Anglican Bishop Julian Dobbs on Proclaiming the Gospel in Albany, New York

Posted on November 12, 2021
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“The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany this month opened the door to the practice of same-sex marriage within the diocese, a departure from what was until recently permitted there. Albany was the last remaining domestic diocese in the Episcopal Church to proscribe the use of same-sex rites that were effectively required following the 2018 General Convention.

In March I reported how some Albany clergy had begun seeking canonical residency within the Anglican Church in North America, the first public movement of clergy in New York’s Capital District since the resignation of Bishop William H. Love earlier that winter. The Anglican Diocese of the Living Word, which already has congregations in upstate New York, received a new congregation near Albany and began making plans for a regional ministry network emphasizing church planting. That has now grown to four churches, plus an additional church received into the neighboring Anglican Diocese in New England.

This week I spoke with Diocese of the Living Word Bishop Julian Dobbs about unfolding ministry opportunities in New York’s Capital Region and how the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) hopes to be a faithful and growing witness to the gospel there. …”

– At Juicy Ecumenism, Jeffrey Walton speaks with Bishop Julian Dobbs.

Bishop Julian Dobbs interviews Bishop William Love.

Launch 2022 — A camp for School Leavers keen to live for Jesus

Posted on November 12, 2021
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This is a great time to urge school leavers who are planning on going to university next year, to consider Launch 2022.

Dates: 31 January — 3 February 2022
Venue: KCC Conference Centres.
Speakers: Phillip Jensen and Richard Chin.

The main aims of the Launch conference are:

to link new uni students with the Christians and Christian work on their campus.
to link new uni students with Christian peers beyond their church, and at the uni they will attend.
to provide great Bible teaching and input that will encourage attendees to live for Christ, not careerism or the distractions of uni life.

See all the details and registration at phillipjensen.com/launch.

(Do you know someone who would benefit from going to Launch 2022?)

New CEO for Anglicare Sydney announced

Posted on November 11, 2021
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“This morning the chairman of Anglicare Sydney’s board, Greg Hammond, announced that the organisation’s new CEO is business consultant Simon Miller.

Mr Miller is managing director and senior partner at the Boston Consulting Group, and has many years’ experience advising company boards, executives and CEOs on everything from strategy to artificial intelligence. …

In addition, Mr Miller has been executive officer for the Sydney Diocese’s Social Issues Committee.”

– News from Judy Adamson at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Recruiting women for vocational Christian ministry – with Kara Hartley and Jane Tooher

Posted on November 11, 2021
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“How are we going as a network of complementarian churches at raising up women for ministry?

How do you develop a culture in your church that is really positive to women exercising their gifts and hence stepping forward for full time ministry roles?

What should our vision be for raising up women in ministry? What progress has been made? What are next steps? …”

– Here’s the latest from The Pastor’s Heart.

“Forcing Religious Institutions to become coercive extensions of State power”

Posted on November 11, 2021
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“…The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has filed suit against the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. The case is now formally known as The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary vs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The suit has been filed before the Sixth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. Now, we entered that suit along with the sister institutions to take a stand for religious liberty. Because that vaccine mandate, handed down by the administration, would effectively turn religious institutions into coercive arms of the administrative state.”

– In his The Briefing for 10th November 2021, Albert Mohler reveals that The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is going to court over vaccine mandates in the US.

How I came to know Jesus – Annabel Nixey

Posted on November 11, 2021
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“When my parents bought a house in Sydney in the early 80s, in God’s kindness, it was down the road from a church which loved Jesus and taught the Bible. It meant that I got to grow up hearing about Jesus the King.

My mum, in particular, modelled to me how to follow Jesus and the significance of prayer and Bible study. Even as a child I knew that her ‘quiet time’, reading the Bible in our front sitting room, was a treasured and protected time in her day.…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Annabel Nixey shares how she came to know the Lord Jesus.

Preaching Clubs — update from the Expository Preaching Trust

Posted on November 10, 2021
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David Cook shares some details of the Expository Preaching Trust’s Preaching Clubs for 2022 –

“If you are a preacher do come along and join in the supportive fellowship, you will get to preach twice each year and have your sermon critiqued.

The size of the club is limited to 14 members, we enjoy good coffee and food. …”

– Read all the details here.

Remembrance Day resources

Posted on November 10, 2021
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Running a Remembrance Day service?

Here are some resources you might find helpful – from Defence Anglicans.

Should Pastors Today Care about the Reformation?

Posted on November 10, 2021
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“Pastors devoted to their ministry have so many things to do. …

So, why should I set aside valuable hours to read up on the Reformation, usually thought to have kicked off about 500 years ago?…”

– In this 2017 article at 9Marks, Don Carson has answers to the question “Should Pastors Today Care about the Reformation?”.

The Path to Life…

Posted on November 9, 2021
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“Have you ever been resentful of people whose lives seem successful? They’ve achieved recognition; they have beautiful children, and they enjoy material riches. The very thought of them strips any sense of happiness from you.

Now there’s nothing wrong with being successful, having a great family or having money. The question is how do we value them? Do they represent what life is about or is there more to life?

Today we come to a second Reflection on Psalm 1. The Psalm is important for it lays the foundation for the whole Book of Psalms. As it progresses it identifies our two life-choices – a road to nowhere, or a path to life. …”

– John Mason continues to publish helpful and encouraging reflections for Anglican Connection. Here’s the latest.

Gafcon Lawyers Network

Posted on November 8, 2021
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Today’s Prayer Point from GAFCON is for the Gafcon Lawyers Network –

“The Gafcon Lawyers Network, led by Dr Robert Tong, has developed valuable skills and expertise in establishing legal structures to help faithful Anglicans remain within our global Anglican fellowship.

Pray for Robert and others as they work on legal solutions in several regions where the established church is irreversibly compromised by false teaching.”

From Meat to Meta: Facebook’s Disincarnate Dreamworld

Posted on November 8, 2021
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“I knew that I found something about Zuckerberg’s invitation to the metaverse profoundly disturbing, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was about Facebook’s new incarnation that made me so uneasy. Then I realized: the problem is that it is not an incarnation at all. …

Zuckerberg’s utopia is one without bodies, without the material, without weight. It is Exhibit A in what Charles Taylor calls the modern prejudice for ‘excarnation,’ the idea propounded by Descartes and others that we need to distance ourselves from embodiment in order to arrive at a clear understanding of things.…”

– The Gospel Coalition Australia has published this thoughtful piece by Chris Watkin reflecting on last week’s announcement from Mark Zuckerberg.

(Image: Practical Wireless, July 1974.)

“God has called us… to stand for the true gospel witness”

Posted on November 7, 2021
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“The Global South grouping of the Anglican Communion is moving away from being based on geography to being founded on doctrinal orthodoxy.

This is a significant move for the group, which – at its first meeting in 1994 – gathered churches from all parts of the Southern Hemisphere including Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Russell Powell reports on last month’s 8th Global South Conference and its Communiqué (“The Eighth Trumpet”) from the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches.