New Dean for Australian College of Theology
The Board of the Australian College of Theology has announced (PDF) that Dr. Martin Sutherland, currently Academic Dean of Laidlaw College in Auckland, will be the new Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the ACT, from July 2016.
Colleges affiliated with the ACT include Youthworks College, Mary Andrews College, SMBC, and the Presbyterian and Baptist colleges. (Photo: Laidlaw College.)
Moore College celebrates a birthday
160 and counting. A cause for thanksgiving to the Lord.
Around the Anglican Church of Australia 27 February 2016
Here are a few snippets from around the Anglican Church of Australia this weekend.
Please pray that all of us will keep Christ’s saving gospel front and centre, and proclaim it clearly, as we should (Colossians 4:4, Matthew 28:16-20):
Melbourne
Anglican Media Melbourne has this video from a forum held on Ash Wednesday. One of the speakers was The Rev Andy Bowman (pictured), Co-Director of the Anglican Alliance:
“Ash Wednesday’s appropriate because first, we’ve got to lament the kind of poor response we’ve shown over the last two decades – and so we began the day today thinking about how we should be grieving that, how we should be seeking forgiveness about that…”
“… How can we restore the Earth to what it should be – what it was – when God first created it and gave us that great responsibility of stewarding it.”
North Queensland
The funeral of Bishop John Lewis (Bishop of North Queensland 1971-1996) will be held at St. James’ Cathedral in Townsville, today Saturday 27th February.
In his weekly bulletin, current bishop Bill Ray explains that he is sorry medical reasons prevent him being at next month’s Australian Bishops’ Conference in South Australia. He writes:
“Despite what you may have read in the press, it has been my experience that each Bishops’ Meeting is a time of fellowship and learning as well as a time where people show respect to each other.
I have found each conference very helpful and I am disappointed that I will not be present.”
Bathurst
Bathurst Diocese is advertising an Encouragement Workshop at St. John’s Wellington in March.
Canberra & Goulburn
Canberra– Goulburn Diocese reports that a UK expert in children’s church, The Rev Mark Griffiths, is touring regional areas next month to help churches reach young people.
Perth
The Diocese of Perth has an essay on “Liberation theology in modern Australia”.
The Dean’s Story — Kanishka Raffel on ABC Radio’s The Spirit of Things
Terrific interview with Kanishka Raffel coming up on ABC Radio on Sunday – but available on the website now.
The full programme is a 26MB mp3 file, and the interview runs for the first 43 minutes.
Well worth hearing and sharing widely.
(h/t SydneyAnglicans.net)
Call to help Aboriginal church leaders thrive
“The Anglican Bishop of the Northern Territory is calling for up to 50 mature Christians to move to Arnhem Land to disciple up-and-coming Aboriginal church leaders on a long-term basis.
Dr Greg Anderson, a former CMS missionary to the NT who returned to Darwin as bishop a year ago, sees the need for ‘an ongoing, possibly permanent partnership’ between mature Christians and Aboriginal churches in Arnhem Land.
‘We have local, ordained leaders but some of them are old, well past ‘whitefella’ retirement age, and there’s a younger generation we’re looking for to come up behind them and there are some signs of those people coming forward, but those people need [cultural] scaffolding.’…”
– Story from Bible Society Australia.
Related: Diocese of The Northern Territory.
‘Newcastle Anglican Bishop … concerns about a breakaway conservative movement’
“Fractures in the Australian Anglican Church on the issue of gay clergy are set to boil over at a national meeting of bishops in early March, prompting Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson to miss the event and accuse Sydney diocese of leading a breakaway conservative movement.
The emergence of a ‘para Anglican Communion’” was underway, Bishop Thompson said in a letter to Anglican Primate Archbishop Philip Freier in December, in which he declined to attend the annual bishops conference in South Australia from March 6 because it would give the impression of a united church that conflicted with reality.
He accused Sydney diocese of demanding other dioceses sign up to Anglican protocols on homosexuality, or Sydney would not attend any further national bishops’ conferences…”
– Story from The Newcastle Herald via SydneyAnglicans.net.
At his blog, David Ould shares some thoughts on the article.
Update: Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson “could not simply stand by” as Sydney diocese acted against two bishops – The Newcastle Herald.
Anglican Church of NZ report proposes rites for blessing same-sex marriages
“The long-awaited report of the Way Forward Working Group has been released.
Today’s publication comes almost 18 months since the 13-member group began its work – and it proposes two new liturgies to be considered by May’s General Synod.
These liturgies have been designed to allow for the blessing of couples who have been married in a civil ceremony … [and] also create a pathway for the people in such relationships to become ordained.
