One Among Our Cloud of Witness
“We are fortunate in this diocese that, although a relative new comer in the history of Christianity, God has granted us so many examples of faithful obedience to his word. One servant who was called home on 7 September 2018, was the former Archbishop of Sydney, Donald Robinson. His impact on Anglicanism in Australia and wider evangelicalism was profound. …”
– Dr. Ed Loane shares the latest on the publication of Donald Robinson’s Selected Works.
The two new volumes will be launched at Moore College on Saturday 16th March 2019.
28 new Deacons ordained in Sydney
“There were too many smiles to count as the ordinands of 2019 filed into a packed St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney to be made deacons by the Archbishop of Sydney. …”
– Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
‘Anglican splinter group grows as first same-sex blessing goes ahead in Canterbury’
“Another Anglican vicar has resigned over the decision to allow same-sex blessings as the first ceremony takes place in Canterbury under the new rule.
Rangiora vicar Andrew Allen-Johns resigned from his parish earlier this month and established a new church in central Christchurch called Anchor. The move comes as a male couple became the first in Canterbury to have a same-sex blessing under the Anglican church.…”
– Story from Stuff.co.nz.
Ordinands 2019
Over at SydneyAnglicans.net, there’s a list of those to be ordained at deacons tomorrow, Saturday 16th February, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.
It’d be good to pray for them and their families!
Anglican Aid Prayer Diary 2019
Sydney parishes will have received copies of The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid Prayer Diary for 2019.
If you find it more convenient to download as a PDF file to your device, for use on the go, you can get a copy here – or read it online.
If you use the free PrayerMate app, you can subscribe to the Anglican Aid feed.
“New $7.3 million Glebe residence planned for Archbishop Glenn Davies”
“For more than a century Sydney’s Anglican archbishops resided in the 1841-built sandstone mansion Bishopscourt, but the church’s official Sydney residence may take on a far more contemporary look in the future, according to DA plans before Sydney City Council. …”
– Story from Domain (however, at Sydney Synod, it was explained that Archbishop Davies is expected to have retired by the time the planned residence is built).
Anglicans honoured on Australia Day 2019
Christian businessman and philanthropist Tim Sims and Anglicare Board member Ian Steward are among those on the Australia Day Honours List for 2019.
The Queen’s Christmas message for 2018 – and other recent news
Here’s is Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas Message.
In other news you might have missed the last few days:
Jesus shows how to lay power aside for the sake of the foreigner – Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, in The Australian Financial Review.
“The 2000-year-old story of the Middle Eastern family of modest means seeking a safe lodging place speaks to the weariness of the modern world with a surprising relevance. Because it is at heart, the story of the laying aside of power for the sake of the lowly. God comes to us, so that we may come to him. …”
Russell Powell, CEO of Anglican Media Sydney, had this published in the Letters section of The Sydney Morning Herald on December 24 – in response to Elizabeth Farrelly’s regular column.
“Farrelly states that the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney had ‘reaffirmed … the ban on divorced people – even women divorced after being abused by clergy – being remarried in church’. There has never been such a ban.
The link embedded in the online story shows the resolution carried by the Synod: ‘Synod, noting that it is the prerogative of the Archbishop or a Regional Bishop, in accordance with the laws of this Church, whether or not to approve the remarriage of a divorced person, requests the Archbishop and Regional Bishops to consider approving the remarriage of a divorced person, where that person has been abused physically or emotionally by their former spouse.’
The effect of the motion was simply to urge bishops to be vigilant on this issue. The fact that Bishops have permitted the remarriage of victims of domestic violence shows there is no ban.”
Looking for a Saviour — Archbishop Glenn Davies’ Christmas message 2018
Here is Archbishop Glenn Davies’ Christmas message for 2018.
Short, to the point, and ideal to show in church or embed on your church website.
See also the story and text from SydneyAnglicans.net.
“The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has paid tribute to lifesavers and bushfire fighters while marking celebrations for the birth of Jesus, the saviour.
Archbishop Davies annual Christmas message was released as preparations were being made for Christmas services to be attended by thousands of people across Sydney, the Illawarra and beyond.…”
Update on Bishop Lee — 20 December 2018
“The Bishop of Western Sydney, Bishop Ivan Lee has now been diagnosed with cancer in his liver.
Bishop Lee wrote an update on his health, thanking people for prayer support. …”
– SydneyAnglicans.net has published the latest update from Bishop Ivan Lee, Bishop of Western Sydney, and also a Vice-President of the Anglican Church League. Please do continue to uphold in prayer Ivan and Virginia and their family.
Archbishop Glenn Davies’ response to the release of the Ruddock Report
Anglican Diocese of Sydney Media Statement
13 December 2018
We are grateful the Ruddock report has finally been released and view it as the start of an urgent process to frame appropriate legislation for religious freedom. This should be a bipartisan issue since it involves the harmony of our entire community, not just the more than 60 percent of Australians who identify with religious faith.
Dr Glenn Davies
Archbishop of Sydney.
Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.
North West Network December 2018
The latest issue of North West Network, the newsletter of the Diocese of Northwest Australia, is now available for download from their website. (1.1MB PDF file.)
Be encouraged, and be encouraged to pray!
Anglican Church of Tasmania finalises list of properties for sale
“The Anglican church has finalised its list of properties for sale, with 73 set to be closed and sold-off.
Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend Richard Condie, said the church had listened and responded to community feedback. …”
– Report from The Advocate.
See also: One third of Anglican Church properties removed from sale list – Diocese of Tasmania.
New Bishop for North Queensland
“Anglicans from all over Diocese of North Queensland including the Torres Strait and the West met in Townsville on Saturday November 24th to elect a new Bishop following the retirement of Bishop Bill Ray in September.
The Very Reverend Dr Keith Joseph is the seventh Dean of Darwin. He holds a PhD in philosophy, in the area of applied ethics, and prior to ordination worked as a lecturer in philosophy, but also was a soldier and officer in the Australian Army, and an administrative officer with the Australian Federal Police. In the Army he was a logistics contracts manager, and had a similar role in the Solomon Islands with the Peacekeeping Force from 2004 to 2006. He was ordained as a as a priest in the Diocese of Central Melanesia in 2006 when he took up full-time ministry, remaining in the Solomon Islands.
At the end of 2010 he returned to Australia from Melanesia, and was a parish priest in the Diocese of Newcastle. He took up his current ministry as Dean of Darwin in November 2013 and began his role on the board of Anglicare in December 2013. …”
– From a Diocese of North Queensland press release.
David Ould provides some further background:
“Dr Joseph is an outspoken supporter of same-sex marriage, the key matter of contention facing the Anglican Church of Australia today. …”
Photo: Anglicare NT.
Some thoughts on the New Zealand response to the proposal from Sydney
“On 13 November Archbishop Donald Tamihere and Archbishop Philip Richardson replied to Archbishop Davies on behalf of the General Synod Standing Committee of ACANZP.
In their reply they note that Anglicanism in New Zealand has been shaped by a specific two hundred year history and that:
‘To be Anglican in this land requires that we, led by our Lord Jesus Christ, face into this shared history so that we can help shape a common future for all people based on peace and justice and righteousness.’ …
As they see it, it would be impossible to recognise as Anglican a body that was not bound by the ‘laws and promises and solemn commitments’ of the current ACANZP.
On this basis they say they are unable to accept Archbishop Davies’ proposal. To an outside observer, however, it is not clear why this should be the case. …”
– Anglican theologian Martin Davie devises a simple test to help understand why Archbishop Davies’ proposal (PDF) was not acceptable.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…