All good things come to an end
“ ‘All good things come to an end’ is an expression of an earthly truth. At the end of this week I leave my position as the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Armidale. Sadly I must also lay down my pen as the writer of articles for the Extra and Express. My guess is that this news will be greeted with a range of responses.
Over nearly a decade I have written many articles, some controversial, some fun, some just expressing disappointment or a communal grief. Whether you have appreciated the articles or not, it is interesting to consider the past decade of Australian history as captured in some of the ‘Faith Matters’ articles. …”
– Bishop Rick Lewers, shortly to leave Armidale to become Rector of Shoalhaven Heads, writes his last article for the local papers.
Please continue to pray for Rick and Janene, and also for the saints in the Diocese of Armidale as they begin to seek a new bishop.
Charlie Skrine to be Rector of All Souls Langham Place
News from Anglican Mainstream:
“It was announced on the St Helen’s Church Bishopsgate Sunday morning service today that Rev Charlie Skrine, the Associate Rector at St Helen’s is to be the new rector of All Souls’ Langham Place in succession to the Rev Hugh Palmer.
Mr Skrine is 45, studied at Queen’s College, Oxford and Oak Hill College, and is a member of General Synod.”
(Image from The Beautiful Story, CEEC.)
And from All Souls Langham Place on Twitter:
“We are pleased to announce that Her Majesty the Queen has approved the interview panel’s unanimous recommendation to appoint Charlie Skrine as the next Rector of All Souls. We are very much looking forward to Charlie and his family joining us in 2021.”
Update:
This announcement from William Taylor at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate also reveals that Mickey Mantle (pictured) has been appointed as Rector of St. Thomas’ North Sydney from the end of July 2021.
Sydney Diocese: Please pray for ordinands
“Please pray for these candidates as they prepare for ordination on November 28, 2020 and taking up positions at the following parishes. …”
– Media release from the Diocese of Sydney, and fuel for prayer.
New Vice Principal of Moore College
“The Moore College Principal, Dr Mark Thompson, has … announced that the current Vice Principal, Dr Colin Bale, will conclude his service in that role at the end of 2020. Dr Bale will continue to serve as a member of the Moore College faculty until he retires in the second half of 2021. …
This decision has led to the need to appoint a new Vice Principal, and Dr Thompson announced that he had asked the Rev Dr Simon Gillham to take up that office. …”
– News, last week, from Moore College.
Southern Seminary mourns Nick Challies
From Albert Mohler at Southern Seminary, where Tim Challies’ son Nick had been studying at Boyce College:
“Nick Challies, a wonderful, kind, loving, young Christian full of life, went to be with the Lord last night. Here is a word from his father’s grief-stricken heart. Please pray for Tim and Aileen Challies and their family.”
Yes, keep them in your prayers.
Photo: Tim Challies, when visiting Sydney in 2018.
New Dean of Christ Church Cathedral Darwin Commissioned
The Rev. Rob Llewellyn was commissioned as the new Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Darwin last weekend.
The service can be seen at the Cathedral’s Facebook page.
Bishop Greg Anderson preached. Most encouraging.
Reflections on my expectations of Ministry Fifty years ago
“Following a year of teaching secondary school English and History, I entered Moore Theological College in 1966 (aged 21). Ordained in Sydney (deacon, 1969; presbyter, 1970), I was assistant minister at Yagoona, St Michael’s Wollongong, and then Eastwood, before undertaking a New Testament research degree at Durham University, UK. Returning to Australia in 1976, I was invited to start a new church in Wanniassa …”
– In The Australian Church Record’s 2020 Winter Journal, John G. Mason reflected on fifty years of ordained Christian ministry.
Jo Gibbs to be new CEO of Anglican Deaconess Ministries
“ADM is pleased to announce the appointment of Jo Gibbs as its new CEO, effective 17 November 2020.
Jo Gibbs joins ADM from St Pauls Castle Hill, where she has been the Care and Assistant Discipleship Minister. Prior to this, Jo spearheaded work in international and cross-cultural settings. …”
– Announcement from Anglican Deaconess Ministries.
