Our Neighbours, the Muslims
“Our local community here in Southwest Sydney has been rocked over the weekend with the news of what looks like another Islamic terror attack. …
I got a call from our local newspaper today asking for a comment. After chatting for a bit with the journalist I realised that what we really needed was a co-ordinated response from our local Anglican churches. …”
– David Ould shares how some are extending the hand of friendship to their Muslim neighbours.
Zac Veron to move on from Youthworks
“The Rev Zac Veron has announced his decision to step down as CEO of Anglican Youthworks by the end of 2017 at the latest, pending the recruitment of a new CEO.”
– Read the full announcement at the Youthworks website.
Please uphold Zac and his family as they consider future ministry, and the Youthworks Council as, in due course, they begin the process of seeking a new CEO.
And here’s a statement from Youthworks Council Chairman, Chris Braga:
“The Rev Zac Veron has shared with the Council his intention to finish his time as CEO of Youthworks at the latest by the end of 2017. The Council is thankful to God for Zac’s almost decade long service as the CEO of Youthworks.
Zac has led the organisation through significant challenges, including the impact of the Global Financial Crisis and the resulting reduction in Synod funding, the world-wide decline of traditional publishing and the ongoing secularization of the ministry context in our Diocese.
He has been an advocate for ministry to children and youth in our Diocese and abroad, particularly through the continuing work of SRE. Zac leaves the organisation with certainty about its mission, clarity about its finances and a leadership team united in a common purpose. He has modelled to everyone a deep commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and the cause of his gospel. We are thankful to God for the unique and important contribution Zac has made to this strategic ministry.
Please pray for Zac and Sheree as they work out where the Lord would have them serve next, and pray for the Youthworks Council and the Archbishop as a search is made for the best possible candidate to lead Youthworks into the future.”
9/11 to be remembered in Sydney
“Former Prime Minister John Howard will join the US ambassador and diplomatic representatives for a special remembrance service on Sunday, September 11 to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the attacks on New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.…
The Dean of Sydney, the Very Rev. Kanishka Raffel, who will lead the service, has issued an open invitation for members of the public to join the congregation for the event.”
– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.
ACL Pre-Synod Briefing Wednesday 5th October & Synod Dinner Monday 10th
Two special events for Sydney Synod members: Read more
Youthworks College to move to Moore College’s Newtown campus
From Moore College:
Youthworks has today announced the move of the Youthworks College diploma courses to their new Moore Theological College campus premises.
“A vital need of the moment is men and women committed to gospel work among children and youth in our city and beyond. Youthworks College under the principalship of Dr Bill Salier is uniquely placed to meet this need and its new location in Newtown alongside Moore College will significantly enhance this work. I am looking forward to building on the already close partnership between Moore and Youthworks College” said Moore College principal, Dr Mark Thompson, when speaking of the move.
Youthworks College sees this as a strategic move that is aimed enhancing Youthworks College’s mission of raising up skilled youth and children’s ministers serving in churches and schools.
This move will provide greater accessibility of Youthworks College’s programmes to more students due to the relative ease of the physical location; and the greater visibility of Youthworks College generally as they move closer to the centre of Sydney.
Dr Bill Salier remarked, “We are also excited by the opportunities as yet unseen that will occur as a result of a change of this type. We believe it will further stimulate us to think through what we do, and how we do it, in the new space.”
“Youthworks College is grateful for the generosity of Moore College and the spirit of partnership this represents. We look forward to working side by side, albeit with our different audiences and programmes, sharing the common goal of strengthening Gospel ministry in Sydney and beyond” concluded Dr Salier.
Marriage debate ‘taints’ outcome, says Anglican Archbishop
“The leader of the nation’s largest Anglican diocese has warned that the political debate on same-sex marriage is ‘so tainted’ its resolution is beyond the ‘capabilities of the current parliament’.
Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies said the issue went to a change that would ‘affect the foundations of our society’. All Australians needed to be consulted and the arguments against marriage equality given a fair public hearing, he said. …”
– Full story from The Australian. (Paywalled.) Photo: Moore College.
Watch the Annual Moore College Lecture livestream tonight
If you couldn’t get to Moore College for the first evening of this year’s Annual Moore College Lectures, you can watch it from 8:00pm via the college’s livestream.
