Jay Behan to be first bishop of the new diocese of Confessing Anglicans in NZ

A significant development in New Zealand.

From the Synod of the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand:

“Today representatives from twelve churches throughout New Zealand gathered and formed the Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa/New Zealand.

By the grace of God we are a new Anglican Diocese in these Islands, standing firmly in Anglican faith and practice, and structurally distinct from the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

This new Diocese is united in the crucified, risen, ascended and glorified Christ, committed to the authority of the Bible, and dedicated to our common mission of proclaiming to all the good news of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. We praise God for his guidance and grace, and the sense of unity and common purpose we shared as we met.

We also prayerfully elected as our first Bishop the Rev. Jay Behan, Vicar of St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Christchurch.

Jay is a man of humility and grace, committed to the authority of the Bible and the Lordship of Jesus. He is an excellent preacher and caring pastor, and will serve and lead the Diocese as together we seek to reach these Islands with the transforming power of the gospel. …”

– Read the full statement via the GAFCON website. (Emphasis added.)

Gracefully leaving an apostate denomination

From Dominic Steele at The Pastor’s Heart:

“Minister of St Stephen’s Christchurch Jay Behan tells the heartbreaking story of leading his church away from the traditional Anglican Church in New Zealand and working to form a new Diocese for faithful Anglicans.

Jay Behan tells of his tearful resignation from the New Zealand Anglican Church’s General Synod, just hours after the Synod voted to abandon the teaching of Jesus on sexuality. …”

– Watch here.

From Susie Leafe, Director of Operations, Gafcon UK:

Today and tomorrow (Friday & Saturday) the inaugural synod of a new Anglican extra-provincial diocese will be meeting in New Zealand. Last month, the Gafcon Primates affirmed the decision to form this new diocese and it would be great to pray for them as they face this ‘day of small things.’

And from the Gafcon Secretariat (via e-mail), some history:

In 2016, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia (ACANZP) accepted a report which stated that the Church wanted to find a way to remain united despite having two integrities on matters of sexuality. After much debate, the Church changed their canons last year to allow the formal blessing of same-sex relationships.

For some, the decision in 2016 caused them to leave the ACANZP, others followed when the canons were changed.  Relationships between these folk and between them and the ACANZP have, for the most part been gracious and cordial.

The churches forming the extra-provincial diocese include those who left in 2016 and those who left later. As they made their decisions about the future, their desire to serve each other and those who will come after them, was evident.

Dapto mourns Senior Minister

Members of the parish of Dapto are mourning today after their Senior Minister, the Rev. Stephen Semenchuk, was called home to be with Christ after a short illness, on Sunday 12th May.

There will be a funeral and public celebration of Stephen’s life on Thursday 16th May.

All can give thanks for Stephen’s love for Jesus, and his desire for all to be saved (which included his work in the wider diocese).

Please uphold Stephen’s family and the entire congregation in prayer in these days.

Bishop of Grafton speaks on Israel Folau

“He claims that free speech gives him the right to say anything he wants and blames others for the offence they take.

While he is free to hold to particular religious views, how he expresses these views in public is another matter. Free speech is not hate speech and should not be used to vilify others. Threatening people in this way cannot be disguised as protected religious activity. …”

– Bishop of Grafton, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Murray Harvey, has issued this Media Statement. (PDF file.)

Related:

SMBC “Hot Topics” paper on “Religious Freedom in Australia” delivered by Associate Professor Neil Foster on 01 May 2019 (PDF file).

Reflections on the Israel Folau affair – Associate Professor Neil Foster, 14 April 2019.

“…the question seems to boil down to this: can a statement that ‘homosexuals’ (along with ‘drunks’ and ‘thieves’ and others) are destined for eternal punishment unless they repent, be said to be ‘hateful’ or ‘vilifying’?

Of course many in the community will reject the notion of a God who created the world, who cares about the behaviour of human beings whom he made in his image, who judges their rebellion, and who has graciously offered a way out of condemnation through sending his son Jesus Christ to die and rise again.

But those are doctrines that have been held by the majority of people who have lived and died in the Western world for thousands of years. … These are the clear teachings of the Bible…”

Photo: Diocese of Grafton.

‘Sri Lanka is dear to us all and these attacks have wounded us all’

“Three Christian leaders from across denominations came together with the Sri Lankan community in Sydney for a Service of Commemoration for those affected by the bombings in Sri Lanka.

‘Sri Lanka is dear to us all and these attacks have wounded us all,’ said Dean Kanishka Raffel, his voice breaking with emotion as he introduced the service on Saturday 27th April at St Andrew’s Cathedral. …”

– Story and image from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Praying for Sri Lanka at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney

From St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney:

“St Andrew’s Cathedral mourns the loss of so many lives in the attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. A Service of Commemoration will take place in the Cathedral on Saturday 27 April at 11am. All are invited to this Service.”

