News and prayer updates from George Whitefield College, May 2023
The May 2023 newsletter for George Whitefield College in Cape Town is now up on their website.
A great reminder to pray for Africa.
As GWC Principal Dr. Mark Dickson reminds us,
“What Africa needs now are preachers, teachers and leaders who can tell the continent accurately about Jesus.”
Also on the GWC website is a tribute to Bishop Joe Bell, former Presiding Bishop of the Church of England in South Africa (now REACH-SA). The tribute was written, we understand, by Dr. Mark Norman at GWC.
Bishop Bell was Presiding Bishop 1989-2000, succeeding Bishop Dudley Foord and preceding Bishop Frank Retief.
There’ll be a Memorial Service for Bishop Bell on Monday 29 May 2023 – streamed live at 19:00AEST.
Meet the “Alone” contestant who is never alone
“Michael Wallace almost didn’t make it onto the SBS show Alone. The overseas smash-hit show, which came to Australia this year, features 10 contestants dropped in the Tasmanian wilderness to see who lasts longest without being medically evacuated or tapping out.
Michael, described on the show as a 43-year-old veterinarian and bush regenerator, is also a member of Narellan Anglican Church. …”
– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net interviews Michael Wallace about being on SBS’s Alone.
Bishop Mark Calder profile — Sight magazine
“Anglican Bishop Mark Calder has long enjoyed driving. Whether it’s travelling to a conference or visiting a parish, he’d much rather make it a road trip than arrive via airplane. So when he was invited to lead the Diocese of Bathurst, the amount of travel it would require didn’t bother him. He started his role three and half years ago with a new car and has since clocked 135,000 kilometres. Just since January of this year, he’s done 15,000 kilometres for church-related trips, each one giving him more of vision for leadership and for the issues the people across the rural diocese face.
Sight caught up with him when he was actually in his office for our inaugural Q&A…”
– Sight magazine, “an editorially independent, Australian-based website covering local and global news and issues from a Christian perspective”, has published this Q & A with Bishop Mark Calder.
“I sensed a greater purpose in living than success in cricket” — Brian Booth
“Brian Booth, well known for his cricket and his faith, has died in Sydney at the age of 89.
Booth, who played hockey for Australia in the 1956 Olympics, and captained Australia in cricket in the 1960s, was a middle-order batsman with a test average of 42.21. …”
– Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net has this tribute to a much-loved Christian man.
Photo by ACL Emeritus Vice-President Rev Allan M. Blanch. Allan took this photo from the old Sheridan Stand as Australia played South Africa at the SCG on either 10th January or 7th February 1964. Brian Booth is almost certainly the player arrowed, fielding at short leg. In the background are the terrace houses of Paddington, and on the skyline, the newly opened OTC building in Oxford Street. Larger version of the above detail here. Or full frame here, with thanks to Allan Blanch.
Update:
There will be a Celebration and Thanksgiving Service For The Life Of Brian Charles Booth on Friday 26th May at 11:00am at Narwee Baptist Church. It will be live-streamed here.
A special night at New York’s Redeemer Church honouring their founder Tim Keller
“All the congregations of Keller’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church met together overnight, for an evening originally planned to cast the next stage of Redeemer’s Vision, but which became a moment for the church family to grieve and pray after the death of Rev Keller.
Tim Keller had a massive impact on New York City, and globally, as an author, preacher, the co-founder of the Gospel Coalition, and the founder of City to City.
Tony Carnes, who joined Redeemer a year after Keller planted the church, and writes for nycreligion.info, says it was a night of high emotion as they remembered their pastor, grieved, prayed and celebrated together, and looked forward to the future. …”
Tim Keller Tribute from The Gospel Coalition
From The Gospel Coalition – in the video linked above, several Christian leaders share their reflections on the life and legacy of Tim Keller.
With thanksgiving for Tim Keller
From The Gospel Coalition:
“With great sadness we mourn the loss of Timothy Keller, 72, who died on May 19, more than three years after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Keller co-founded The Gospel Coalition (TGC) in 2005 and served as vice president and then vice chairman of the board. As a board member until his death, Keller continued to offer counsel and direction for TGC in promoting gospel-centered ministry for the next generation.
