Failure for Newcastle Diocese challenge of Sydney Affiliated Churches Ordinance

Posted on November 26, 2018 
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“The Appellate Tribunal of the Anglican Church of Australia has today issued an opinion on a series of questions put to it by the Diocese of Newcastle about the Diocese of Sydney‘s Affiliated Churches Ordinance.

The Ordinance allows for non-Anglican churches to affiliate with the Diocese of Sydney and so obtain a number of administrative and other benefits while not being recognised as Anglican. …”

– David Ould has the details and links.

Biblical friendship (part 1): What is a friend?

Posted on November 26, 2018 
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“Over the past few years several studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness poses a bigger risk to our health than smoking or obesity. Loneliness has the same effects on your body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It increases your chances of heart disease by 29% and stroke by 32%.

Loneliness is on the rise and churches are not immune. I’ve had numerous conversations with people about how they have no friends at church and as a consequence are thinking about going elsewhere. They are craving friendship. …

Our world is a bit confused about the idea of friendship. But what is friendship according to the Bible?”

– At The Australian Church Record, Caitlin Orr shares the first in a series on biblical friendship.

150 Years of Cathedral ministry

Posted on November 25, 2018 
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“November 30 marks 150 years since Sydney’s Cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Barker.

St Andrew’s Day in 1868 was an occasion of celebration and dedication – not just because a building had been constructed, but that a centre for gospel ministry could prosper in the heart of the city.

The prayer was that God would call people to himself as Christ was proclaimed by those ministering at the Cathedral. …”

– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net, and a good reminder to give thanks and to pray the current ministry of the leadership and congregation of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.

Australia to offer Asia Bibi asylum

Posted on November 24, 2018 
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“The Australian Christian Lobby welcomes confirmation from Australian Government sources that Asia Bibi and her family will be offered asylum.

‘This is momentous news for all who have lobbied so hard and so long for Asia Bibi,’ said ACL managing director Martyn Iles.

‘Government sources have this afternoon confirmed that it will make an offer of asylum to Asia Bibi if Canada does not do so in the coming days.’…”

– A media release from the Australian Christian Lobby.

See also:

Asia Bibi is welcome in Australia, now Pakistan needs to demonstrate “fair-play” – The British Pakistani Christian Association.

Please do be encouraged to continue to pray.

Considering Christ with your children at Christmas: An advent Top 5

Posted on November 23, 2018 
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“It’s not like Christmas sneaks up on you. I think my first mince pie sighting this year was in early October. By November I find I can’t resist the urge to buy more gift tags at every single check out display, in case we are gripped by a nation-wide shortage come December.

There are so many things to plan and prepare, and so many reminders of them every time I enter the shops, that the logistics of Christmas celebrations can consume my thoughts for months. But how do I go at filling my thoughts with the one whose birth we are celebrating? And as a parent, how do I go at helping fix the thoughts of our children on the wonder of the incarnation?…”

– At The Australian Church Record, Jocelyn Loane has some helpful advice.

Related: Videos for Your Christmas Services (2018 Edition) – Communicate Jesus.

Christmas gift ideas from Anglican Aid

Posted on November 22, 2018 
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The Archbishop of Sydney’s Anglican Aid has some terrific ways you can give hope to others this Christmas.

Check them out here.

Archbishop Glenn Davies’ Response to New Zealand

Posted on November 21, 2018 
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Here is the text of Archbishop Glenn Davies’ letter to Archbishop Donald Tamihere and Archbishop Philip Richardson, of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, in response to their letter about his proposal –

Correspondence to Primates 13/11/18

Dear Archbishop Donald and Archbishop Philip

Greetings in the name of our risen Saviour.

Thank you for your gracious letter and for providing me with a copy before it is publicly released.

I greatly enjoyed my time with you and other leaders in Hamilton last August. Your hospitality and welcome introduced me to aspects of M?ori culture which I found profoundly moving.

At the meeting, I learned more of the troubled history of colonialism, which clearly still reverberates within the country and the Church. If any part of my proposal was seen as reinforcing any colonial intervention, I am deeply sorry, as this was not my intention.

Growing up as an Anglican in Australia, I have treasured the Bible, the Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer, which to me express the essence of being Anglican, though I also recognise the cultural differences that Anglicanism may reflect in different countries.

