Tom Habib — new Lecturer at Moore College — interviewed
Posted on March 20, 2023
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For the latest issue of Moore Matters from Moore College, Tom Habbib shares his story –
“I remember reading through Isaiah 53 at my first Youth Group camp and being struck by how Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus’s death for my sins. Another time, I was convicted while reading Mark 8:36, ‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’.
I realized that up until then, I had been trying to ‘gain the world’, and from then on, I wanted to live for Jesus. …”
See also: Various articles by Tom.
A Celtic Blessing — Bishop Stuart Bell consecrated for Anglican Convocation in Europe
Posted on March 19, 2023
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In a service with a distinctive Welsh flavour, including harpists, songs, prayers and Bible readings in Welsh, Stuart Bell was consecrated on Saturday 18 March as bishop to serve within the Anglican Convocation in Europe (ACE).
Led by Archbishop Foley Beach representing the Gafcon Primates, and Bishop Andy Lines, the Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Network in Europe, the service marked a significant moment in the history of the Principality.
Stuart will assist Bishop Andy Lines in providing support and encouragement, oversight and accountability for ACE clergy and congregations within Wales. His consecration represents the continuing provision by the global Anglican family of a home for those seeking to remain faithful to the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ and uphold historic, orthodox, biblical, confessional Anglicanism.
In his sermon, Archbishop Foley emphasised that the ministry of a bishop is to ensure the message of the church remains the message of Jesus, by teaching the Word of God, defending the faith and proclaiming Jesus boldly and unashamedly.
Asked about Stuart’s consecration, Archbishop Foley said, “It will now give the people of Wales a godly and faithful bishop who upholds the theology and moral teaching of the Bible and our Anglican tradition.”
Stuart himself reflected, “It seems to me that this a twofold testimony. A testimony as orthodox Anglicans in Wales to the Biblical gospel of Jesus Christ which is our responsibility to faithfully present to all who will receive it; and, sadly, a testimony specifically against the Church in Wales which has stepped away from that Biblical gospel.”
In his greeting to the congregation Stuart publicly re-affirmed three life-time commitments: “Firstly to Jesus Christ as my Lord and myself as his disciple. Secondly to the Scriptures as recorded in the Bible, to believe them, to trust them, to seek to live them, and to preach them faithfully. Thirdly, I re-affirm my commitment to Wales, to commend Christ to Wales and to seek to bring Wales to Christ… until my last breath.”
– Source: The Anglican Convocation in Europe.
Praying for GAFCON IV preparations
Posted on March 18, 2023
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Today’s prayer request from GAFCON:
“GAFCON IV, April 17-21, Kigali, Rwanda is taking place at a very significant moment in the Anglican Communion.
Pray for all the contributors to be able to prepare well in their area of the programme.”
March — April 2023 issue of Southern Cross now out
Posted on March 18, 2023
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The March — April 2023 issue of Southern Cross magazine, produced by Anglican Media Sydney, is out now.
Copies will be available in churches.
As well, you can download a PDF version, or read online, at sydneyanglicans.net/about/southerncross.
Why we are compelled to resist — CEEC
Posted on March 17, 2023
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The Church of England Evangelical Council has released a declaration and invites members of the Church of England to signify their assent:
“The Living in Love and Faith (LLF) process and resources have enabled us, as the Church of England, to explore our different understandings of sex, marriage and relationships and, assisted by the Pastoral Principles, become better at the “good disagreement” that many have called for. …
While we recognise and respect the desire of the bishops to find a way forward, which will hold the Church together, we believe that their proposed draft Prayers of Love and Faith cannot do this. This is because they – and further changes some are calling for in the bishops’ revised pastoral guidance to replace Issues in Human Sexuality – do not keep faith with our biblical inheritance and the doctrine of the Church of England on marriage shared with the wider Anglican Communion as expressed in Lambeth 1.10. …”
Bill to allow same-sex marriage in Church of England to be tabled
Posted on March 16, 2023
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“An MP will seek to introduce a bill next week to permit same-sex marriages to be performed by willing Church of England clergy.
UK law currently prevents its clergy from carrying out same-sex marriages even if they wish to. …”
– More pressure on the Church of England. Story from The National Secular Society.
Moore College welcomes back Peter Jensen to launch his latest book on The Life of Faith
Posted on March 15, 2023
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“On Tuesday night Matthias Media held a book launch for Peter Jensen’s new book The Life of Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine at Moore College. The event was a resounding success, drawing an engaged and enthusiastic audience of over 80 people.
Peter’s book is the fruit of his more than thirty years of teaching Christian doctrine. Many graduates during Peter’s time as Principal of Moore College can testify to the brilliance of his teaching and the invaluable resource his lecture notes have been over the years. These are now, freshly edited, available more widely. …”
– Full report and photos at the Moore College website.
Photo: Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, Carmelina Read and Archbishop Peter Jensen with the new book. Courtesy Moore College.
A Legacy (Thus Far) Marked by ‘Bewildering Ambiguity’: Pope Francis Reaches 10 Years as Papal Leader
Posted on March 15, 2023
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In today’s issue (15 March 2023) of The Briefing, Dr Albert Mohler looks at the first ten years of the papacy of Francis.
