Adelaide bids fond farewell to Archbishop Geoff Smith

“The Anglican Diocese of Adelaide on Saturday 1 November bid a very fond farewell to the Most Reverend Geoffrey Smith, who has served as Archbishop for more than eight years. …”

— Report and photo from the Adelaide Diocese Guardian.

Doubtless, members of the Diocese of Adelaide would crave your prayers as they move to elect a new Archbishop to lead the diocese.

Photo: Archbishop Geoff Smith greets the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson.

Adelaide Synod 2025: walking together into another year

The Diocese of Adelaide held its 2025 Synod last weekend. It was the last for Archbishop Geoff Smith, who concludes his time as Archbishop on 1st November:

“The Adelaide Anglican Synod for 2025 concluded its annual session on Sunday, marked by an emphasis on synodality, youth engagement, and a move toward streamlined ministry governance.

Held once again at Starplex at Trinity College Gawler, due to the very high satisfaction survey last year, the session was, once again, affirming for Synod members to listen carefully, and speak respectfully, acting synodically – flourishing and united in God’s Love.

The weekend began with the Synod Eucharist held on Friday 16 October at St Peter’s Cathedral.  During the beautiful service a new Archdeacon was collated, four new area Deans for the Triennium were commissioned and four members of the laity were awarded Diocesan extraordinary service ‘Archbishop’s Pins’.…”

– Secretary of Synod Joe Thorp reports at The Adelaide Guardian.

See also:

Archbishop Geoff Smith’s final Presidential Address to Synod – PDF.

Anglican Heroes: William Wilberforce — Church Society podcast

From Church Society:

“Jago Wynne, the current vicar of Holy Trinity, Clapham tells Ros Clarke about the life, faith and work of its most well-known former member, William Wilberforce.”

– Listen here.

Ten Years of Trump Misunderstanding the Gospel

“President Donald Trump is comfortable telling you what is on his mind. For good or bad, that means there is a long history of recorded statements from Trump, giving his frank and unfiltered thoughts on a variety of topics.

For the last ten years, I have been particularly interested in noting whenever he has spoken about his personal views on spirituality, salvation, and his own eternal destiny. It reveals a decade-long spiritual journey in relationship to the gospel of grace that is both fascinating and, at times, tragic. …”

– No, this post by Simon Camilleri at The Gospel Coalition Australia, is not about politics.

But it is a strong reminder to heed the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-6 –

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”

Image: President Trump in Jerusalem, October 2025.

Richard Gibson Memorial Service livestream at Moore College

“Memorial Service Live-Stream Gathering

Saturday 18 October, 3:00pm, TC Hammond Room, adjacent to the Dining Room, Moore College, 1 King Street Newtown.

Please join with us as we grieve the loss of a brother in Christ, remembering a friend, teacher and colleague, and honouring a life given in service to our Lord and Saviour.”

– from Moore College.

GSFA tribute to Archbishop Drexel Gomez

From the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches:

“With deep sorrow, we receive the news of the passing of the Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, Archbishop and Primate of the Church in the Province of the West Indies, and one of the founding fathers of the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches. Archbishop Gomez was a faithful shepherd, a wise counsellor, and a steadfast defender of the historic faith of the Church.

Throughout his ministry, he guided the Anglican Communion through defining moments with clarity, courage, and grace. His leadership in the development of the Anglican Covenant and his active participation in the meetings of the Global South were marks of his deep commitment to the unity and orthodoxy of the Anglican family.

We thank God for his life of service and his enduring witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His wisdom, gentleness, and strength will continue to inspire generations of Anglican leaders. May his soul rest in peace and rise in glory.”

– Source.

See also:

Archbishop Drexel Gomez, first Caribbean Anglican bishop in Barbados, dies at 88 – Barbados Today.

Photo courtesy The Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas & The Turks & Caicos Islands.

Finance industry leader to head Sydney Anglican Services

From SydneyAnglicans.net –

“Andrew Macey, an experienced banking executive, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Sydney Anglican Services (SAS), the key support organisation for the Sydney Diocese.

Mr Macey has held senior roles for Westpac for more than 20 years, including in specialist finance, human resources and, since 2024, as CEO of the Westpac subsidiary RAMS Financial Group. …”

– Read the full story by Russell Powell.

Moore College mourns the passing of Dr Richard Gibson

“Moore College gives profound thanks to God for the life and ministry of Dr Richard Gibson, Principal of the Brisbane School of Theology, and before that a member of the Moore College Faculty for twenty years. Richard died suddenly last week.

Richard’s ministry touched many people. He was a compassionate pastor and a highly effective preacher. His sermons in the College chapel, not least his long series on 2 Corinthians, remain in the memory of many who heard them. His lectures in New Testament Greek were equally memorable, including his impersonations of Nana Mouskouri, the famous Greek singer!

Richard’s friendship remains cherished by a very large number of people serving Christ in a wide range of ministries around Australia and across the world. Many of the current Moore College Faculty were taught by Richard and there are still members of the Faculty who worked alongside him. …”

– Many ACL members will join in giving thanks to the Lord for Richard Gibson.