Although I am sorry to hear of the outcome of your deliberations concerning my proposal, I fear that two Anglican Churches will still arise in Aotearoa, but without mutual recognition. While sad, this is now inevitable. Our General Synod Standing Committee passed a resolution at our meeting on Friday last, which will no doubt be communicated to you separately by the General Secretary. In the resolution, apart from noting the recent decisions of ACANZP have impaired our relationships, as they are in contradiction to Resolution I.10 of Lambeth 1998, it also noted that they were not in accordance with the teaching of Christ in Matthew 19:1-12. We also indicated our support for all Anglicans in Aotearoa, not only those who remain in ACANZP but also those who choose to leave.

We live in a broken world, and sometimes brothers and sisters disagree on the way forward. I am very grateful for the consideration of my proposal which I believe you took seriously and conscientiously. While my purpose in the proposal was specific to the context of your Church, it is true that there are ramifications for the wider Anglican Communion. I thought that ACANZP might be able to give a lead in this regard but it may well be that my lack of understanding of your culture has impeded my ability to find an agreeable way forward. Again, if this has caused offence, I offer my sincere apologies.

I trust that relationships between the Anglican Church of Australia and the ACANZP, while impaired by the decision of your Synod, may still find opportunity for fellowship in the name of our risen Saviour in the days ahead.

Maranatha!

Grace and peace

Glenn.

Source: SydneyAnglicans.net.

Delaying religious freedom legislation comes with a major cost

Posted on November 21, 2018 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on Delaying religious freedom legislation comes with a major cost

Here’s a media release from the Australian Christian Lobby –

The Australian Christian Lobby today warned that the radical amendments which passed Tasmania’s lower house last night will mean freedom of speech is now all but dead.

ACL’s state director Mark Brown said, “The changes pushed by Labor and the Greens mean that gender will become opt-in for all Tasmanian’s – a move which 95% of 44,000 respondents to a news poll did not agree with.”

“There has been no community consultation and these amendments have been rammed through without any consideration of the unintended consequences they may have,” commented Mr Brown.

One of the amendments pushed by Labor and the Greens changes the definition of gender identity in the Anti-Discrimination Act to include gender expression which means, “…any personal physical expression, appearance (whether by way of medical intervention or not), speech, mannerisms, behavioural patterns, names and personal references that manifest or express gender or gender identity.”  

Managing director of the ACL Martyn Iles said, “Prohibiting speech that ‘offends’ or ‘insults’ based on gender expression opens a Pandora’s box. Gender expression includes any behaviour whatsoever if justified by reference to one of the infinite genders people have invented. It is unenforceable madness enshrined in law, which will be abused constantly.”

“Failing to use someone’s preferred pronouns will also be hate speech if these laws pass the upper house.”

“There was an opportunity for Parliament to repeal the section 17 hate speech law last year, but they baulked at the idea because the politics seemed too difficult at the time. Now we see it being weaponised even further.”

“We are now in a position where laws preventing and removing democratic freedoms are being pushed through parliaments across the country while legislation to protect religious freedom has stagnated.”

“This shows the increasing and compounding cost associated with the government delaying action on religious freedom in Australia,” said Mr Iles.

– Source. Emphasis added.

PM slams ‘ridiculous’ Tasmanian gender law

Posted on November 21, 2018 
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“Prime Minister Scott Morrison has savaged a ‘ridiculous’ push to allow Tasmanian parents to choose whether to include their baby’s gender on a birth certificate.

Transgender rights reforms, put forward by the Labor opposition and the Greens, passed the Tasmanian lower house on Tuesday night. …” – Story from 9 News.

The evangelical church in Scotland: An interview with Matt Baines

Posted on November 19, 2018 
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“Matt Baines is originally from Sydney where he has been working as an assistant minister at Minchinbury Anglican Church until August this year, when he and his family moved to Edinburgh.

Here, Matt shares with us some of his early reflections on the evangelical church in Scotland. …”

– Read his initial reflections at The Australian Church Record.

“White” on the new black-list

Posted on November 17, 2018 
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“A popular wedding magazine called ‘White’ has announced today that it is closing down. The reason? The Christian publishers had been asked to carry articles featuring same sex weddings, and had politely declined to do so.

