Thanksgiving Service for Bishop Ivan Lee planned for Saturday 28th March

It’s been announced that a Thanksgiving Service for Bishop Ivan Lee will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Saturday 28th March 2020 at 10:00am, followed by refreshments.

Bishop Lee was called home to be with the Lord on Wednesday evening.

(2015 photo courtesy Anglican Media Sydney.)

With thanksgiving for Bishop Ivan Lee. ACL President’s tribute

The Anglican Church League notes with sadness the passing of Bishop Ivan Lee last night and will continue to uphold Virginia and the family in prayer for the consolation that can only come from our great shepherd Jesus in this difficult time.

Ivan was elected an Emeritus Vice President of the ACL due to his longstanding commitment to gospel work and the Evangelical cause within the Diocese of Sydney. His passion for reaching out to the lost, including his willingness to try new means of connecting with those outside the churches, was evident in every conversation with him.

Personally, having served on a number of committees with Ivan, I can testify that he could always be relied on to bring a considered and unique perspective to any issue, a perspective that caused us to reflect upon whether we had understood the challenges correctly and whether there were other more creative options open to us to progress the task at hand.

Ivan’s commitment to ‘be at work in his Master’s field’ during the difficult times of his illness was a great encouragement to those who worked with him, and was a reflection of his passion for the gospel and indeed the network of the Diocese of Sydney as a key and effective means of reaching the lost for Christ.

He will be greatly missed – but he is with our Lord, which is better by far.

Andrew Bruce
President of the Anglican Church League.

(Photo: Bishop Ivan Lee at Sydney Synod, October 2019. Courtesy Anglican Media Sydney.)

“We have lost a great champion for the gospel”

“Long-serving Sydney Bishop, Ivan Lee, has passed away more than four years after being diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

Bishop Lee died last night (4th March) at Greenwich Hospital, where he had been receiving palliative care. …”

– Members of the Anglican Church League (of which Bishop Lee was a Vice-President) are deeply saddened to receive this news, but rejoice that Ivan is now with Christ.

Archbishop Glenn Davies writes:

“Our hearts ache for Virginia and her three daughters in their grief. They have cared for him so well and for so long, and since he entered hospital at the end of January, he has never been alone. May God comfort them in their sorrow.”

And in an e-mail today, Archbishop Davies writes,

“Sad news, yet we do not grieve as others do, who have no hope.
Ps 116:15.”

There will be a private funeral next week, followed by a public memorial service at St Andrew’s Cathedral on a date to be announced.

Speaking with a Pastor in Italy’s Coronavirus “Hot Zone”

“Over the past few years I’ve had a number of opportunities to interact with Pastor Andrea Artioli who pastors Chiesa Sola Grazia in Mantua, Italy.

His recent newsletter told that he lives in the ‘hot zone’ of the coronavirus outbreak in Northern Italy. He told as well that his church has been instructed by local authorities that it may not meet for at least the next two weeks. …”

– Tim Challies asked Pastor Andrea Artioli to share something of what is happening in his church in northern Italy. (Photo source.)

An Appreciation of Archbishop Glenn Davies

“In his recent and final Presidential address to the third ordinary session of the 51st Synod of the Diocese of Sydney, Archbishop Glenn Davies remarked that his primary responsibility was to be a guardian of “the faith that was delivered once for all to the saints” (Jude 3).

The Australian Church Record wishes to thank Glenn Davies for faithfully serving in this, and myriad other ways – especially through the proclamation of the gospel and prayer for gospel ministry – over the past seven years. …”

– Many will echo the words of this appreciation which was first published in the Australian Church Record’s Journal for Summer 2019.

Daniel Willis to be GAFCON Operations Manager

GAFCON General Secretary, Archbishop Ben Kwashi, has announced that Canon Daniel Willis will take on the position of Operations Manager for GAFCON from March 1st.

He succeeds Mr James Stileman, who has stepped down for health reasons.

