The Inside Story

Posted on June 14, 2021 
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“The values of liberal democracy overlap with Judaeo-Christian values, both of which are currently under threat. We have the latter values thanks to the Decalogue in the Tanakh, the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, and the admonitions of the apostles recorded in their letters.

These values include due acknowledgement and love for the Almighty, care of neighbour, respect for governing authorities, lifelong commitment in marriage, responsible upbringing of children, and the expectation of working to provide for the family. …”

– Bishop Paul Barnett AM shares this short but enlightening paper on the origins of the underpinnings of western civilisation.

Image: Aquila Press.

Prayer for Uganda

Posted on June 13, 2021 
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“From June 7 Uganda has returned to a full lockdown for 42 days.

These are very challenging times for the nation and Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba has issued a statement encouraging Anglicans to make every effort to keep meeting using radio, local TV stations, Zoom, social media, etc.

He also calls ‘on all husbands and fathers to step up and take responsibility for leading your families in daily home prayers and in Sunday worship.

The Family is the smallest church, and every home needs its Family Altar.’ ”

– Matters for prayer – from GAFCON.

Belief that sex is immutable can be a protected belief

Posted on June 12, 2021 
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“The view that biological sex is immutable and that a man cannot become a woman is, of course, controversial today. But in a very welcome decision, the UK Employment Appeal Tribunal in Forstater v CGD Europe [2021] UKEAT 0105_20_1006 (10 June 2021) has now overturned a previous single judge decision, and ruled that such a belief is “worthy of protection” as a “philosophical belief” under UK discrimination law.

The decision, while not based on religious belief, will have important implications for protection of religious freedom in the UK, and hopefully in other parts of the world as well. …”

– Neil Foster at Law and Religion Australia shares a UK decision which coincides with Religious Freedom Weekend in Australia.

Review: Priscilla and Aquila Conference, 2021

Posted on June 11, 2021 
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“The Priscilla and Aquila Conference at Moore College on February 1st this year was another in that long line of what we have to come know as… pandemic conferences.  Much reduced physical attendance, large numbers of online attendees, a virtual speaker broadcasting from another state. Yet it proved to be first rate. If I was writing this for millennials, I’d say it was a ‘cracker of a conference’!

Gary and Fiona Miller joined us from Queensland Theological College (complete with backdrop of the Brisbane CBD) for the 2 plenary Bible talks on ‘Genesis Women: Why the patriarchal narratives aren’t patriarchal’. …”

– At Equal But Different, Lesley Ramsay commends the talks given at this year’s P&A Conference.

The Word of God — the Bible!

Posted on June 10, 2021 
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“Central to our Christian faith is our conviction that the Bible is God’s book, the book through which He reveals Himself, His will and purpose.

The very first clause in the ordination vows of Elders and Minsters relates to the ordinand’s conviction about the Bible.

The most important reading in any class preparing people to preach is to read what the Systematic tomes teach about the doctrine of revelation.

Preachers need to understand the nature of the book they are to spend a lifetime preaching, so whether it be Robert Reymond or Wayne Grudem or Kevin DeYoung, the preacher in training needs to understand the inspiration, authority, reliability and sufficiency of God’s Word, the Bible. It is a constant battle keeping the Bible, and therefore God, central in our ministry and lives. We may be losing the battle!

I have noticed three unhealthy trends. …”

– Encouragement from David Cook.

Talking Freely Podcast – Dr Rory Shiner

Posted on June 9, 2021 
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With Religious Freedom Weekend coming up, in the latest podcast from Freedom for Faith, Dr Rory Shiner speaks about secularism.

Other episodes of the Talking Freely Podcast can be found here.

(Image: The Pastor’s Heart.)

 

The religious freedom crisis – with Freedom for Faith’s Patrick Parkinson

Posted on June 8, 2021 
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“Religious Freedom is being increasingly marginalised in Australia and across the western world.

There’s freedom for worship, freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom of conscience.

Australia’s Morrison government was moving to protect religious freedoms.  But all this was put on hold by last year’s pandemic.

Freedom for Faith’s Chair Professor Patrick Parkinson talks with Dominic Steele about his hopes for bipartisan legislation.

Plus there’s a call for all Christians to be involved in this weekend’s Religious Freedom Weekend.”

– Watch or listen at The Pastor’s Heart.

Silver and Gold have I None

Posted on June 8, 2021 
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“Those who know the Scriptures – or Scripture in Song – will recognise the heading as coming from Peter’s words to the lame man who had been lying by the Beautiful Gate, as part of the temple in Jerusalem (Acts 3:6). Not possessing any money, the apostle could not help him in the way the lame man was hoping for, but, being an apostle, Paul was used to perform a Messianic miracle whereby the man was sent on his way, walking and leaping and praising God. The episode is certainly a reminder that the New Testament Church was not driven by finances and high-powered administration…”

– Moderator-General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, Dr. Peter Barnes, writes this pastoral letter responding to the financial challenges facing the Presbyterian Church of Queensland.

Can employees be ordered to support controversial views in email signatures?

Posted on June 7, 2021 
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“This question has been raised by a report that a Victorian council has required its employees to add a graphic to their email addresses featuring a “rainbow flag”. One employee is reported as saying:

the rainbow flag can look like moral support for identity politics or sexualities prohibited by many religions in this multicultural area

This is an important issue which will present challenges to employees of organisations which are determined to make political statements on various causes. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster looks at a question of growing importance.

The Gospel Coalition Australia interviews Archbishop Kanishka Raffel

Posted on June 7, 2021 
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Akos Balogh from The Gospel Coalition Australia recently spoke with Kanishka Raffel about his new role – and asks the new Archbishop how we can pray for him.

