How I came to know Jesus – Lionel Windsor
At The Australian Church Record, Lionel Windsor shares how he came to know Jesus.
Hint: A Scripture teacher was a part of the story!
How I came to know Jesus – Mike Leite
“The story of God’s grace and mercy in bringing me to faith in Jesus is very ordinary. Ordinary in the sense that mine is not a spectacular conversion story. God used ordinary means. He used ordinary people. And thus, mine is an ordinary story. …”
– More encouraging stories from The Australian Church Record.
John Chapman on the Anglican Church League
The late great John Chapman (“Chappo”) was interviewed by Phillip Jensen in 2012.
During the interview, he spoke about the importance of the Anglican Church League and its activities for the gospel in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and beyond.
The interview was on 19 June 2012 at Port Hacking. Chappo was called home just six months later, in November 2012.
Watch the three minute excerpt here.
The full interview can be seen here, and is also well worth your time (and is good for the heart). The segments excerpted start at 33:20, but enjoy the whole thing. Part 2 can be seen here.
Video courtesy Audio Advice.
See also: About us.
Community supports beloved bookseller
“It was a message that Karl Grice hoped never to write.
The unexpected and severe impact of Sydney’s second major lockdown, which is still ongoing, meant that just as things were starting to look up for the event-based Christian bookseller, everything came to a stop once more. …”
– SydneyAnglicans.net reports on The Wandering Bookseller and how you can support them.
And here’s The Wandering Bookseller’s website.
John Shelby Spong dies at 90
“Retired Newark Bishop John Shelby Spong, a bestselling author and cleric known for his progressive theology and his support of LGBTQ+ clergy in The Episcopal Church, has died. He was 90. …
Spong’s more than two decades as bishop coincided with a prolonged period of decline in The Episcopal Church. Conservatives criticized the kind of liberal theology promoted by Spong, who denied Christian doctrines like the virgin birth or the resurrection of Jesus.”
– Report from The Episcopal News Service. (Photo: ENS.)
How I came to know Jesus – Kirsten McKinlay
“Although I knew a lot of Bible stories, it wasn’t until a specific moment as a teenager that the overarching theme of the Bible, and the centre point of Christianity itself, made sense to me.
Until that moment, I was sure that being a nice and considerate person had earned me God’s favour. …”
– In another encouraging story from the ACR, Kirsten McKinlay shares how she came to Christ.
SparkLit Awards Author Interviews
The SparkLit Awards Night was held last week, with Stephen McAlpine winning the Australian Christian Book of the Year Award for his book “Being the Bad Guys: How to Live for Jesus in a World that Says You Shouldn’t” (available from The Wandering Bookseller and other Christian bookshops).
SparkLit has now released video interviews with shortlisted authors, including Professor Graeme Clark AC (pictured), inventor of the “bionic ear”.
On the SparkLit YouTube channel.
How I came to know Jesus — Scott Newling
“I do not know when God called me to salvation, and I am content with that because, whenever it was, my election has always been certain and sure. So the when of my calling is not so important to me: the fact of it is everything. Nevertheless, in God’s providence, the people of St John’s Asquith were instrumental in the path that led to my salvation, which I’ll always cherish and for which I’ll always be thankful. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Scott Newling shares the story of how he was saved. Thanks be to God.
See also:
How I came to know Jesus – Pip Taylor.
How I came to know Jesus – Ben George.
How I came to know Jesus – Pip Taylor
“I became a Christian at age 13. I was a kid who had sat in church and felt I knew God. Each year on my family camping holiday, a beach mission team showed up and invited us to their program to hear about God. …”
– At The Australian Church Record, Pip Taylor shares how she was saved.
Sandy Grant to be Dean of Sydney
“The Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, has appointed Canon Sandy Grant, of St Michael’s Cathedral Wollongong, to be the new Dean of Sydney.
He will be the 13th Dean of Sydney, a post with a history stretching back to 1858 when William Macquarie Cowper was appointed as the first Dean.
Canon Grant has been the Senior Minister of St Michael’s in Wollongong since 2004 and will take up his ministry at Sydney’s St Andrew’s Cathedral in December. …”
– Read the news from SydneyAnglicans.net.
The Election of Archbishop Mowll: A Decision with Consequence
“The Conservative Evangelicalism which permeates the diocese of Sydney today has not always characterised the diocesan leadership. Although Sydney may always have had an Evangelical flavour, in the early 20th century the leadership of the diocese represented a more liberal emphasis.
The election of H.W.K. Mowll as Archbishop (1933-1958) changed the trajectory of the diocese toward a more conservative theological position. The significance of Mowll’s leadership was not merely a result of his duration in office, but rather the growth, innovation and theological consolidation which he instigated. …”
– Dr. Ed Loane, Warden of St. Paul’s College, University of Sydney, reflects on a turning point for the Diocese of Sydney.
This Mortal Coil: Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel
On ABC Radio’s This Mortal Coil, 13 June 2021, new Archbishop of Sydney, Kanishka Raffel, is invited to tell his story.
“We don’t have anything else to offer apart from Jesus.”
Listen here, 40 minutes – and be encouraged to share widely.
(Thanks to SydneyAnglicans.net for the link. Image: The Pastor’s Heart.)
The Gospel Coalition Australia interviews Archbishop Kanishka Raffel
Akos Balogh from The Gospel Coalition Australia recently spoke with Kanishka Raffel about his new role – and asks the new Archbishop how we can pray for him.
Dr Colin Bale made Emeritus member of Moore College Faculty
“At the end of this semester, Dr Colin Bale will retire from the Moore College faculty. Dr Bale was appointed to the faculty in 1999 and has served as head of the Church History department, Academic Dean, and Vice Principal. During some of that time he worked on his PhD at Sydney University in the area of Australian history, and more particularly the lessons to be learned from the gravestone inscriptions of those who fell in the First World War.
Dr Bale has made a remarkable contribution to the life and health of Moore College. In recognition of this, the Governing Board of the College has unanimously agreed to appoint him as an Emeritus Faculty member upon his retirement. With this appointment, he will join the likes of Dr Paul Barnett, Dr Peter Jensen, Dr Peter O’Brien, Dr David Peterson, and Dr Barry Webb. …”
– Read it all at the Moore College website.
John Blanchard, evangelist, called home
“Well known Christian author, evangelist, and Christian apologist, John Blanchard has died. …
Blanchard’s books have long been a mainstay within evangelical circles. Several years ago, it was estimated that his booklet, Ultimate Questions had sold in excess of 14,000,000 copies. It has been translated into over 60 languages.”
– English Churchman has the news.
See also this tribute from Evangelical Magazine:
“His overwhelming burden was that the Lord would raise up a new generation of young people willing to be called into full-time Christian service.”
An online version of Ultimate Questions can be found here.
The booklet is available locally from Reformers Bookshop in a variety of languages.
Photo: Banner of Truth.