ACR Journal Autumn 2023 now available

Posted on April 12, 2023 
Filed under Encouragement, History, Resources Comments Off on ACR Journal Autumn 2023 now available

There’s much worthwhile reading in the just-released copy of the Autumn 2023 ACR Journal –

Editorial: Taste and see that the Lord is good – Mike Leite

The law of the Lord is perfect – Andrew Leslie

Created male and female: Reflections on Genesis 1-3 – Gav Perkins

God’s goodness in 1 Timothy – Lionel Windsor

Interview: William Taylor – Micky Mantle

How to preach truth yet teach falsely – Mike Leite

A God worth trembling before: Isaiah 66 – Craig Schafer

Preaching a good and powerful word – Paul Grimmond

Will we be teachers who tremble at His Word? – Phil Colgan

Reflections: An interview with Phillip Jensen – Ben George

Displaying God’s love daily: School chaplain interviews – Stephen Tong

This is the Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God – Mark Earngey

You are enough, and other lies we like to swallow – Jocelyn Loane

Richard Johnson: Chaplain under fire – Stephen Tong

From the vault: The evangelical heritage – Archbishop Howard Mowll

From the vault: The cross and the resurrection – John Stott

Book review: Eager to serve by Ray Galea – Ben Pfahlert

Book review: The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction by Mark Thompson – Andrew Leslie

Book review: The Life of Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine by Peter Jensen – Sandy Grant

Book review: Biblical critical theory by Christopher Watkin – Rory Shiner.

Download your copy from The Australian Church Record.

Where did all this Expository Preaching come from?

Posted on April 11, 2023 
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“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.

CofE & King Charles at odds over ‘other’ faiths at Coronation

Posted on April 10, 2023 
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“In an article printed [in] Daily Mail, King Charles has reportedly been in a dispute with Church leaders over the extent to which non-Christian faiths should participate in his upcoming Coronation ceremony. …”

– Kevin Kallsen reports at Anglican.Ink.

From barefoot refugee to leader in Global Anglicanism – with Archbishop Laurent Mbanda

Posted on April 9, 2023 
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In the lead up to the big GAFCON gathering in Kigali next week (17 – 21 April 2023), Dominic Steele has this fascinating interview with the Primate of Rwanda, Archbishop Dr Laurent Mbanda.

– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

THAT’S EASTER — Life to Death – and Death to Life

Posted on April 8, 2023 
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Back in 2010, St. Helen’s Bishopsgate released this video.

Good to share (again).

See also THAT’S EASTER Death to Life:

Do you know death?

Posted on April 8, 2023 
Filed under Good News, Theology Comments Off on Do you know death?

“Over the past three years, it’s been sobering as the world confronts its mortality. Covid’s death toll overwhelmed hospitals, filled the morgues, converted paddocks into mass graves. The words of Hamilton have felt prophetic: ‘Death doesn’t discriminate between the sinner and the saint, it takes, and it takes, and it takes…’

In the wake of Covid, we awoke to the reality of death. Suddenly, the false hopes of medicine, exercise, healthy diets to fix everything were exposed as fake, phonies, flimsy bandaids that offered only temporary solutions. And suddenly the desire for pretty things, faster internet, on-trend fashion, tastier coffee faded in comparison to the desire for life and love and longevity.

But death shouldn’t surprise us. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Jeanette Chin shares something of her story, our story, and the sure hope we have in Jesus.

New Principal for Oak Hill College

Posted on April 7, 2023 
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The Rev. Dr James Robson has been announced as the next Principal of Oak Hill College in London after the news, last month, that Johnny Juckes had decided to step down from the position.

Announcement from Oak Hill College – photo from Keswick Ministries.

Easter message from Bishop Mark Calder

Posted on April 7, 2023 
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Here’s an Easter message from Bishop Mark Calder, Bishop of Bathurst.

The Resurrection is Real — The Archbishop’s Easter message 2023

Posted on April 5, 2023 
Filed under Good News, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on The Resurrection is Real — The Archbishop’s Easter message 2023

“Have you experienced the true meaning of Easter? … Jesus’ resurrection changes everything!”

– Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has released this 90 second Easter message.

Great to share / show in church / put on your church website.

Download the text from SydneyAnglicans.net (PDF).

Report by Russell Powell –

“Sydney Archbishop Kanishka Raffel has used his Easter message, to appeal for people to consider the true message of Easter and the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. …”

Book launch – Peter Jensen’s The Life of Faith: An Introduction to Christian doctrine

Posted on April 4, 2023 
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Moore College has now uploaded the video of the launch of Peter Jensen’s new book, The Life of Faith: An Introduction to Christian doctrine.

