New Principal appointed for Nungalinya College in Darwin

“It is with much excitement that we can announce Dr Yane Damanik as the next Nungalinya College Principal! Picture here with her husband Roni, please see a paragraph from Yane introducing herself to the Nungalinya family:

‘I am deeply grateful and excited for God’s calling into this role at Nungalinya College. I am a Moluccan woman from the Maluku islands located in East Indonesia in the Western Pacific Ocean. I came to Australia as an overseas student trained in mission and Christian counselling at Kingsley Theological School in Melbourne. After completing my studies, I enjoyed a variety of roles in teaching, counselling, pastoral work and community development

Our family moved to the Territory in 2011 to serve with the Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM). During this time, we were also involved in pastoral ministry at Living Water Uniting Church in Humpty Doo. Since leaving the NT in 2017, we have continued our work with AIM, where I held various roles, most recently as the Mission Coordinator, while also lecturing in Sydney. With our children now young adults Uni students, my husband and I believe that God is calling us back to Darwin to a ministry that I am passionate about: theological training in Indigenous contexts, a focus that was also the subject of my doctoral study. I am humbled to think that God has woven together my previous ministries, background and studies to prepare me for this new role.

It is a privilege to build on the excellent work accomplished at Nungalinya by God’s people over many years. I look forward to working alongside the college community to advance the vision of empowering Indigenous Christians for leadership across churches and communities in Australia.’ ”

– from the Nungalinya Facebook page.

Sharpened and Refined: a missionary journey – Kylie Zietsch

From Moore College, an interview with Kylie Zietsch:

“Despite my education degree, the volunteer work I was doing in Johannesburg, ministering to students and the homeless, lacked the firm foundation of theological education. So in 2010 I came to Moore College intent on studying for a year. But I soon realised I wanted to go deeper into the word and grow skills in how to approach ministry, so one year grew into four, and I finished the Bachelor of Theology.

I am really thankful for my time at Moore. I was surrounded by women with whom I could walk the journey of life and ministry, with whom I could think through future plans, and who encouraged me in my faith. Looking back now, the student body were formative in encouraging me in mission and sharpening me, preparing me for the mission field.. …”

– Read it here.

Tribute to Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith by Ross Cobb

During the 10:30am service on Sunday (25th August 2024), Ross Cobb, Director of Music at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney, gave this tribute to Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith.

The service also featured hymns written by Bishop Dudley-Smith. (See it from the start here.)

Earlier posts.

Singleness book wins Christian book of the year

From SydneyAnglicans.net:

“The SparkLit Australian Christian Book of the Year for 2024 has been won by Sydney Anglican the Rev Dr Dani Treweek for her book The Meaning of Singleness: Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary Church. …”

– Read here.

Singleness in the Church Today: An Interview With Dani Treweek – Jacob York speaks with Dani Treweek for The Gospel Coalition Australia.

The book is available now from The Wandering Bookseller.

Minister for Gulgong announced

From the Diocese of Bathurst Facebook page:

“Bishop Mark Calder announced today the appointment of the Rev’d Josh Taylor as assistant priest in Cudgegong Valley, with responsibility for Gulgong. Josh and Jordon will arrive in Gulgong early in 2025. Praise God!”

– Read more here.

Also from the Diocese of Bathurst, here’s the latest list of parishes – for your prayers:

Dr Rhys Bezzant to be next Principal of Ridley College, Melbourne

“The Reverend Canon Dr Rhys Bezzant has been announced as the new principal of Ridley College.

Canon Bezzant is currently dean of Missional Leadership at Ridley College, and a canon of St Paul’s Cathedral.

In its announcement, the Ridley College Board said ‘Rhys has demonstrated experience of and love for mentoring [and] equipping the next generation of men and women for God’s mission.’…”

– News from The Melbourne Anglican.

More at the Ridley College website, including a video message.

Beloved English hymn writer dies

“The writer of one of the most popular and inspirational hymns of the 20th century has died at the age of 97.

Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, who wrote the words to ‘Tell out, my soul’ in 1962, died in Cambridge on August 12th, 2024. …”

– Russell Powell has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net. Includes a tribute from Archbishop Kanishka Raffel.