More from SydneyAnglicans.net –

“The service will be addressed by the Dean of Sydney, the Very Reverend Kanishka Raffel, who is of Sri Lankan heritage, and will be attended by the State Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, the Reverend Kamal Weerakoon, who was born in Sri Lanka…”

Call to pray for Australia

The Bishop of South Sydney, Dr. Michael Stead, has written to all Senior Ministers in Sydney diocese, asking them to encourage their congregations to pray for our nation, especially for the 21 days leading up to the Federal election on May 18 –

“Christians across a wide range of denominations are joining in 21 days of prayer, commencing this Sunday (28 April). Each denomination will do this in their own way. …

In particular, people are being encouraged to pray for the following 4 things.

  1. Pray that God would rule over this election that righteous leaders would be elected to govern this nation in truth and justice because, “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice.” Proverbs 29:2.
  2. Pray God’s blessing upon all our current parliamentarians and leaders, including their families and all the candidates of all the parties standing for this federal election. 1 Timothy 2:1-3.
  3. Pray for a multiplication of prayer and unity across the Body of Christ in Australia that people will wake up to the dangers facing our nation and respond in prayer. Ephesians 5:14.
  4. Pray for a Spiritual Awakening for Australia, Revival and Transformation for our nation and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16.

The organisation behind the Canberra Declaration have prepared 21 daily devotionals, for optional use. People who wish to can register to receive a daily email here – https://canberradeclaration.org.au/prayer/election-2019.”

Statement on Sri Lanka attacks

Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Media Release

Archbishop Glenn Davies issued the following statement on Twitter after learning of the attacks on Sri Lankan churches, Easter Day 2019.

Our hearts cry out for our brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka. This senseless slaughter is a tragedy of vast proportion, especially as it was carried out on Easter Day, mocking the day of hope and salvation for so many. May God comfort survivors and those who have lost loved ones.

– Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Around the Anglican Church of Australia – Easter 2019

Here are a few news items of interest from around the Anglican Church of Australia this Easter –

Easter message from Bishop Mark Short, Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn. (PDF file)

Easter Message from Archbishop of Melbourne, Dr Philip Freier.

North West Ministry program kicks off in Geraldton – Diocese of North West Australia.

Shore School Council Appoints Dr Timothy Petterson as Eighth Headmaster.

Thanking God for the Butlers – Top Centre, Magazine of the Diocese of the Northern Territory. (Issue 19.1. PDF file.)

Jesus and the Moon Landing — Easter Message 2019

“The leader of Australia’s largest Anglican Diocese, the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has recalled the Moon Landing and its 50th anniversary, in his Easter Message this year.

Celebrations are being prepared for July when NASA will lead the anniversary of Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 team landing on the surface of the Moon in 1969. …”

– Read the media release and watch the video from Archbishop Davies.

Great for sharing – and you could embed the video on your website.

There’s also a media release.

Looking for a church this Easter?

Malcolm Richards named as new Bishop for International Relations

“The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has named Canon Malcolm Richards as the new Bishop for International Relations.

Canon Richards will take over from Bishop Peter Tasker who has held the position since its inauguration ten years ago. Bishop Tasker has represented the Archbishop at consecrations, conferences, and made pastoral visits across the globe since 2009. …

As well … Moore College has announced Canon Richards will take up a parallel appointment as the Director of the Centre for Global Mission.”

– Read the full story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Bible is a wilderness, not a garden: Lessons from Donald Robinson

“In 2001, a young West Australian skipped Hebrew class to listen to a slight elderly man dressed in bishop’s purple and a clerical collar teach on the Epistle of James.

The class stood as he entered the room and remained standing while he prayed. They addressed him neither by his name (Donald) nor by the title of his most recent posting (Archbishop), but by the clerical order he occupied through the laying on of hands: ‘Bishop Robinson’.

The whole spectacle struck the young West Australian as otherworldly and exotic, though not inauthentic. Its effect was to lull students into a false sense of security – a security quickly removed as this unassuming figure treated the class to an exegetical tour de force, with original and daring insights thrown at the unsuspecting class with a velocity for which none were prepared. …”

– Rory Shiner writes at GoThereFor.com.

(1982 photo via Ramon Williams.)

Mark Short installed as Canberra/Goulburn Bishop

New Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn to be consecrated on Saturday (6th April)

Dr. Mark Short, elected last November as Bishop of the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, will be consecrated and installed at St. Saviour’s Cathedral in Goulburn on Saturday 6th April.

Please do pray for Mark and the continued progress of the gospel in that area.

Related:

Dr Mark Short to be installed as Canberra/Goulburn Bishop – Goulburn Post.

“Dr Short said he was surprised to be approached to consider the role. But in many ways it was a ‘coming home’ to the diocese and the cathedral in which he was ordained a priest and a minister.

Born in Sydney, he lived in the Riverina until age five before his family moved to Sydney’s western suburbs. He attended Saint Andrew’s Anglican School where several teachers inspired him to follow Jesus. …”

Prayer for the election of a Bishop of Bathurst

According to the timeline published in the December 2018 edition of Anglican eNews, the steps to elect a new Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst include:

“Synod Members to be invited to propose names of prospective nominees: late February.

Nominations Open: 1 March.

Nominations Close: 31 March.

Interviews, Due-Dilligence and Discernment: April.

Election and Announcement: May.”

Doubtless, all in the diocese would be glad of your continued prayers during this time.

Related:

Sydney helps Bathurst – SydneyAnglicans.net

Bishop Ian Palmer’s farewell address to Bathurst Synod.

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