‘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.
Merger proposal for Anglicare and ARV
“The Council of Anglicare Sydney and the Board of Anglican Retirement Villages (ARV) have decided to pursue a merger of the two organisations. …
A recommendation will be made to the Standing Committee of the Diocese at its March meeting and if approved, a merger of the two organisations would take effect from 1 July, 2016…”
– News from SydneyAnglicans.net.
(Picture: Mrs Dorothy Mowll, wife of Archbishop Howard Mowll. It was her vision which led to the founding of Mowll Village – the beginning of ARV – in 1959.)
Sydney mourns two leaders in Education
We are saddened to learn of the death of The Rev. Canon Stanley Kurrle OBE, sixteenth Headmaster of The King’s School. He died on Wednesday 20th January 2016, at the age of 93.
Canon Kurrle was Headmaster from 1965-1983.
In a message to the school community, the present Headmaster, Dr Timothy Hawkes, wrote,
“During his time at King’s Canon Kurrle was greatly respected for his pastoral care and educational leadership and was loved by his boys. He had the unique capacity to know and never forget his boys, a quality that greatly endeared him to all.”
Canon Kurrle was a long-standing member of the New Universities Colleges Council (NUCC) which founded New College at UNSW and Robert Menzies College at Macquarie University.
His funeral will be held at St. James’ Chapel, Mowll Village, Castle Hill at 11:00am on Friday 29th January.
News has also come of the death of Mr. Roderick West, Head at Trinity Grammar School 1975–1996.
Current Head Master, Milton Cujes, wrote in a message dated 25th January 2016:
“It is with regret that I inform you that we have learned that our much-loved former Head Master, Mr Roderick West AM, M.A.(Syd), B.D. (Lond.), Dip. Ed. (Syd.), F.A.C.E., died this morning. An outstanding teacher of the Classics, and an inspiring leader in Christian education. Mr West was Head Master at Trinity Grammar School from 1975 to July 1996. He was then appointed as interim Principal at Kambala Anglican Girls’ School at Rose Bay from May to December 1999.
Details regarding funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.”
Many will give thanks for Rod West’s service in his capacity as a Trustee of Thomas Moore’s Estate. In addition, he was a valued member of the governing board of Moore College.
His funeral service will be held at the Trinity Grammar School Chapel, Prospect Road, Summer Hill on Friday 5th February 2016 at 11.00am, followed by morning tea. All clergy requested to robe.
Update: The Sydney Morning Herald has published a very fitting Obituary.
We give thanks to the Lord for these two brothers, and do not mourn as those do who have no hope. (1 Thessalonians 4:13.)
(Top photo: Canon Kurrle in 2014, courtesy of The King’s School.
Second photo: Rod West in 1994, courtesy of Trinity Grammar School, via Ramon Williams Worldwide Photos.)
Australia Day Honours 2016
In the 2016 Australia Day Honours List, a number of Anglican Christians whom we know and love have been recognised. Included among them are:
Mrs Christine Jensen, who has been awarded Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia, “For service to the Anglican Church community in Sydney”, including her many years of encouragement to women of the Moore College family and through Mothers’ Union.
In 2010, Christine was interviewed for the In Tandem ministry wives’ blog. In it, she shares some excellent advice:
“Love Jesus, read your Bible, say your prayers and ‘do the good works he’s prepared for you to walk in’ (Ephesians 2:10)”.
Mr Peter Kell, has been appointed Member (AM) of the Order of Australia, “For significant service to the Anglican Church of Australia, to social welfare programs and delivery, and to the community of the Illawarra”.
Peter is well known through his many years of gospel-driven service, including as CEO of Anglicare Sydney, 2004-2011.
Our congratulations and best wishes go to them both, and to all who have been honoured.
Sydneyanglicans.net has more here.
(Photos courtesy Mothers’ Union Sydney and Anglicare Sydney.)
What they’re saying about Moore College
Here are four brief videos, with clips from Gerald Bray, Michael Horton and Kevin Vanhoozer, sharing their impressions of Moore College.
Especially useful to pass on to anyone considering studying at Moore.
Another three videos below:
Getting to know the new Dean of Sydney
Kanishka Raffel has now begun as the Dean of Sydney – he will be installed as Dean on Thursday 4th February, at 7:00pm.
David Ould took the opportunity to speak with Kanishka at last week’s CMS Summer School at Katoomba (at which Kanishka spoke).
Topics in the conversation include:
- Leading mission and church growth in Perth
- Thoughts about leading mission as Dean of Sydney
- Preaching Acts
- Welcoming immigrants
- Challenges for Western Christianity
- His background in Buddhism, Sri Lankan family, and his conversion to Christ.
Please be encouraged to pray for Kanishka in his new role.
Also, Kanishka will be speaking at Nexus 16 on Monday 23rd May at Village Church Annandale.
Remembering John Reid
Phillip Jensen, former Dean of Sydney, writes to give thanks for Bishop John Reid, “a great man of God who faithfully and lovingly stood for the truth of the Gospel”.