See also:
Congratulations to the new CEO of Anglican Deaconess Ministries – Moore College.
“Jo is known to many of us as a godly woman and a gifted fellow-worker in the gospel.”
Frontline church leader battles cancer
“There’s been a worldwide prayer request for one of Africa’s senior church leaders, who has been hit by colon cancer.
Archbishop Ben Kwashi, the general secretary of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and Archbishop of Jos in Nigeria, has begun treatment after being diagnosed last month. …”
– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.
Archbishop Ben Kwashi on colon cancer, the future of Gafcon, COVID in Africa
From Dominic Steele at The Pastor’s Heart:
“As general secretary of GAFCON, Nigeria’s Archbishop of Jos Ben Kwashi is one of the world’s most influential Anglican leaders.
With GAFCON representing two thirds of the world’s Anglicans, Archbishop Kwashi has been described as the most influential person in the Anglican Communion.
Nine days ago rumours started to circulate on social media that he’d been diagnosed with Colon Cancer.
Archbishop Kwashi joins us to give an update on his health, the 74 orphans who live with him and his wife Gloria, plus news on navigating COVID in Africa and the future of the GAFCON.”
– Plenty to pray about. Be sure to watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.
One Year in Sydney: An Interview with David Robertson
You may recall David Roberston’s interview with The Australian Church Record in July 2018. At the time, asked about his impressions of Sydney Anglicans, he said,
“I came here expecting to learn a great deal about evangelism. I have learnt about church structures, praise, organisation and leadership training – all of which is essential. But in my limited experience I’m not convinced that evangelism is a strong point amongst Sydney Anglicans (or indeed some other Christians).”
That’s what’s behind the beginning of David’s answer in this new interview with the ACR:
“I think what has happened is a warning to those of us who have big mouths – or at least think out loud!
After I spoke to you, I returned home to my church in Scotland, safe in the knowledge that I would not have to put into practice what I suggested. But the Lord had other ideas! Peter Kaldor of City Bible Forum challenged me to come to Sydney and put into practice the ideas I was talking about.
Through a variety of push and pull factors it was made clear to myself and my wife, Annabel, that the Lord was calling us here. In one sense it was a hard decision – giving up home, country and a now well-established church to come to the unknown.
But the opportunity to set up a new evangelistic opportunity called Third Space, and to work with Steve McAlpine and CBF, was one that ultimately, we could not refuse. …”
Happy 95th birthday to Dick Lucas
Today marks the 95th birthday of Dick Lucas, born on this day in 1925.
Dick served as Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London from 1961 to 1998.
We can be thankful to God for using Dick to help so many preach God’s Word faithfully.
St. Helen’s has more than 1700 talks by Dick available on their website.
Bishop of Armidale flags return to parish ministry — at Shoalhaven Heads
“This has not been an easy decision but nor was the call to be a Bishop, but what a privilege it has been to serve among you.
In my time as Bishop I have watched the suffering of a drought affected rural diocese and stood beside and with you in such suffering. I have ordained and appointed many of you to positions. Like yourselves, I have lived with the frustrations of what can and can’t be done and been forced, like all of you, to fall back on our great God in faith. …”
– from Bishop Rick Lewers’ message to the clergy and parishes of the Armidale Diocese.
Please do pray for Rick and Janene, for the parish of Shoalhaven Heads, and also for the saints in the Diocese of Armidale.
Archbishop Glenn Davies on being a father
For his online service for Father’s Day, Bishop of Bathurst, Mark Calder, spoke with Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies.
He began by asking Glenn about how he felt when he learned he would become a father for the first time.
Claire Smith interviewed on The Lydia Project
On the latest edition of The Lydia Project podcast, Tori Walker speaks with Claire Smith.
In the 30 minute conversation, Claire shares how she came to Christ.
She also speaks about how important it is for Bible-believing Christians to serve on committees, about the Gospel Coalition Australia, culture wars, and – most encouragingly – how good it is to know Christ.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…