Many will be aware of Daniel’s key role in organising Jerusalem 2018, as well as his many years of ministry in Sydney, including at Frenchs Forest, the Cathedral, and with the Bible Society, as well as on the ACL’s Council.

(Photo of Karen and Daniel Willis, courtesy of GAFCON.)

Gary Koo consecrated as Bishop of Western Sydney

“A warm smile and a ready handshake was everywhere as the new Bishop of Western Sydney was consecrated at St John’s Cathedral in Parramatta on Friday night, 20th December.

The Reverend Gary Siew Leong Koo was one of their own and many western Sydney clergy and congregation members came out to see him consecrated at the regional Cathedral. …”

– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has the story and some photos.

Reflections on leaving the Church of England

“Having served for 23 years as an ordained minister in the Church of England, I was recently licensed as minister of Emmanuel, Morecambe in the Free Church of England, a smaller Anglican denomination which formed in the mid-19th century. …

People have asked me what has changed in the CofE in recent years such that I have decided to leave it now and whether this decision has involved some soul-searching.”

– Julian Mann shares something of his journey, at VirtueOnline.

New Director for Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living

“Following the successful completion of his PhD, Tony Payne is stepping aside from the directorship of the Centre for Christian Living (CCL) at the end of this year. He will take on new ministry responsibilities at UNSW’s Campus Bible Study (CBS). …

While we are sad to see Tony leave this role, we are delighted to announce that in 2020 CCL will be directed by Dr Chase Kuhn …”

– News from Moore College.

New Anglican Diocese of Bathurst Bishop Mark Calder’s hope for region

“Just over eight months after Ian Palmer’s retirement, the Right Reverend Mark Calder was recently appointed as the new bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst and he has a big hope for the region.

Rev Calder was installed as bishop on Saturday, November 23, at the All Saints Cathedral… And just a week into his new rule, he’s made his number one goal as new bishop clear for all. …”

– Story from The Western Advocate.

Photo: Mark and Susan Calder with Archbishop Glenn Davies at the Installation service at Bathurst Cathedral, 23 November 2019. From The Diocese of Bathurst.

Why would you?!

ACR chats to Uni ministry campus director Ryan van der Avoort about what compelled him to move from South Africa to Sydney to study at Moore Theological College:

“Originally I had not wanted to do live-in theological education. I wanted to do it via correspondence while continuing with local ministry. But looking back, that relational and residential element of Moore deeply shaped and impacted who I was when I returned to SA.”

– Read it at The Australian Church Record.

Mark Calder consecrated as Bishop of Bathurst

“The Bishop-elect of Bathurst, Mark Calder, has been consecrated in Sydney prior to his installation as the new Bishop in the Central West of New South Wales two days later.

Assisted by a large contingent of visiting bishops,  the bishop-elect was consecrated by the Metropolitan of New South Wales Archbishop Glenn Davies at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Thursday, 21 November. …”

– Story and photos by Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

(Photo: Mark and Susan Calder after the service.)

The Rev Gary Koo announced as next Bishop of Western Sydney

“The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has announced he has appointed the Rev Gary Koo to be the next Bishop of Western Sydney.

Currently the Senior Minister at St Paul’s, Carlingford & North Rocks, Bishop-designate Koo has extensive experience in multi-congregational churches and in Chinese ministry in the west of Sydney.

The son of Malaysian migrants, Mr Koo was raised an atheist until he decided to follow Jesus while studying medicine at the University of New South Wales. …”

– Read the full media release at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The vulnerable pastor — with Peter Adam

In the latest Pastors Heart video, Dominic Steele speaks with Peter Adam in a very personal and encouraging interview. Watch or listen here.

Albert Mohler says he will accept nomination as Southern Baptist Convention President

“All my life, I have sought to serve whenever asked by my denomination, and I would hope, if elected, to serve in a way that would unite Southern Baptists, strengthen our work together, add energy to our evangelism, and keep our hearts set on taking the gospel to the nations.”

– Report from Baptist Press.

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