(Image from a 2020 message from Bishop Dudley-Smith to the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland.)

Update:

Bishop Dudley-Smith’s family is posting links to obituaries on his website.

Giving thanks for Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith (1926-2024)

From The Living Church:

“Timothy Dudley-Smith, who wrote ‘Tell Out My Soul’ and more than other 400 hymns and served as Bishop of Thetford in the Church of England from 1981 to 1992, died August 12 at 97. …”

– Read here.

Image from a 2020 message from Bishop Dudley-Smith to the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Societas 2024

The latest issue of Societas, the wonderful magazine produced annually by the students at Moore Theological College, is now available.

If you can’t get hold of a printed copy via your church, you can read it online here.

Book Recommendations (mentioned in Societas)

Elite sports chaplain Ashley Null: ‘The gospel is the antidote to performance-based identity’

“We’re not two minutes into our interview before Rev Canon Dr Ashley Null starts weeping gently.

It is not what I was expecting.

The danger with the relentless researching of your subject in preparation for an interview is that you’re bound to make some assumptions. My first was that Null, a Yale and Cambridge alumnus who is a leading expert on Thomas Cranmer and the theology of the English Reformation, might be intimidatingly intellectual and inaccessible to us mere mortals.

My second was that this might make for a difficult interview with an overly fastidious subject.

I was wrong on both counts. …”

– At Premier Christianity, Emma Fowle speaks with Ashley Null. Take the time to read. (Link with thanks to Anglican Mainstream.)

Chaplaincy on Track – SydneyAnglicans.net.

Photo courtesy Gafcon.

Eric Liddell: The Olympic Champion who ran God’s Race in the Internment Camp

“With the approaching of the 33rd Summer Olympics in Paris on July 26, many people especially Christians are remembering Eric Liddell (1902-1945).

Powerfully depicted in the 1981 Academy Award-winning film Chariots of Fire as the “Flying Scotsman”, Liddell demonstrated to the world a strong Christian conviction. Appreciated or criticised, he refused to run any race on any Sunday, even at the cost of gold medals. However, his missionary work in war-torn China from 1925 to 1945 is less known, and even less known is his Christ-like living in the Japanese concentration camp in China. …”

– At AP, Sonia Liang reminds us of the often-overlooked story of Eric Liddell.

Photo: Eric Liddell at the British Empire vs. USA (Relays) meeting held at Stamford Bridge, London on Saturday 19 July 1924. Public domain, via Wikipedia.

God’s Sovereignty, Moral Evil, and the Attempted Assassination of Former President Trump: The Theological, Historical, and Political Issues

Albert Mohler has recorded a special (mid-Summer-holiday) edition of his The Briefing broadcast after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

He speaks about God’s Sovereignty, moral evil, Providence, and related topics – and reminds us that nothing happens by accident.

It’s also a reminder to pray for the USA in the election season.

God, make me a man like Corey Comperatore – Peter Heck writes at NotTheBee.

(Corey Comperatore is the crowd member who died using his body to shield his family from the incoming bullets.)

And a tribute from his daughter – “He was a man of God, loved Jesus fiercely, and also looked after our church and our members as family.”

Anglican Unscripted Interview with ACNA’s Archbishop Steve Wood

In the latest Anglican Unscripted Interview, Kevin Killeen speaks with Steve Wood, recently elected Archbishop of the Anglican Church of North America.

– Watch here.

ACNA’s New Archbishop: Passionate for Evangelism

“Elected June 22 at a conclave of ACNA bishops, Wood assumes leadership of a small but growing denomination (the ACNA reported 12 percent growth in attendance in 2023).

‘I did not come here with any expectation that this would be a possibility and was as surprised as anyone as the vote unfolded,’ Wood said. The new archbishop, raised in a charismatic and evangelical church, was not among the names publicly rumored ahead of the conclave as a potential successor to Archbishop Foley Beach, who is stepping down after 10 years of leadership. …”

– At The Living Church, Jeff Walton introduces Steve Wood, newly elected Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America. (Link via Anglican Mainstream.)

Photo: ACNA.