Regional ministry in the Bathurst Diocese – Mark Calder, James Boardman and Sally Phelps

Posted on September 10, 2024 
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From Moore College:

“Vice Principal Simon Gillham chats with Bishop of the Bathurst Diocese, Mark Calder and regional workers James Boardman and Sally Phelps. They share the joys and challenges of doing ministry in a regional area and share about the exciting growth and opportunities available in the area.

Would you continue to pray for the gospel growth in the Bathurst Diocese and that many would head out into regional ministry.”

– Watch here, and do pray.

Fearing God the Father

Posted on September 10, 2024 
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“ ‘I am a child of God, God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Saviour is my brother; every Christian is my brother [or sister] too.’

This is my favourite sentence in J. I. Packer’s Knowing God. Packer persuasively argues that being adopted as a child of God is the highest blessing that God gives us, higher even than justification. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Richard Chin shares the third in a series on fearing God, “Fearing God the Father”.

( Part 1: Fearing God Our Creator. Part 2: Fearing God Our Judge.)

Jodie McNeill named as Gafcon Global Operations Manager

Posted on September 8, 2024 
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Here’s an announcement from Bishop Paul Donison, Gafcon General Secretary:

“Dear Brothers and Sisters within our Gafcon family,

On behalf of the Gafcon Primates, Guarantors and Trustees, it is my joy to announce the appointment of the Reverend Jodie McNeill as our new Global Operations Manager.

Jodie is a passionate supporter of Gafcon with extensive executive-level ministry experience, as well as gifts in preaching and pastoral ministry.

He served on the organizing committee for the Jerusalem 2018 and Kigali 2023 conferences, and has chaired the committee for the recent Australasia conferences in Canberra and Brisbane.

We believe Jodie brings both the administrative and strategic planning skills this role requires, while also excelling in team leadership and generosity of spirit that will serve our Secretariat well.

Jodie will serve in this role part-time until he concludes at the end of this year as Rector of Jamberoo Anglican Church, Diocese of Sydney. He succeeds Canon Daniel Willis, who has commenced retirement, having served faithfully in this role since 2020.

Jodie will lead the international staff and ministry of the Gafcon Global Secretariat from Sydney, Australia, and will work closely with me as General Secretary, as well as Archbishop Mbanda and our Primates’ Council, Trustees and Guarantors.

Jodie is married to Mandy, who has enthusiastically served alongside him in Gafcon ministries since 2018, and who continues to share with him a deep passion for this movement that they love. They have four adult children, two sons-in-law, and a baby grandson.

Please join me in praying for Jodie and Mandy, the Parish of Jamberoo, and our whole Gafcon movement.

Again and again in this Gafcon work I see Psalm 118:23 in action: “This is the Lord’s work; it is marvellous in our eyes.”

Yours in Christ,

The Rt. Revd. Paul Donison
Gafcon General Secretary.”

– via e-mail.

Will the Church in Wales be extinct in 15 years?

Posted on September 8, 2024 
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“The Church in Wales may be small (a weekly attendance of 25,000 and falling) but as this blog has noted in the past it seems determined to shrink further. The Church Growth Modelling website predicts that it might be close to extinction in less than fifteen years, with just a few large urban congregations surviving.

John Heyward, who made this prediction, explains why the Church in Wales faces such a bleak future…”

– Anglican Futures reports that The Church in Wales seems intent on going the way of all flesh.

Paul’s prayer for the persecuted

Posted on September 8, 2024 
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“Christians need the spiritual and moral strength for which the Apostle Paul prayed in the Prayer Book Epistle reading for today, whatever the political conditions of the nations in which they find themselves.

Paul, a prisoner for proclaiming Christian truth, was writing to the Christians in 1st Century Ephesus …”

– At The Conservative Woman, Julian Mann reminds us that we need to be praying for the persecuted church too.

1:12 to 2:12!

Posted on September 8, 2024 
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“In 1963 my father applied for me to become a member of the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In 1980 my membership was granted and I attended my first fixture—the Rugby League Grand final between Canterbury-Bankstown and the mighty Eastern Suburbs Roosters, won by Canterbury, 18-4.

After 43 years, in 2023, I resigned my membership. I had not lost my interest in cricket or the occasional league game, I just was tired of being lectured about racism, gay pride and climate change at opening ceremonies by woke sportsmen and administrators.

‘Stick to your knitting’, is a saying from a management manual of the 1980’s. …

So today I am going to take my own advice and stick to my knitting. …”

– Encouragement from David Cook at The Expository Preaching Trust.

(Photo: Australia vs South Africa at the SCG, by Allan M Blanch.)

Latest North West Network (August 2024) now available

Posted on September 7, 2024 
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The latest North West Network (dated August 2024) – from the Diocese of North West Australia – is now available to be downloaded as a PDF file.