Here’s a taste –
- “He consistently upheld the great truths of the gospel, always graciously pointing to the Saviour by expounding God’s word. He was committed to the truths expounded in the Reformation, while diplomatically developing relationships with those who did not share them.
- He was his own man, (or rather Christ’s man) but he was a great admirer of John Stott and Marcus Loane, and ministered with the same kind of intelligent care in the use of words as those two giants.
- He was humble, generous and hospitable – always the first to wash up or put people at their ease. He never played the Bishop card, as if he were something special and above the ordinary.”
(Bishop Reid’s funeral will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, at 10:00am on Thursday 14th January.)
Funeral of Bishop John Reid — 14th January
The funeral of Bishop John Reid, who died on Saturday, will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, at 10:00am on Thursday 14th January 2016. Burial at St. Jude’s Randwick, at 2:00pm.
Details at The Sydney Morning Herald.
1977 photo of Bishop Reid courtesy Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.
With thanksgiving for Bishop John Reid
It has been announced that Bishop John Reid, Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Sydney, 1972–1993, has fallen asleep in Christ at the age of 87.
In a tribute posted at SydneyAnglicans.net, Archbishop Glenn Davies said that Bishop Reid,
“will be remembered for being an accomplished Bible teacher, an able administrator and a passionate evangelist. His abilities were internationally recognised through his involvement with the Lausanne Movement as chairman, as well as the missionary organisation Interserve.”
John Reid was ordained in Sydney in 1955, served as Curate at St. Matthew’s Manly (1955-56) and as Rector of Christ Church Gladesville (1956–1969). He was collated as Archdeacon of Cumberland in 1969, and in 1972 was consecrated as Assistant Bishop of Sydney. He was responsible for the South Sydney area of the diocese until his retirement in 1993.
Bishop Reid was passionately concerned to see men and women come to faith in Christ. Many will be unaware, for example, of his behind-the-scenes work to support pastors in Communist Eastern Europe, before the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Bishop Reid is survived by his wife Alison. We will post funeral details here when they become available.
(Top photo: Bishop John Reid visiting St. George’s Hurstville in 1986.
Second photo: Bishop Reid in 1981, courtesy Ramon Williams, Worldwide Photos.)
Ministry on the Air on Norfolk Island
“Ministry on Norfolk Island is forging ahead with its eye on the long term, according to the island’s current Anglican chaplain…”
– SydneyAnglicans.net has this story on ministry on Norfolk Island. (And a good reminder to pray for David Fell and the congregation there.)
Archbishop Glenn Davies’ Christmas message 2015
Archbishop Glenn Davies has released his Christmas message for 2015.
Watch it on Vimeo.
As Australians, we love to celebrate Christmas with lights. On Christmas trees, in shopping centres and in suburban houses, we see lights everywhere—nativity scenes aglow and twinkling lights in rhythmic patterns. Even though we are in the height of summer, lights are very much a part of Christmas. It is a wonderful time.
But this year, the world we live in has been overshadowed by darkness. We are appalled at the dark acts committed in Paris, Beirut, San Bernardino and elsewhere. We long for light to dispel the darkness. Yet that is exactly the message of Christmas, when God’s light shone into the world and the darkness did not overcome it.
Just as the Creator declared “Let there be light” and there was light, so God sent Jesus to shine into our darkness. Nothing can compare to the brightness of his star nor outshine his brilliance, no matter how many lights we might create.
Though we see these dark acts and cry out to God, remember this – he has answered with the words of Jesus – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Download it as a PDF file from SydneyAnglicans.net (will download to your computer).
Larger image. Audio file here.
Moore College — New Building rising
The new building at Moore College (on the old Master Builders’ site) is continuing to rise.
This 30 second clip, posted on the College’s Vimeo account, shows progress as at November 23.
From the College: “Our fundraising is well on track to our target, but we still have a way to go.”
Sydney’s Bishopscourt sold
“The neo-gothic residence ‘Bishopscourt’ in Darling Point has been sold.
‘Bishopscourt’ (formerly Greenoaks) was built in the mid 1840s by prominent colonial businessman Thomas Sutcliffe Mort. It was not the original Archiepiscopal residence, but has housed Archbishops of Sydney since 1911. …
The buyer has requested anonymity, but it is known he is intending to live at Bishopscourt and refurbish the property and gardens to their former glory.”
– Report by Russell Powell. Read it all here.
And from Domain: “A local buyer exchanged on $18 million on Wednesday for the official residence of Sydney Archbishop Glenn Davies.”
Bishop Robert Forsyth farewelled on his retirement in Sydney
“In the same place he was consecrated Bishop of South Sydney fifteen years ago, Robert Forsyth has been farewelled to retirement.
Friends, family and clergy colleagues gathered in St Andrew’s Cathedral on Thursday, 10th December, to give thanks for Bishop Forsyth’s 40 years in ministry…”
– Russell Powell has a report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…