Thanksgiving for Richard Bewes 1934-2019

The Rev. Richard Bewes, OBE, former Rector of All Souls Church, Langham Place, in London, has received his homeward call at the age of 84.

All Souls Church has posted several tributes here – as has GAFCON, of which Richard had served as a member of their Board of Trustees.

Canon Chris Sugden has published this tribute in the Church of England Newspaper (via Anglican Mainstream):

“Christian leaders from across the world responded with warm tributes to the news of Prebendary Richard Bewes’ peaceful release from months of suffering from cancer at 6.25pm on Friday 10 May at his home in Virginia Water, surrounded by Timothy, Wendy, Stephen and his wife Pam.

A child of the East African Revival in the 1930s, he treasured his African roots and was the UK chairman of African Enterprise for 32 years. The son of missionary parents, Canon Cecil and Mrs Sylvia Bewes, he was born in 1934 in Nairobi…”

Dapto mourns Senior Minister

Members of the parish of Dapto are mourning today after their Senior Minister, the Rev. Stephen Semenchuk, was called home to be with Christ after a short illness, on Sunday 12th May.

There will be a funeral and public celebration of Stephen’s life on Thursday 16th May.

All can give thanks for Stephen’s love for Jesus, and his desire for all to be saved (which included his work in the wider diocese).

Please uphold Stephen’s family and the entire congregation in prayer in these days.

SMBC Principal Stuart Coulton to retire

“Geoff Deane, SMBC Chairman has announced the retirement from SMBC of Rev. Stuart Coulton, Principal, effective January 2020, following over 30 years of service at SMBC with the last eight years as Principal. …”

– Announcement from the Sydney Missionary and Bible College. (PDF file.)

Greg Clarke announces resignation as CEO of Bible Society Australia

“It is with a mix of gratitude, sadness and faith for the future, that the Board of Bible Society Australia accepts the resignation of Dr Greg Clarke from the position of CEO.

Over the last 9 years, Greg has served the Society with absolute distinction – leading us through the amalgamation of the six States into one national body, and the acquisition of Eternity news service, the media company Centre for Public Christianity (which Greg co-founded), the retail book chain Koorong, and two publishing businesses (Acorn Press and Morning Star Publishing). …”

– Read the complete press release from Bible Society Australia Chairman Anne Robinson.

Launching UniChurch Belfast: An interview with Dave Jensen

“Ministry here has some strong similarities with Sydney, and some distinct differences. The gospel is the gospel, sin is sin, and the solution to sin is the gospel no matter where you are! So whether in evangelism or general church ministry, we have that same mission to see lives transformed through Christ.

Although on a surface level Australia and Northern Ireland are culturally similar, beneath the surface they are completely different. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Dave Jensen shares what’s happening with UniChurch in Belfast.

Archbishop Foley Beach, Easter 2019

The Anglican Church in North America has published this Easter Conversation with Archbishop Foley Beach, incoming Chairman of GAFCON.

(Hear Archbishops Foley Beach and Ben Kwashi in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth in early May 2019 – details here.)

I’m a Sinner too – Israel Folau

“People’s lives are not for me to judge. Only God can do that.

I have sinned many times in my life. I take responsibility for those sins and ask for forgiveness through repentance daily.

I understand a lot of people won’t agree with some of the things I’m about to write.

That’s absolutely fine. In life, you are allowed to agree to disagree.

But I would like to explain to you what I believe in, how I arrived at these beliefs and why I will not compromise my faith in Jesus Christ, which is the cornerstone of every single thing in my life.

I hope this will provide some context to the discussion that started with my reply to a question asked of me on Instagram two weeks ago. …”

– Last year, Israel Folau shared his story at PlayersVoice. (Photo: PlayersVoice.)

Malcolm Richards named as new Bishop for International Relations

“The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has named Canon Malcolm Richards as the new Bishop for International Relations.

Canon Richards will take over from Bishop Peter Tasker who has held the position since its inauguration ten years ago. Bishop Tasker has represented the Archbishop at consecrations, conferences, and made pastoral visits across the globe since 2009. …

As well … Moore College has announced Canon Richards will take up a parallel appointment as the Director of the Centre for Global Mission.”