Do watch the full video – Peter speaks about his purpose in the book, and explains his use in the lecture room of some of the books he brought along. Very encouraging.

Get your copy of The Life of Faith: An Introduction to Christian doctrine from Matthias Media.

Correlations between leadership behaviours and ministry burnout

Posted on April 3, 2023 
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This week from The Pastor’s Heart:

“What is the relationship between clergy leadership behaviors and burnout?

How does destructive leadership behaviour relate to burnout?

What about conflict at church? How does a minister being the target of personal violence correlate to thoughts of quitting? “

Valerie Ling leads the Sydney’s Center for Effective Living and Center for Effective Serving.”

– Watch or listen here.

Seize the Day — Mothers Union Sydney seminar 2023

Posted on April 3, 2023 
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Mothers Union Sydney’s Annual Seminar for 2023 was held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on Friday 24th February.

The theme was “Seize the Day – Work and Rest in the light of Eternity”.

A recording of the full livestream is now available on the Mothers Union website.

Speakers and topics on the day were:

The accompanying booklet is available at this link.

Christian MP shares the gospel in Parliament

Posted on April 2, 2023 
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“A Christian MP has spoken in Parliament of his faith: Christ’s incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death and resurrection.

In a debate in Westminster Hall on the importance of Christianity in society, the MP for Don Valley, Nick Fletcher, said the nation ‘should be proud of our Christian history and our Christian values’.

As well as explaining the message of the Gospel, he expounded the importance of Christian engagement in society, and how famous social reformers of the past were driven to act by their faith in Jesus. …”

– Christian Concern. The key section is from 8 minutes into the speech.

(Link via Anglican Mainstream.)

A new deanery chapter for the City of London

Posted on March 31, 2023 
Filed under Church of England, Culture wars, GAFCON Comments Off on A new deanery chapter for the City of London

As foreshadowed by William Taylor and others, the abandonment of the authority of Scripture by the Church of England’s House of Bishops is having repercussions for relationships between Bible-believing churches and their heterodox bishops.

The latest from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate:

“After the House of Bishops’ recent departure from the Bible’s teaching on marriage and sexuality, new leadership structures are needed.

A new Church of England City deanery chapter has been formed and is taking 5 steps to promote ongoing healthy Church of England ministry.

Here’s an update from St Nick’s and St Botolph’s.”

Watch the four minute video here.

According to Christian Today, “The deanery chapter held its first meeting in the City of London on Monday, attended by 10 clergy.”

Members of the new deanery have decided to take five steps – here’s a rough transcript from the video:

First, to meet together regularly and to invite all clergy in the city of London who are all clergy … who are compelled to resist all episcopal leadership from the House of Bishops on the grounds that their proposed Prayers of Love and Faith undermine the Church of England’s doctrine of marriage such that we can no longer walk in Partnership together.

Second, the meeting elected an acting Area Dean.

Third, some training curates in our deanery have felt forced to pause their post-ordination training. We therefore decided as a chapter that we will aim to provide necessary and equivalent ongoing training for these individuals.

Fourth, we acknowledge that there is an urgent matter relating to the selection of candidates who want to pursue Church of England ministry but are unable to apply because of the House of Bishops’ recent departure from faithful Biblical teaching. Therefore senior leadership from the churches within this deanery chapter will nominate a group of people who can select new prospective ordinands.

Fifth, there is also an urgent matter relating to the deployment of current Church of England ordinands who are hoping to get ordained this summer. We know that many because of conscience are unable to be ordained by the diocesan bishop or any bishop acting on her behalf. Therefore senior leadership from the churches within this deanery chapter will commission these individuals so that they are enabled to work within Church of England churches until such a time that their ordinations can take place.

Do pray for all who seek to be faithful to God’s word in the Church of England.

Anglican Diocese of the Arctic Defies National Church over Same-Sex Marriage

Posted on March 31, 2023 
Filed under Anglican Church of Canada, Culture wars Comments Off on Anglican Diocese of the Arctic Defies National Church over Same-Sex Marriage

Here’s a story from Canada we missed from a couple of weeks back –

“The largest of the 30 dioceses in the province of 1.5 million square miles, the Diocese of the Arctic claims evangelical solidarity with bishops and clergy not recognized by the Lambeth Conference but with GAFCON and the Anglican Network in Canada.

Two bishops, David Parsons and Joey Royal (Suffragan) from the far north will attend GAFCON IV next month in Rwanda, standing with the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) and the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). …”

– Full story here.

Photo: The Diocese of the Arctic.

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