Civil marriages between a man and a woman have long been recognised in law in both New Zealand and in those Pacific Island nations. In New Zealand’s case, of course, an amendment to marriage law came into effect in August 2013 – which allows same-sex couples to legally marry…”
– Report from Anglican Taonga.
Related:
Once were Anglicans (July 2014)
Statement from the Bishops of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa:
“The bishops again discussed and worked over their draft Pastoral Guidelines in response to Civil Unions within the wider contexts of Marriage and Human Sexuality in readiness for decision at Provincial Synod. These reaffirm our assurance that all baptised‚ believing and faithful persons‚ regardless of sexual orientation‚ are full members of the Body of Christ. However‚ they they do not change our current policy‚ which is that the Province ‘cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions’ (Resolution 1:10 of the Lambeth Conference of 1998).”
Tony George to be new Head of Kings
“The Council of The King’s School has announced the appointment of Tony George as the 20th Headmaster of the School.
After a rigorous international and national search process, the council said it had appointed Mr George to succeed Dr Timothy Hawkes from 1 July 2017…”
– News from SydneyAnglicans.net.
Tony is well known to many of our readers. Here’s his Linkedin profile. (Image source.)
Same-sex marriage activist returns to Wangaratta Diocese church
“In yet another move in the Diocese of Wangaratta to push forward the Same-Sex Marriage agenda … the outspoken Archdeacon Peter Macleod-Miller has invited prominent campaigner Rodney Croome to speak at St Matthew’s Albury as part of their Easter and Lent 2016 lecture series. Last year’s lecture was part of the 9am Eucharist service…”
– David Ould has the story.
Special Synod session called to decide on proposed ARV — Anglicare merger
“A special session of [Sydney] Synod has been called for late March to decide on the proposed merger of Anglicare and Anglican Retirement Villages. … an extra session will now be held on the evening of Thursday 31 March 2016, solely to consider the merger.”
– Story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Earlier: Merger proposal for Anglicare and ARV.
Archbishop Davies’ term extended
“Standing Committee has voted overwhelmingly to extend the term of Archbishop Glenn Davies until 2020.
Without the vote, Dr Davies would have been due to retire on attaining the age of 68 years on 26 September 2018.
Dr Robert Tong moved a motion in Standing Committee on Monday, 15th February, 2016 that the Archbishop’s term be extended for another two years.
Dr Davies was elected in August, 2013.
Dr Tong told Standing Committee that the Archbishop has shown leadership in three key areas.
‘Clearly by his preaching and modelling servant leadership, he has demonstrated spiritual leadership’ he said.
Dr Tong also cited the Archbishop’s leadership in Anglican organisations within and outside of the Diocese and his leadership in the ‘public square’.
‘He is across the issues, he makes a contribution and offers leadership from his own experience and learning’ Dr Tong said.
The motion, seconded by the Principal of Moore College, Dr Mark Thompson, passed overwhelmingly and was announced to the applause of Standing Committee.”
– Report by Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.
27 new Deacons for Sydney
“27 candidates from a variety of backgrounds were ordained deacons on Saturday, 13th February, at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
Led into the Cathedral by the director of Ministry, Training and Development, the Rev Gary O’Brien, he told the group, ‘You are entrusted with a wonderful message.’…”
– A good news story from SydneyAnglicans.net.
NASA center “bans the word ‘Jesus’.”
“The name of Jesus is not welcome in the Johnson Space Center newsletter, according to a complaint filed on behalf of a group of Christians who work for NASA. …
And NASA’s behavior is quite frankly baffling. On Christmas Eve, 1968 – the crew of Apollo 8 read the Creation story as they orbited the moon. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Frank Borman and Bill Anders took turns reading from the Book of Genesis.”
– Opinion from Fox News. Related: The Apollo 8 crew read from Genesis 1.
‘New Anglican Dean of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, installed at St Andrew’s Cathedral’
“The new Anglican Dean of Sydney has made history. Kanishka Raffel, who was officially installed as Dean of Sydney last Thursday, is the first person from a non-European background to hold the role in the church’s history in Australia. …
Born in London to Sri-Lankan parents, Dean Raffel spent the first two decades of his life as a Buddhist before he was given a copy of the Bible while studying law at the University of Sydney.”
– The Sydney Morning Herald has this story about a Buddhist who became a Christian, and is now Dean. (Photo: SydneyAnglicans.net)
‘Cathedral wins Raffel’ — New Dean installed at St. Andrew’s
“After months of waiting, St Andrew’s Cathedral congregation has finally welcomed the new Dean of Sydney.
At an Installation Service at the Cathedral on Thursday, 4th February, the Rev Kanishka de Silva Raffel became the first non-European to hold the post…”
– Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.
All ACL members will want to join in praying to Almighty God for Kanishka and Cailey in this new sphere of gospel service.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…