Dr Bruce Harris honoured with Order of Australia

“A World War II veteran, history professor and valued Sydney evangelical has been honoured with an AM in the Queen’s birthday honours list. Dr Bruce Harris was made a Member of the Order of Australia ‘for significant service to higher education, to veterans and to the community’…”

– Good news from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Restrictions ease quickly but July is key

“The Head of the COVID-19 Task Force for the Sydney Diocese, Bishop Gary Koo, says churches should continue to be ‘good citizens’ during the return to in-person services, which he says is happening quicker than most people expected. …

‘While we are delighted by the lifting of restrictions, things are moving so fast that I wonder if churches should just pause for a moment, analyse where we are at and wait for a couple of more weeks to see what happens as we approach July 1. We can then make more meaningful plans when we get to that point.’ Bishop Koo cautioned.”

– Russell Powell has the latest at SydneyAnglicans.net.

(Emphasis added.)

Church under Coronavirus: Bathurst Diocese

“Why was there no special gathering to mark the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Bathurst on 5 May 2020? Was there much to celebrate anyway?

Consider the state of the Diocese. Spasmodic rainfall has not broken an extended drought in the region. In recent decades the church has been impoverished. Successfully sued for a multi-million dollar debt, it had to sell much church property. Griefs for these losses endure. Only the generosity of Sydney Diocese keeps things going.

More property still must be sold to help redress wrongs done to victims of sexual abuse. The Diocese is clouded with sadness for those ‘scarred and forever damaged’, as Mark Calder, Bishop of Bathurst, recently described the victims. …”

– In The Australian Church Record, ACL Emeritus Vice President Allan Blanch writes of much encouragement in Bathurst Diocese, despite much stress.

(Allan is the author of From Strength to Strength – A Life of Marcus Loane and A Pioneering Pastor: Thomas Sharpe of Norfolk Island and Bathurst.)

Pray for America

Anglican Church, Diocese of Sydney

Public Statement

Most Australians have watched with horror the video of a policeman crushing the airways of George Floyd as he died on the streets of Minneapolis. The anger pouring forth on the streets of every major city of the USA is evidence of deep-seated racial tension and inequity in that country. While the street violence and looting of shops is to be deplored, the needless death of George Floyd is an outrage and an injustice that needs to be addressed. I echo the call of the Primate of the Anglican Church of North America, Archbishop Foley Beach, for Christians to come together for reconciliation and peace across North America. May God have mercy on the United States, that the authorities will heed the outcry for justice, not only for George Floyd but for all African Americans who suffer oppression and inequality.

As we pray for the situation in the United States, we must also continue to pray for our own country, because the underlying racial tensions and inequalities are just as serious. Tragically, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate is more than 17 times the national average, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people account for almost 30% of those in prison. There have been more than 400 Indigenous deaths in custody in the past 30 years. We have our own shameful history of police and prison brutality against Indigenous people, which sadly re-emerged this past week, marring National Reconciliation Week.? I recognise that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are feeling overwhelmed and saddened, longing for true justice to be done. I share your sadness and concern for justice, and on behalf of Anglicans across NSW, I extend my sympathy to you.

As Christians, we know that all people are made in the image of God, and deeply loved by him. In the gospel, race has no bearing – we are one in Christ. Racism and violence are grievous evils, which Christians must speak out against. I urge us all to pray for, and make every effort to further, a deep and lasting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

Archbishop Glenn Davies,

June 4, 2020

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

June 2020 Southern Cross now online

Southern Cross, the monthly magazine from the Diocese of Sydney, is being published online while churches are not meeting in person.

You can read – and download – this month’s issue here.

COVID-19 Church Worker Frequently Asked Questions updated

The Diocese of Sydney has updated its COVID-19 Church Worker Frequently Asked Questions.

There’s important information there for churches weighing returning to gathering.

An invaluable resource for all in the Diocese of Sydney.

Bathurst Diocese Church services resuming

Here’s a media release from the Diocese of Bathurst:

The bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst (which covers central and western NSW), Mark Calder, has welcomed the announcement from the Premier’s office today that services of worship may resume again, so long as there are no more than 50 people present and that appropriate hygiene requirements, health checks and social distancing is observed.

“We have been in preparation for this announcement for a couple of weeks and have been readying our church leaders for the possibility that church services may soon resume in a modified form,” Bishop Calder commented.

“However, because some of our buildings are quite small and many of our people fall within the most vulnerable age group, we are taking a cautious approach to resuming services.

“While the cleaning, checking, contact recording requirements are all perfectly understandable, they are quite onerous.

“So we are leaving the decision about whether or not to resume services at this time, to each local church’s leadership. People should contact their local church, to see what is planned.”

Should churches wish to resume, they must apply to the Registrar of the Diocese and sign off that they have met all the demands of the multi-faceted checklists which have been provided.

“Everyone in their local context has to be comfortable with this decision. Clergy ought not to press lay people to meet the requirements of meeting again, nor should lay people press clergy to resume,” Bishop Calder said.

“Our relationship with God is not dependent on following certain rituals and ceremonies but is nurtured as we hear the Bible read and explained and respond with prayer and transformed lives.”

Bishop Calder has been producing online services each week since lockdown, (available here https://www.bathurstanglican.org.au ), and many parishioners are content with this form of church for the time being.

“The safety of our people and the community is of primary concern, and churches who do resume services, will be absolutely committed to keeping everyone safe.”