Read the full tribute at the Moore College website.

See also this tribute by Charles Brammall.

Photo: Brisbane School of Theology.

Shoes, temperance and benevolence — Samuel Callaghan (1809-1884)

“Samuel Callaghan was born in Londonderry, Ireland…

At his death on 29 August 1884, Callaghan had been associated with various efforts of the Wesleyan Church in the colony of NSW for a period of 45 years, and for about 11 years in Ireland prior to coming to Australia. His family maintained an active involvement in Wesleyan/Methodism well into the 20th Century, and one of his grandsons, Robert Samuel Callaghan, was hailed by The Methodist as ‘a prince and a great man’ of Australian Methodism. …”

– Gospel minister and historian Paul F Cooper, Research Fellow at Christ College, Sydney, provides a glimpse into the life of yet another Christian man who worked to be a blessing to the people of Sydney.

Read about Samuel Callaghan at Philanthropists and Philanthropy in Australian Colonial History.

Image: via Trove.

Anglican Heroes: Charles Simeon — Church Society podcast

In the latest podcast from Church Society, Lee Gatiss talks to Ros Clarke about the influential ministry of Charles Simeon.

– Listen here.

Lawyers Task Force Leader Honoured

From Gafcon:

“We give thanks to God for the ministry of Dr Robert Tong AM, who continues to serve as the Leader of our Gafcon Lawyers Task Force.

Dr Tong was honoured this week at the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia, as he retires from his formal ministry in their Synod after 55 years of service.

Join us in thanking God for his strategic mind, theological wisdom, extensive knowledge of church law, and the personal example of faith and integrity he has provided throughout his years of service.

We continue to pray for the important ministry of The Gafcon Lawyers Network, as they provide legal and canonical counsel and resources to the Primates, bishops, clergy and other leaders of Gafcon as we seek to live out the Jerusalem Declaration and its implications for our life and ministry together under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the supremacy of the Holy Scriptures.”

– From Gafcon.

ACL members continue to be thankful for Robert’s long term commitment to advancing the reformed and evangelical character of the Anglican Church of Australia, particularly in the Diocese of Sydney, through Anglican Church League, including his continued service as Chairman.

100 Ministry Stories from Moore College — Dani Treweek

Moore College has published the latest video in its 100 Ministry Stories.

Veronica Hoyt, Director of the Priscilla & Aquila Centre, speaks with Dani Treweek.

Most encouraging.

– Watch here.

See also:

Singleness book wins Christian book of the year

The real meaning of singleness

100 Ministry Stories from Moore College — Grahame and Patty Scarratt

Moore College has published another video in its 100 Ministry Stories.

Peter Jensen speaks with Grahame and Patty Scarratt.

“From surveying in NSW to serving in Chile, Grahame and Patty Scarratt’s journey has been marked by a deep love for God’s word. What began at Moore College grew into decades of ministry across Latin America—most significantly the translation and teaching of the Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) and the beginnings of MOCLAM.

Through their work, countless pastors and church members gained access to solid biblical training in their own language, shaping the Anglican Church in Chile and beyond. Even after returning to Australia, the Scarratts continued publishing and supporting resources so that more people might know and teach the Scriptures.”

– Watch here. (And Grahame has a challenge for churches in Sydney.)

Related –

Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) from Moore College.

New Vice Principal of Moore College

Announcement from Moore Theological College –

“We are delighted to share that the Principal has appointed The Rev Dr Paul Grimmond as the next Vice Principal of Moore Theological College, commencing 1 January 2026.

Paul is a much-loved member of our College community, having joined the Faculty in 2017 as Dean of Students. Since then, he has taught in the Ministry Department and played a key role in the revamping of ministry courses with the development of the Intentional Ministry Reflection (IMR) program, and introduced a more intentional preaching program. Earlier this year, Paul stepped into the role of Head of the Ministry Department following the appointment of Mal York as Dean of Students.”

– Read it all here.

Photo: Paul and Cathy Grimmond with Moore College Principal Mark Thompson.

Honouring Dick Lucas – with Phillip and Peter Jensen

From The Pastor’s Heart –

“This week marks the 100th birthday of Dick Lucas, one of the most influential evangelical leaders of the 20th century. For nearly four decades as Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, Dick shaped a generation of preachers and transformed a quiet city parish into a global centre of expository Bible ministry. The influence of his clear, fearless, and creative preaching continues to ripple out through pulpits around the world.

We’re joined by Peter Jensen (former Archbishop of Sydney and Principal of Moore College) and Phillip Jensen (founder of Two Ways Ministries, former Dean of Sydney Cathedral, and long-time leader of Campus Bible Study). Both were impacted by Dick’s ministry and friendship.

Dick Lucas was a trainer of preachers. He helped us see what could be done with city pulpits, and founded the Proclamation Trust and Cornhill Course.

Our focus is on learning from Evangelical History from a faithful, eccentric, humble servant of Christ.”

– Most encouraging. Watch or listen here.

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