Keller served in pastoral ministry for four decades, including as the founding and longtime pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. …”
Many tributes at their website, including one from Don Carson:
“A giant has left us. It is right and good that we should reflect on some of the things we’ve learned from him. His passing will call forth careful, informed obituaries, but this isn’t one of them. My more modest aim is to share a few memories so that Tim, like Abel, “still speaks, even though he is dead” (Heb. 11:3, NIV).
See also:
“I do know that the resurrection of Jesus Christ really happened. And when I die, I will know that resurrection too.” – SydneyAnglicans.net.
and Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel has published this tribute:
“Dr Keller was one of the foremost pastors and preachers of our time. His books, and the movements he founded, led many people to consider the claims of Christ and to follow Jesus. His focus on the grace of the gospel of Jesus, and the coming new creation will continue to bring comfort and hope to the hearts of many.
We join many others around the world in thanking God for Dr Keller’s life and ministry and pray for Kathy Keller and their family as they grieve his loss and await the day of resurrection.”
Ken Elliott freed from captivity in west Africa
“An 88-year-old Australian doctor held captive in West Africa by al-Qaeda militants for more than seven years has been released.
Dr Kenneth Elliott is safe and well and has been reunited with his family, Australia’s foreign minister said.
He and his wife were seized in 2016 near the border between Mali and Burkina Faso, where they operated a clinic for over 40 years. …”
– Extremely welcome news via the BBC.
See also:
ABC News report – 19 May 2023.
Jocelyn Elliot released by kidnappers – husband still held – 07 February 2016.
‘Freed Australian hostage Jocelyn Elliott vows to continue work’ – 09 February 2016.
Tim Keller to receive hospice care at home
From Tim Challies:
“…Tim Keller’s family just shared the news that he has been discharged from the hospital to receive hospice care at home.”
He links to this Instagram post.
Do uphold Tim Keller and his family in your prayers at this time.
See also (05 January 2022), “Growing My Faith in the Face of Death”.
Moore College Welcomes New COO
“Moore College is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Chief Operating Officer, Mr Soo Sing Goh.
Mr Goh is currently the Finance Director and Company Secretary at the Church Missionary Society Australia (CMS-A). …
The current COO, Dr Laurie Scandrett, has been with Moore College on an interim basis and will be retiring from his position in early September.”
– News from Moore College.
David Livingstone brought the Gospel to my Country
“David Livingstone (1813–73) is known as a missionary, explorer, and abolitionist.
He was the first missionary to bring the gospel to my beloved country, Malawi, in 1859…”
– Confex Makhalira gives thanks to God for David Livingstone on the 150th anniversary of his death. (At The Gospel Coalition.)
Photo: David Livingstone by Thomas Annan, 1864.
Albert Mohler gives thanks after major health crisis
After absence of a few days, on today’s The Briefing broadcast, Dr Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, gives thanks after a major health crisis.
George Verwer, OM founder, 1938 – 2023
iJustin Taylor has written this tribute to George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilization.
OM also has a tribute, and the video below –
Top image: OM Australia.
Michael Calder commissioned at St John’s Wishart
The Rev Michael Calder was yesterday commissioned as priest-in-charge at St John’s Wishart in the Diocese of Brisbane.
Michael had been serving as Assistant at St Bart’s Toowoomba.
Do pray for Michael and his wife Rachel and the St John’s congregation, as well as for Peter Judge-Mears and his family and others who formed Southside Anglican in Brisbane late last year. Pray that both churches might be used by the Lord to bring eternal blessing to the people of Brisbane.
Photos on the Bathurst Diocese Facebook page.
Where did all this Expository Preaching come from?
“There’s no doubt that, at least within Reformed churches, this is an age of expository preaching – of preaching sequentially through books of the Bible while always ensuring that the point of the text is the point of the sermon.
Yet you do not need to look far into history to find that it was not always so and that in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries such preaching was rare.
I was intrigued by Bob Fyall’s explanation of how expository preaching became not only accepted but expected. …”
– Tim Challies writes of key figures who promoted expository preaching in England and Scotland. Let us never take such preaching for granted.
Related: Sydney Church History – David Cook.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…