Safety first as restrictions on church gatherings eased

“Archbishop Glenn Davies has welcomed the lifting of numbers allowed for church gatherings, weddings and funerals saying a return to public worship will bring ‘relief, joy and comfort’ to many people. …”

– Story from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Archbishop Davies’ full statement, courtesy of SydneyAnglicans.net, is below. Note his remarks about singing, Bibles and hymn books:

“I recognise the challenges that the Government faces in loosening restrictions while maintaining a COVIDsafe environment. This has been a delicate balancing act and I appreciate the level of consultation and the careful yet flexible approach of Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and health officials.

Our first concern is public safety and where risk cannot be minimised, then some churches will not be able to re-open their buildings.

But I was able to assure the Premier that Anglican churches are well prepared to return to normal services, within the limits of the 50 person maximum, appropriately distanced. Hand sanitisers will be available at each entrance, along with signage indicating that anyone with symptoms such as fever or cough, should not attend. Church premises will be thoroughly cleaned between services and designated ushers will record the contact details of each person who attends.

We realise that this is not the normality we enjoyed in 2019, as congregational singing will not be possible, the greeting of peace and the distribution of Bibles, hymn books and paper service sheets will not resume. However, we are grateful for the relief, joy and comfort that many parishioners will feel in meeting again in public Christian worship. Some congregations, of course, will be too large to return to public worship but will continue to provide church online until it is safe for the whole congregation to gather as one.

We continue to pray for our Federal and State Governments as they navigate the terrain of a coronavirus world and provide us with wise advice and prudent measures to protect the safety of all.

Archbishop Glenn Davies
29 May 2020.”

Preparing and praying for return

“Archbishop Glenn Davies and diocesan bishops have held talks with the NSW government about re-opening churches for up to 50 people as June is set to begin with pubs, clubs and restaurants allowed to have 50 seated patrons. …

Dr Davies said until there was an official lifting of numbers for churches, ‘We should all be prepared to continue, as we have successfully been doing for the past two months, with our online services.’…

Dr Davies recommended that, ‘Until there is clear medical evidence that it is safe to do so, no congregational singing should be allowed, as a precautionary measure.’…”

– SydneyAnglicans.net has the latest.

SRE at Learning at Home now available

Writing on the GAFCON website, Youthworks CEO Craig Roberts writes,

“…the COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to go online. Youthworks has modified some of its SRE lessons for parents to use at home with their children AND the government has put a link to our resources on every school website.”

– Read his report here – and you can also access the SRE material here.

‘Every person counts’

“The Sydney Anglican Diocese and Uniting Church Synod of NSW and ACT have strongly recommended churches stay closed. …

Anglican bishop for Western Sydney Gary Koo who chairs the Sydney diocese COVID-19 taskforce, said churches had become more accessible to the community ‘than ever before’. He said people with chronic illnesses and those who felt self conscious about walking into church felt comfortable with anonymous attendance. …”

– Story from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Public Statement from the Bishops of NSW and ACT, 12 May 2020

“The Diocesan Bishops of the Province of NSW meet regularly for prayer and fellowship throughout the year, but have been in greater contact by email and zoom meetings these past few months. The outcome of these meetings was our Public Statement on 18 March 2020 which announced the closure of our church buildings and the suspension of normal church services in early March, in the interests of public health and safety.

We met again this week to discuss the Prime Minister’s release of the three Step Roadmap for a COVIDsafe Community. While we acknowledge the lifting of restrictions on public gatherings, allowing up to ten persons at a religious gathering, we believe that Step 1 is not the time to recommence meeting in person for Sunday public worship.

There are various reasons for this decision which will be communicated to each diocese by their Bishop. We are grateful for the patience of our congregations as they endure the continuation of church online, rather than in their familiar church surroundings, but we believe the health and safety of our own community, as well as others, should be paramount.

Yet we welcome the increased flexibility for gatherings in private homes and would therefore recommend that small groups of people take advantage of this liberty, perhaps gathering for prayer and Bible study or meeting together to join in watching online church. However, in such cases social distancing and hand hygiene must be observed, as we should remain vigilant in preventing the spread of COVID-19, acknowledging the health guidelines that our State and Territory Governments have issued.

We continue to pray for the leadership of our Prime Minister, Premier and Chief Minister of the ACT as they lead the nation in these challenging times. We also pray for our health workers as they care for those affected, and for those seeking to develop a vaccine. We continue to urge all Christians to pray that our heavenly Father may be gracious to us in stemming the spread of this disease in our land and throughout the world.

The Rt Rev. Mark Calder (Bishop of Bathurst)
The Most Rev. Dr Glenn Davies (Archbishop of Sydney)
The Rt Rev. Dr Murray Harvey (Bishop of Grafton)
The Rt Rev. Donald Kirk (Bishop of Riverina)
The Rt Rev. Rick Lewers (Bishop of Armidale)
The Rt Rev. Dr Mark Short (Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn)
The Rt Rev. Dr Peter Stuart (Bishop of Newcastle).”

– Via the Diocese of Armidale.

Too soon to open doors again — Archbishop Glenn Davies

“While it is legally possible to have a service for a maximum of ten persons, our strong advice is that Step One is not the time to re-introduce Sunday public worship, especially for senior members of our community who are among the most vulnerable…”

– Archbishop Glenn Davies – at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The article also includes a link to a framework for church re-opening.

How are you going with COVID-19? — Bishop Rick Lewers

“I keep being asked how we are going with the COVID-19 lockdown.

Like most people, I am watching the news, I have, with some discomfort, downloaded the app and sought to be a good citizen of the nation following Government requests. Although I’m a bit of a rebel, this has not been a time for rebellion but a time to make whatever contribution we can. …”

– Bishop of Armidale Rick Lewers shares some experiences from lockdown.