Use it to inform your prayers for the men and women, boys and girls, of the North West, and for the churches seeking to share the saving news of Jesus with them.

Plenty of encouragement.

– Download here. (1MB PDF file.)

The GSFA’s Chairman’s Quarterly Letter — September 2024

Posted on September 6, 2024 
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The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches has released this Quarterly Letter from Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Dear GSFA Family and Friends,

I am writing this letter on September 3rd which, according to the Anglican Lectionary, we observe as the Festival of Gregory the Great who died in 604. For Anglicans, he has a special significance as the Pope who had the missionary vision to send Augustine, who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury, to evangelise the Anglo-Saxons in 597.

It is good to remember that our Communion originated from bold missionary enterprise, not only in more recent centuries, but also in its deep past. And there are other aspects of Gregory’s life and ministry from which we can learn. The Anglican Communion is going through a time of crisis and change and so was the Church of Rome when Gregory became Pope. The glory of ancient Rome had departed and both secular and church leadership were weak, leading to widespread poverty and insecurity.

Yet despite this weakness, Gregory’s papacy began the transition to a new Rome which rose to become the centre of Western Christendom. As heirs of the Reformation, we are aware of the errors of the late mediaeval Church, but this does not take away from Gregory’s achievements. In addition to the mission to England, he reformed both church and secular government, systematised relief for the poor, renewed the liturgy and established Rome as the leading Church of the West.

We too live in a time of historic transition. Tragically, the See Augustine founded has departed from the faith Augustine taught and I see lessons of hope for us in the life of Gregory as we continue the great task of resetting the Communion.

Firstly, he was a man of deep spirituality who knew his weakness despite his strong natural and spiritual gifts. He suffered poor health and perhaps this reinforced his sense of dependence upon God. The challenges before us cannot overcome in our own strength. Like St Paul, we need to be people of prayer who know that God’s power is made perfect in weakness.

Secondly, Gregory knew that practical action and good administration is necessary if the Church is to be effective in its witness and the care of people. This is our understanding too. At the First Assembly in June, the GSFA relaunched its three Tracks and I am delighted to report that action plans to take us up to the next Assembly in 2027 have already been presented to the Primates Steering Committee. Please pray for the newly appointed Track Chairmen as they take this strategic work forward: The Rev Dr Timothy Chong from Singapore (Missions Partnership), the Rt Rev Prof. Alfred Olwa, Bishop of Lango, Uganda (Leadership and Ministerial Formation) and Mr Diogo Henriques of the Anglican Church in Brazil (Economic Empowerment). I am delighted that they will be supported in this work by our Track Facilitator, Mr Daniel Magagnin on a part time secondment from one of our Mission Partner organisations, The Relay Trust.

Thirdly, Gregory saw that without effective leadership, the growth and life of the Church in the West would be compromised. He established Rome as a locus of spiritual leadership in teaching, liturgy and mission, not to emulate the past glories of Empire, but to restore the Church’s effectiveness in a world that had changed profoundly. Likewise, the GSFA, through the Cairo Covenant, has established a new locus of leadership to deal with a new reality, now that the historic centre of the Communion has surrendered to a secular culture which is alien to the vast majority of its members.

Fourthly, Gregory was a missionary leader. At a time when the Church of Rome could have been inward looking because of its many challenges, Gregory took missionary initiatives that would change the course of history. Likewise, mission is the great purpose to which we are committed and I rejoice that the Missions Track is already under way with GSFA Mission Partners joining the Diocese of Singapore’s Mission Roundtable in Bangkok next month. We are already enabling strategic connections and I praise God that arising from a conversation at  our First Assembly in June, the Ven Darrell Critch of the Anglican Church in North America has been elected as a missionary bishop for the Diocese of Mahajanga, Madagascar in the Province of the Indian Ocean. Please pray for Bishop-elect Critch and his family as they prepare to leave Canada and begin this new journey of faith.

Let me conclude by urging us to hold in prayer those of our brothers and sisters within the GSFA family who suffer; for an end to war in Sudan, for peace as my own nation of South Sudan decides whether to go for elections in December or not, and for those affected by widespread flooding in both countries. We also continue to pray for the people of Myanmar and Eastern Congo facing growing fragmentation and violence, and of Bangladesh as they adjust to a new government and struggle with floods which have displaced many thousands.

May the all sufficient grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen

The Most Rev Dr Justin Badi Arama
Archbishop and Primate of the
Episcopal Church of South Sudan and
Chair of the GSFA Steering Committee.

Source: The GSFA.

Why read John’s Gospel?

Posted on September 6, 2024 
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“I hope to remind us of old truths, perhaps prompt some new thoughts, but above all stimulate us to read and preach this wonderful part of God’s word.