“He represents so much of the muddled liberalism of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries…”
Key English churches take action as C of E ‘walks away’
Posted on March 15, 2023
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“Some of the largest churches in London and Oxford have announced estrangement from the Church of England, including a pause on paying financial contributions.
St Helen’s, Bishopsgate, a large evangelical church with an outreach in London’s financial quarter, was the first to react to the decision by the General Synod to approve a report by the House of Bishops that introduces prayers of blessing for same-sex couples. …”
– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell summarises the response of key evangelical churches in the Church of England – including the news that St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford is also pausing financial contributions to their diocese.
See also:
A response from Vaughan Roberts – Anglican Ink.
How can we best support gospel growth beyond our church? — with Mikey Lynch
Posted on March 14, 2023
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“How might our church best relate to other organisations (churches, denominations and parachurches) who are also engaged in the grand cause of reaching the world for Christ?
What is the difference between a church and parachurch and how might they best interact? …
Mikey Lynch is a Director of Reach Australia and is the new editorial director for the Gospel Coalition Australia. Mikey leads the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students staff team doing ministry in Hobart at the University of Tasmania.
Matthias Media have just released his new book ‘The Vine Movement – supporting gospel growth beyond your church.’…”
And also note how you can support the coming “Heart of GAFCON” broadcasts from Kigali.
How to Organise an Epic Bible Reading
Posted on March 13, 2023
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Last week we linked to an article by Simon Camilleri on Epic Bible Reading at your Church.
In a follow-up post, he shares some practical tips on getting your church involved:
“In a nutshell, I recommend that before you break up a book of the Bible for a sermon series or a Bible Study you should gather together and read through the entire book—out loud from start to finish in one session.
In this article I am going to give some tips from my own experience, for the eager and the apprehensive, on how you can run an Epic Bible Reading at your church. …”
– Read it here.
If lost people matter to God…
Posted on March 12, 2023
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“…if lost people matter to God, then they should matter to us as well. After all, we were lost in our sin, till we put our trust in Christ. So as someone once said, evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.
But are we as keen to share the good news of Christ Jesus, as we are to share our best back remedy?”
– In the latest Cathedral Newsletter, Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant shares some encouragement after reflecting on a recent Church Record post.
Hold your horses
Posted on March 12, 2023
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“A few days ago I was at Wycliffe Hall, speaking to some Anglican ordinands about why everyone should do rural ministry. Unsurprisingly the conversation soon turned to LLF, and that General Synod vote. Since I am a member of Synod, I was quizzed about what had happened. After a bit, one student asked me, “Given what’s happened, how can you be so upbeat”? …
I don’t think I have seen such a strong, broad and deep evangelical unity in the Church of England as I see now. It often takes an emergency to bring a group together, and that is precisely what has happened.”
– At Church Society’s blog, Church Society Regional Director the Rev Dr Chris Moore argues that ‘this is the time to stand up, not to walk away’.
Photo: Diocese of Hereford.
Related:
Thirty years ago, the Rev John Richardson travelled from the UK to study short-term at Moore College. (This was before the rejuvenation of Oak Hill College in London.)
While in Sydney, he wrote an article which was published in the ACL’s newsletter. (UK Evangelicalism: Optimistic? – PDF version)
At the time, he was not optimistic about the future of Evangelicalism in the Church of England, and argued that strong evangelical leadership was needed –
“You cannot head off a stampede by calling the cows to come back. If the present debacle in English Evangelicalism is to be arrested it will require people of courage and vision who are prepared to go out ahead of the herd, to kick, to shout and to make a noise, so that those who are genuinely Christian, but who are so much like sheep without a shepherd, may be brought back to the good pastures.”
Do continue to pray for evangelical clergy in the Church of England, that they would be given great wisdom by the Lord.
And do pray that the new evangelical unity of which Dr Moore speaks will be effective for the gospel.
Things would never be the same again
Posted on March 11, 2023
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“In his Pensées Blaise Pascal, the 17th century French mathematician and philosopher wrote, ‘Everyone seeks happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. They will never take the least step but to this object…’
John the Gospel writer tells us of a woman at a well in Samaria two thousand years ago who would have agreed. …”
– At The Anglican Connection, John Mason turns to John chapter 4 and the longing for happiness.
Has the listening process of LLF now broken down?
Posted on March 11, 2023
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In a letter to Church Times, The Rev James Paice (pictured) asks, “One wonders: has the listening process of LLF now broken down?”
He writes in response to a Church Times report (‘London conservatives look for support from breakaway Anglicans’), published on 1st March 2023, regarding the Bishop of London’s response to a large gathering with clergy –
“The Church Times understands that the London bishops held a two-hour meeting on Thursday evening of last week in St James Garlickhythe, which was attended by between 150 and 200 members of the clergy, many of whom were concerned about the Bishops’ proposals on same-sex blessings. …”
The report references a statement from the Diocese of London, effectively claiming that nothing has really changed.
Anglican Mainstream has published the letter by James Paice – read it here.
Earlier:
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…