“We have lost a great champion for the gospel”

“Long-serving Sydney Bishop, Ivan Lee, has passed away more than four years after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

Bishop Lee died last night (4th March) at Greenwich Hospital, where he had been receiving palliative care. …”

– Members of the Anglican Church League (of which Bishop Lee was a Vice-President) are deeply saddened to receive this news, but rejoice that Ivan is now with Christ.

Archbishop Glenn Davies writes:

“Our hearts ache for Virginia and her three daughters in their grief. They have cared for him so well and for so long, and since he entered hospital at the end of January, he has never been alone. May God comfort them in their sorrow.”

And in an e-mail today, Archbishop Davies writes,

“Sad news, yet we do not grieve as others do, who have no hope.
Ps 116:15.”

There will be a private funeral next week, followed by a public memorial service at St Andrew’s Cathedral on a date to be announced.

Lent in the Diocese of Bathurst – The Road to Calvary

Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, has invited the Rev Mike Raiter to record a series of Lenten Studies to be used in parishes across the diocese this Lent.

The studies, “The Road to Calvary”, are based on chapters 26 and 27 of the Gospel According to Matthew.

The first Study is available here – and the rest will be available on Bishop Calder’s Youtube Channel. Pray that they will be a great blessing to many.

Related:

Bishop Calder has been in Forbes where the Anglican Church is looking for a minister “to teach them God’s Word, partner with them in ministry, and help reach Forbes with the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ”. He’s posted a 19 second video on Facebook.

What Future for the Anglican Church of Australia?

“We’re in the middle of what I think is best described as a tentative ceasefire. Of course, with any ceasefire there’s opportunities for both sides to position themselves for the conflict that is yet to come.

If you think all this language sounds combative then you’d be absolutely right. Both sides recognise that this is exactly what it is – a battle for the soul of the Anglican Church of Australia. There are clearly defined positions; one that seeks to uphold the orthodox view on human sexuality (but sees that as part of a wider issue – the authority of Jesus in the church through the Scriptures) and the other side that sees a liberalising of sexual ethics as a gospel imperative. …”

– David Ould shares his thoughts on what may happen in 2020 in the Anglican Church of Australia.

(Image adapted from the website of the Anglican Church of Australia.)

An Appreciation of Archbishop Glenn Davies

“In his recent and final Presidential address to the third ordinary session of the 51st Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Archbishop Glenn Davies remarked that his primary responsibility was to be a guardian of “the faith that was delivered once for all to the saints” (Jude 3).

The Australian Church Record wishes to thank Glenn Davies for faithfully serving in this, and myriad other ways – especially through the proclamation of the gospel and prayer for gospel ministry – over the past seven years. …”

– Many will echo the words of this appreciation which was first published in the Australian Church Record’s Journal for Summer 2019.

Ordinations in Sydney

Twenty-two men and women were ordained as deacons at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney today.

“The ordinands will disperse to ministries all over Sydney including parish postings, multicultural work and Hospital, Defence Force and School Chaplaincy. …”

– Russell Powell has this story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

(Photo: Archbishop Glenn Davies, The Rev Stephen Gibbons, and Archdeacon Kevin Russell.)

‘Few Anglicans back blessing gay marriages’

“Only a small number of submissions to an Anglican tribunal examining a push to allow the blessing of same-sex marriages say the move is legitimate under church law.

The Victorian Diocese of Wangaratta in August passed a resolution providing for the blessing of same-sex couples who married under the Commonwealth Marriage Act. …“

– Report from The Canberra Times.

Bishop Jay Behan’s ACL Dinner Address

“On 19 October 2019, Jay Behan was consecrated Bishop of CCAANZ in Christchurch, New Zealand.

ACNA Archbishop Foley Beach and Chairman of GAFCON Primates Council presided, former Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen preached, and various others, such as Dean Kanishka Raffel of Sydney were involved in this important occasion.”

Earlier that week, the then Rev Behan was in Sydney and addressed the ACL’s Synod Dinner.

Thanks to the Australian Church Record, you can read the text of his address – or you can listen to our audio recording.

“I don’t hate him”. How a Christian worldview changes everything

“I’m writing this about 5 minutes drive away from a tragic event that happened here in Sydney on Saturday evening…”

– David Ould shares something most people would not expect to come out of Saturday evening’s tragedy in Oatlands. (And a good reminder to pray for all affected.)

Archbishop calls for prayer about coronavirus

“Churches have been urged to pray about the Coronavirus outbreak and to take sensible precautions as the World Health Organisation declares a public health emergency.

Archbishop Glenn Davies has written to clergy, asking churches to pray for victims, health care workers and authorities. …”

– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Sporting brain snaps

“When you read this I will be winging my way to Melbourne for part of a holiday.

Why Melbourne? Well we don’t have the Australian Open Tennis in Armidale.  We don’t have the rich celebrity temper tantrum, racket smashers from around the world in Armidale. We just have the normal temper tantrum racket smashers and club throwers of our local region. I think it will be interesting to see how the great ones of the sporting world do it. I am not planning to take any tips from them, however I might just be embarrassed and perversely entertained by them…”

– Diocese of Armidale’s Bishop Rick Lewers shares some challenges about anger.

Thank-you Fireys as Sydney prays

“Sustained applause greeted Rural Fire Service Senior Assistant Commissioner Bruce MacDonald as he was introduced at a Prayer service at Sydney’s St Andrew’s Cathedral on Sunday 19th January for those affected by the bushfires. …”

– Russell Powell has the story of Sunday’s service at the Cathedral for everyone affected by the bushfires. At SydneyAnglicans.net.

A Service of Prayer for those affected by the Bushfires

St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney is holding a service of prayer for all affected by the Bushfires.

It’s this coming Sunday, 19th January 2020 at 10:30am.

(The Cathedral is located at the corner of George and Bathurst Streets in Sydney.)

The Recruitment Problem

“While I was training at Moore Theological College (2012- 2015) the constant rhetoric was that the Sydney Anglican Diocese was oversupplied with full-time gospel workers. We were warned from the very beginning of the need to be creative in funding our own Sydney Anglican positions if we were to stay in Sydney.

From one perspective, this was a great win for the Kingdom! It forced many people to consider full-time gospel ministry outside Sydney and caused those who wanted to stay in Sydney to consider the cost of staying. …”

– The Australian Church Record has republished this article by Mike Leite in the ACR’s Journal for Summer 2019.

Photo: Moore College, 1956.

Patient leadership required

“What has become of our culture that we, who are sown into the fabric of the culture, have become so impatient? The computer, by comparison with the old typewriter, is quick. But when I turned it on just now, the time this piece of genius took to awake from its slumber had me impatiently complaining. …”

– Bishop Rick Lewers of the Diocese of Armidale writes his regular column. Very timely.

Anglican Aid NSW Bushfire Appeal

“The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has launched an appeal to allow immediate response to the devastating bushfires raging in NSW.”

Image: worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/

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