“Dr Paul Williamson is our speaker for this year’s Moore College Lectures on the topic of Death and the Life Heareafter. Join us to think through the big questions of death, heaven and hell, beginning with a public lecture on the evening of Friday 19 August, and continuing with 5 morning lectures from Monday 22 to Friday 26 August. This is a free event with no registration required.”
Rick Smith joins Moore College’s CMD team
News from Moore College:
“Moore College’s Centre for Ministry Development (CMD) has been assisting in the theologically shaped development of ministers for the past four years. The Centre has recognised the need to assist more clergy through mentoring and for developing new Rectors and has appointed Rick Smith to join the team as a consultant…”
– Story here.
Related: Centre for Ministry Development.
Serving the Lord — Jane Barker
“Jane Sophia Barker (Nee Harden) was born in England in 1807. On October 15, 1840 she married Frederic Barker who, at that time, was serving as a rector in Liverpool, England.
They had no children and served in parish ministry together for 15 years until Frederick was asked to be the second Bishop of Sydney. They arrived in Sydney in May 1855 and Jane would remain in Sydney until her death 21 years later…”
– Jane Tooher opens a window into the life, and faith, of Jane Barker, wife of Bishop Frederick Barker. At SydneyAnglicans.net.
Churches recommit to prayer on Moore College Sunday
Today around Sydney, churches are taking the time to pray for Moore Theological College.
See the MCS website – and watch the video.
Moore College events coming up
The team at Moore College have posted a summary of events coming up in August.
Sydney church planters meet
“Church planters for the first three projects of the Archbishop’s New Churches for New Communities program have met to discuss the vision for Sydney’s fastest growing new suburbs.
The edges of the Sydney basin are expected to become home to an extra 750,000 to 1 million people in coming years and the State Government is already gearing up infrastructure such as rail links…”
– Encouraging news from SydneyAnglicans.net.
Moore’s treasures unveiled
“A campaign has begun to preserve a major collection of Australian Christian history at the library of Moore College, including two of the first books ever printed by press, the first book distributed in Australia, an ancient Hebrew parchment, a first edition of the King James Bible and rare photos of the building of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The historic, and eclectic, group of ‘treasures’ is to be housed and exhibited in the college’s new library, due for completion in 2017, and the college is raising funds to display and preserve the irreplaceable collection.
‘Some of Australia’s priceless national heritage is found in the Moore College library – not surprising, since the college is one of the oldest tertiary educational institutions in the country and it became the repository of special books and artefacts from the earliest days,’ said Moore’s former principal Dr Peter Jensen, who is backing the effort to conserve the treasures.
One of the most historic items of Australiana is ‘Address to the Inhabitants of the Colonies’ by the chaplain of the First Fleet, the Rev Richard Johnson. It was printed in England in 1794 with editing by the slave trader-turned evangelist John Newton. Johnson used it in his work in Sydney, making it the first book conceived and distributed in Australia…”
– Read the full story by Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Richard Johnson’s ‘Address to the Inhabitants of the Colonies Established in New South Wales and Norfolk Island’ (with some editorial input from John Newton) was republished in PDF format for the ACL website several years ago. It is a wonderfully direct gospel tract.
Photo credit: Moore College.
Merged group named Anglicare
“The newly merged group formed from Anglicare Sydney and Anglican Retirement Villages has officially begun, using the name Anglicare.
The merger took effect on July 1st, and although its legal name will be ‘Anglican Community Services’, it will use the trading names ‘Anglicare’ and ‘Anglicare Sydney’…”
– News from SydneyAnglicans.net.
Two new members of the Moore College faculty in 2017
“Last Thursday evening, the Governing Board of the College approved the Principal’s nomination of two new members of the Moore College faculty to begin in January 2017.
Rev Paul Grimmond has been serving as Senior Assistant Minister at Unichurch (UNSW) since 2010, having previously been an editor for Matthias Media (2008–2009) and Rector of Unichurch (2003–2008). …
Rev Peter Tong is Assistant Minister at St Andrews Wahroonga. Prior to 2015 he was an Assistant Minister for five years at Naremburn-Cammeray Anglican Church (2009–2014)…”
– Good news from Moore College. Read the details here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…