– Read the full story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Bible is a wilderness, not a garden: Lessons from Donald Robinson

“In 2001, a young West Australian skipped Hebrew class to listen to a slight elderly man dressed in bishop’s purple and a clerical collar teach on the Epistle of James.

The class stood as he entered the room and remained standing while he prayed. They addressed him neither by his name (Donald) nor by the title of his most recent posting (Archbishop), but by the clerical order he occupied through the laying on of hands: ‘Bishop Robinson’.

The whole spectacle struck the young West Australian as otherworldly and exotic, though not inauthentic. Its effect was to lull students into a false sense of security – a security quickly removed as this unassuming figure treated the class to an exegetical tour de force, with original and daring insights thrown at the unsuspecting class with a velocity for which none were prepared. …”

– Rory Shiner writes at GoThereFor.com.

(1982 photo via Ramon Williams.)

The phenomenal impact of Donald Robinson

Last week, on The Pastor’s Heart podcast, Dominic Steele spoke with Rory Shiner about the phenomenal impact of Donald Robinson.

Rory was in Sydney for the launch of Volumes 3 and 4 of the Selected Works of Donald Robinson.

Captivated by Scripture: A personal reflection on D. W. B. Robinson’s legacy for biblical studies

Dr Lionel Windsor has shared the paper he gave at at the legacy day and launch of Donald Robinson Selected Works Volume 3: Biblical and Liturgical Studies & Volume 4: Historical Studies and Series Index at Moore Theological College, today, 16 March 2019.

“What made Robinson such an inspiring and influential teacher for generations of students? I’m sure there were multiple factors: many of those here today will have their own insights into this question. But one factor that I want to focus on this morning – a factor that comes through particularly clearly in his writings – is Robinson’s commitment to being captivated by Scripture.

The impression that keeps coming through in these volumes is that Robinson was so confident in the divine inspiration of Scripture, and so assured that God’s purposes are revealed to us in Scripture, that he was prepared to follow Scripture wherever it led him.

And when Scripture led Robinson on strange paths, paths that others had barely trod, on journeys where even he could not discern the destination, he enthusiastically trod those paths, knowing that wherever Scripture was leading him, it must be important. In this way, Robinson’s approach to Scripture is faithful in a deep sense: full of faith in God’s purposes revealed to us in his inscripturated word.”

– Read it all at Forget the Channel.

One Among Our Cloud of Witness

“We are fortunate in this diocese that, although a relative new comer in the history of Christianity, God has granted us so many examples of faithful obedience to his word. One servant who was called home on 7 September 2018, was the former Archbishop of Sydney, Donald Robinson. His impact on Anglicanism in Australia and wider evangelicalism was profound. …”

– Dr. Ed Loane shares the latest on the publication of Donald Robinson’s Selected Works.

The two new volumes will be launched at Moore College on Saturday 16th March 2019.

Details here.

 

28 new Deacons ordained in Sydney

“There were too many smiles to count as the ordinands of 2019 filed into a packed St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney to be made deacons by the Archbishop of Sydney. …”

– Russell Powell has the story at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Ordinands 2019

Over at SydneyAnglicans.net, there’s a list of those to be ordained at deacons tomorrow, Saturday 16th February, at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.

It’d be good to pray for them and their families!

Never mind the naysayers: Franklin Graham’s visit is good news for Australia

“US evangelist, the Rev. Franklin Graham, has begun his Australian tour. From 9-24 February, he is holding a series of evangelistic rallies in Perth, Darwin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney. Rev. Graham is the son of the late evangelist, the Rev. Billy Graham (1918-2018), and his Australian tour is timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of his father’s epochal 1959 crusades in Australia.

Throughout his public ministry the forthright evangelist has courted controversy for his frank pronouncements on contentious issues. His occasional wading into the political fray has raised the ire of many, both inside and outside the church, yet his visit to Australia this month is good news. …”

– David Furse-Roberts writes at ABC Religion & Ethics.

← Previous Page — Next Page →