And here is a report from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net –
“In his first Presidential address to Synod, Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has made a stirring and emotional appeal for visionary planning in the greenfields areas of Greater Sydney.
For the first time in more than a century, the Synod address was given away from inner Sydney at Oran Park Anglican College in the town centre of Oran Park in the Southwest. This week, the Synod will consider a proposal to extend the contribution parishes make to funding land purchases in new areas, for a further ten years. …”
Bishop Mark Calder: Thanks for Her Majesty
In this short video, Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder gives thanks for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her trust in Jesus.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…