Dr Colin Bale made Emeritus member of Moore College Faculty

Posted on June 6, 2021 
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“At the end of this semester, Dr Colin Bale will retire from the Moore College faculty. Dr Bale was appointed to the faculty in 1999 and has served as head of the Church History department, Academic Dean, and Vice Principal. During some of that time he worked on his PhD at Sydney University in the area of Australian history, and more particularly the lessons to be learned from the gravestone inscriptions of those who fell in the First World War.

Dr Bale has made a remarkable contribution to the life and health of Moore College. In recognition of this, the Governing Board of the College has unanimously agreed to appoint him as an Emeritus Faculty member upon his retirement. With this appointment, he will join the likes of Dr Paul Barnett, Dr Peter Jensen, Dr Peter O’Brien, Dr David Peterson, and Dr Barry Webb. …”

– Read it all at the Moore College website.

Queen’s Birthday Conference 2021

Posted on June 6, 2021 
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“Our society has removed all reference to, or analysis of, ‘evil’ and yet wants to engage in moral discourse! How can Christians engage with our world, when our message is all about the evil within the human heart and God’s removal of it.

The Queen’s Birthday Conference 2021 gives Christians an opportunity to think through The Removal of Evil.

The conference is a great time to hear Phillip Jensen teach God’s Word clearly, meet together and discuss the implications with each other during refreshments, pray and ask questions in the Q&A session – all of this is included in your registration for the In-person event at St Andrew’s Cathedral. (Update: In-person registration is no longer available, but you can register to watch online!)

Our MC for the afternoon is Simon Gillham, Vice Principal and Head of Department of Mission at Moore Theological College.

You can register for the Online event …”

– Details and register at phillipjensen.com/qbc2021.

Bishop of Gippsland supports Synod motion endorsing extra-marital relationships

Posted on June 4, 2021 
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“The Diocese of Gippsland, at its recent synod, has voted to change its own version of Faithfulness in Service, the national church’s guidelines for standards in ministry, to remove the classical definition of chaste relationships (marriage between a man and a woman) and replace it with a more ambiguous definition of ‘committed and monogamous relationship’.

The resolution came from Bishop-in-Council and was endorsed by Bishop Richard Treloar in his Presidential Address. …”

– Report from davidould.net.

See also:

Bishop Treloar’s Presidential Address, 2021. (PDF file.)

The Gippsland Anglican, June 2021. (PDF file.)

A statement from GAFCON Australia: (June 01 2021, on Facebook)

“Gafcon Australia

Please find below a Statement from Gafcon Australia concerning a resolution of the synod of the Diocese of Gippsland.

In May 2021, the Synod of the Diocese of Gippsland made the following resolution:

1. In accordance with Section 7 of the Professional Standards Act 2017 and subject to the qualification that:
– Clauses 7.2 and 7.4 of Faithfulness in Service are to be understood and applied in the context that a member of the clergy or church worker who is in a committed and monogamous relationship with another person is not to be regarded as being in breach of Clauses 7.2 and 7.4 only because that relationship does not have the status of a marriage solemnised according to an Anglican marriage rite;
– Faithfulness in Service (November 2016 version) is otherwise affirmed and adopted as the Code of Conduct for observance by Clergy and Church workers in the Diocese.

2. The registrar shall amend the version of Faithfulness in Service published on the Diocesan website by inserting the qualification below the heading “Preamble” to section 7 of Faithfulness in Service and include the following note: –
(Faithfulness in Service was qualified by this paragraph when adopted by the Diocese of Gippsland as the Code of Conduct for observance by Clergy and Church workers in the Diocese.)

It grieves the Board of Gafcon Australia that the Bishop-in-Council of the Diocese of Gippsland promoted a motion to their Synod, which amended the operation of Faithfulness in Service, the National Code of conduct for church workers, in their Diocese.

The effect of this resolution is to sanction sexual relationships outside of marriage, as the Anglican Church of Australia has received it and continues to uphold. It is regrettable that by removing the possibility of any disciplinary action against a member of the clergy or lay church worker in such a sexual relationship with another person (whether of the same sex or opposite sex) the Diocese’s Code of Conduct is now in breach of the teaching of Scripture (Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral) and the teaching of marriage that our Church upholds.

Gafcon Australia supports those Anglicans in Gippsland who are likewise grieved by this development.

From the Board of Gafcon Australia.”

Image: Diocese of Gippsland.

Southern Cross — June 2021

Posted on June 4, 2021 
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The latest Southern Cross magazine (June 2021) from Anglican Media Sydney is now available.

While printed copies will be distributed in churches, it also can be read and downloaded online.

Plenty of encouraging reading,

Irish Church Missions — Building for the Future

Posted on June 3, 2021 
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Many Sydney Anglicans will be aware of Irish Church Missions. From their website:

Irish Church Missions is an indigenous Anglican Church Planting platform established in 1849 to catalyse evangelism and church planting in Ireland. 170 years later this is still our passion and our purpose.

T. C. Hammond was Superintendent of Irish Church Missions before becoming Principal of Moore College in 1936 as well as Rector of St. Philip’s Church Hill, and there have been links between Sydney and Irish Church Missions for many years.

Irish Church Missions wants to renovate their strategically-placed building in the heart of Dublin, to unlock its potential as they work to start and strengthen evangelical churches in Dublin and all across Ireland.

Take the time to watch the encouraging 7 minute video from ICM Director David Martin.

Please pray for this opportunity, and consider if you might be able to help financially.

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