The backlash on social media led to a number of advertisers withdrawing their custom, and some customers refusing to buy the magazine any more. In this post I want to comment on the legal issues around this incident, and another episode highlighted in the press today.

A report in The Australian today notes the close of White magazine, and also the other episode involving someone in the ‘wedding industry’:

Christian wedding photographer Jason Tey was taken to the West Australian Equal Opportunity Commission after he agreed to photograph the children of a same-sex couple but disclosed a conflict of belief, in case they felt more comfortable hiring someone else. …”

– Associate Professor Neil Foster comments on a story in today’s The Weekend Australian.

St. Matthew’s Dunedin ‘to disaffiliate’ from Church — report

Posted on November 17, 2018 
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“St Matthew’s in Stafford St [Dunedin] this week voted to disaffiliate from the church.

The decision means those in the parish who supported the move — it is understood 79% voted for disaffiliation — will have to find a new place to worship. Bishop of Dunedin the Rt Rev Steven Benford confirmed the move yesterday. …”

– Report from The Otago Daily Times. Photo courtesy St. Matthew’s Dunedin.

Religious freedom lost as White magazine shuts

Posted on November 17, 2018 
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“Christians are being run out of business, hounded by boycotts and bullied by activists, for adhering to their faith a year after the celebrated same-sex-marriage vote.

In a sign Australia faces a ‘crisis of freedom’, The Weekend Australian can reveal a successful international wedding magazine that chose not to feature gay couples will today announce its decision to shut down after becoming the target of an intimidation campaign.

The founders of White magazine, Christians Luke and Carla Burrell, said they were the targets of an activist campaign that deterred their advertisers, frightened their staff and included threats of physical harm because of their stand on same-sex weddings. …”

– Read the full story in The Weekend Australian (subscription).

See also:

Farewell – Official Statement from White magazine.

“Recently we’ve experienced a flood of judgement. We know much of that comes hand-in-hand with running a public magazine. But we are also just two humans fumbling our way through these big questions and like anyone else, and we don’t have all the answers.

Instead of allowing us the space to work through our thoughts and feelings, or being willing to engage in brave conversations to really hear each other’s stories, some have just blindly demanded that we pick a side. We’re not about sides, we’re about love, patience and kindness. A campaign was launched targeting the magazine, our team and our advertisers. Couples who have featured in our magazine have also been the subject of online abuse despite their individual beliefs. We’re really saddened by this. …”

(Note also some of the comments below that article.)

Urgent action needed on religious freedom – The Australian Christian Lobby media release:

“Revelations today that Australians are being persecuted for their beliefs shine a light on the need for urgent religious freedom protections, the Australian Christian Lobby says.

The call comes after The Weekend Australian has revealed that photographer Jason Tey, is before a State Administrative Tribunal not for declining service, but for simply stating his Christian beliefs. …”

Photo: White magazine.

162nd Academic Year Concludes at Moore

Posted on November 16, 2018 
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“Today was ‘Final Friday’ at Moore. Held to mark the end of the academic year, there was a community chapel followed by lunch for all, where many families from the College were present along with all faculty, staff and students.

The end of year sermon was given by our Principal, Dr Mark Thompson, on 2 Timothy 4. …”

– Report from the College.

Review: They Shall See His Face

Posted on November 16, 2018 
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“You may never have heard of Amy Oxley Wilkinson (1868–1949), although it’s possible you know of her great grandfather, Rowland Hassall – one of the first missionaries to come to Australia after fleeing trouble in Tahiti – or his son Thomas, who started the first Sunday School in Australia at Parramatta in 1813, and went on to be an Anglican minister in the rural south of Sydney, who earned himself the moniker ‘the galloping parson’ for visiting his far-flung flock on horseback.

If not them, you will surely know of the Rev. Samuel Marsden, chaplain, missionary and farmer, whose eldest daughter Anne married Thomas. Amy was their granddaughter, the eighth child of John Norton Oxley and Harriet Jane Hassall…”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Dr. Claire Smith reviews They Shall See His Face, by Linda and Robert Banks. It’s about the most widely known female Australian missionary in China and the West in the early 20th century.

The book is available from a number of retailers, including from The Wandering Bookseller.

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