Here are five reasons to read John’s Gospel for your consideration.…”

– St. Andrew’s Cathedral is hosting a reading of the entire Gospel of John, and AFES is using that Gospel in its Meet Jesus campaign.

Helpfully, Bill Salier shares the first in a series of reflections on the Gospel of John, at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

The 2024 Synod Briefing Podcast now online

Posted on September 5, 2024 
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See also The Synod Survival Guide by Dr Robert Tong.

This very helpful introduction to Sydney Synod is presented by the Anglican Church League as a service to the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney.

– Download your copy here. (PDF file.)

2024 Annual Moore College Lectures now online

Posted on September 5, 2024 
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Video recordings of the 2024 Annual Moore College Lectures by Dr Tom Schreiner have now been published online.

Dr Schreiner, Associate Dean for the School of Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, spoke on “The Battle for the Truth of the Gospel” from the Letter to the Galatians.

Watch them here.

Confronting the big attendance drop — with Toby Neal, Dave Jensen and Geoff Bates

Posted on September 3, 2024 
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“What should the church pastor / staff team / church council or bishop do about the big drop in attendance?

A new report shows Adult Attendance in churches in Sydney is down 7% or 14% against population (over a decade).

Adult attendance declined at approximately two-thirds of Sydney Anglican comparable church centers, and only one-third of church centers recorded an increase in attendance.

The big problem is newcomers.  We just are not reaching them.  Newcomers are down to 5.4%.

And with fewer new people joining churches, the churches that are growing are primarily growing at the expense of churches that are declining.

A noticeable decline in attendance was recorded in 2018-2019, especially in the most rapidly secularising areas of our region.

The issues are not just external. We have internal issues. There are denominational and congregational factors at play. There are key church health characteristics that show internal health factors are lower in those regions – factors relating to congregational character and leadership. …”

– Watch or listen here as Toby Neal, Dave Jensen and Geoff Bates discuss with Dominic Steele.

UK Government ban on Islamophobia would prevent gospel proclamation

Posted on September 3, 2024 
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“With the strong likelihood that the Labour government will outlaw Islamophobia, could Christians who deny that Islam is a saving faith fall foul of the law? Labour’s Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, also Communities Secretary, confirmed in the House of Commons on Monday September 2 that the government is actively considering a definition of Islamophobia. …”

– Julian Mann reports from the UK at Christian Today.

CLASS and the Evangelical Church in England

Posted on September 3, 2024 
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From Church Society:

“Evangelicals in Britain are overwhelmingly white and middle class. Of course, it is always good when any group of people come to know the living God and worship him in church; and it is good that the intense efforts to evangelise the university-educated over the past century have borne fruit.

However, there are problems. When any group is dominant in any setting, it easily assumes that its own way of doing things is normal. The way things are done becomes not just the right way, but the only way. It is very easy in such contexts to be oblivious to the way in which the majority way actually excludes people who come from a different group.

Many evangelicals are aware of this, and in some cases actively fight against it. Yet despite understanding all this, and despite their determination for class not to be an issue, evangelicals seem to have been singularly ineffective in eliminating the boundaries.

Class and the Evangelical Church in England by Kirsten Birkett surveys recent research on this topic and discusses some of its implications. We want to reach the whole country with the gospel: what can we do to prevent class from being a barrier?”

– Ordering details for Kirsten Birkett’s new book here.

She spoke about her research in this Church Society podcast in June 2024.

New Principal appointed for Nungalinya College in Darwin

Posted on September 1, 2024 
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“It is with much excitement that we can announce Dr Yane Damanik as the next Nungalinya College Principal! Picture here with her husband Roni, please see a paragraph from Yane introducing herself to the Nungalinya family:

‘I am deeply grateful and excited for God’s calling into this role at Nungalinya College. I am a Moluccan woman from the Maluku islands located in East Indonesia in the Western Pacific Ocean. I came to Australia as an overseas student trained in mission and Christian counselling at Kingsley Theological School in Melbourne. After completing my studies, I enjoyed a variety of roles in teaching, counselling, pastoral work and community development

Our family moved to the Territory in 2011 to serve with the Australian Indigenous Ministries (AIM). During this time, we were also involved in pastoral ministry at Living Water Uniting Church in Humpty Doo. Since leaving the NT in 2017, we have continued our work with AIM, where I held various roles, most recently as the Mission Coordinator, while also lecturing in Sydney. With our children now young adults Uni students, my husband and I believe that God is calling us back to Darwin to a ministry that I am passionate about: theological training in Indigenous contexts, a focus that was also the subject of my doctoral study. I am humbled to think that God has woven together my previous ministries, background and studies to prepare me for this new role.

It is a privilege to build on the excellent work accomplished at Nungalinya by God’s people over many years. I look forward to working alongside the college community to advance the vision of empowering Indigenous Christians for leadership across churches and communities in Australia.’ ”

– from the Nungalinya Facebook page.

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