‘Historic’ day as Tasmanian Anglican Church votes to sell 76 church buildings

Posted on June 2, 2018 
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“The Anglican Diocese of Tasmania has voted to sell 108  properties, including 76 church buildings, to fund its $8.6 million involvement in the national redress scheme.

After several hours of debate, the church’s Synod almost unanimously voted to pass a motion to sell the properties. …”

– Report from The Examiner.

What is the role of culture and culturalism in evangelism?

Posted on June 2, 2018 
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“Christians today are engaged in cross-cultural evangelism. In the past it was only missionaries going overseas to preach the gospel who had to understand cross-cultural evangelism, but today most of us do not have to go that far to encounter other cultures. Most English-speaking countries have the great joy of people from all over the world moving into their neighbourhoods.

But what does a post-Christian multicultural nation involve? Is it any different to evangelising a Christian monocultural nation – and if so, how? …”

– At GoThereFor.com, Phillip Jensen provides some good questions to think about – along with a reminder that they will be addressed at the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Conference on 11th June. (Register here.)

Reply from Bishop Rod Thomas to the Bishop of Lichfield’s Ad Clerum on ‘Welcoming and honouring LGBT+ People’ in the Diocese

Posted on June 1, 2018 
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“Dear Bishop Michael and members of the Lichfield College of Bishops,

Thank you very much for letting me see an early copy of the new Ad Clerum on ‘Welcoming and honouring LGBT+ People’ in the Diocese. I very much appreciated the pastoral sensitivity and thoughtfulness with which it was written and, like you, would want to work for a situation where people of any sexual orientation or gender identity feel welcomed and honoured in our churches. …”

– Bishop of Maidstone Rod Thomas adds some biblical perspective to the Bishop of Lichfield’s pastoral letter to the clergy, published in early May.

Response by former UCA President to Uniting Church Same-Sex Marriage Proposal

Posted on June 1, 2018 
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In July, the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia will vote on a proposal, brought by the Assembly Standing Committee, to change the doctrine of marriage and understanding of marriage within the UCA to be for any ‘two people’. Many see this as a ‘make or break’ moment for the UCA.

Dr. James Haire, ninth President of the Uniting Church in Australia, has published his response to the proposals. Quite apart from Biblical reasons to oppose them, he believes they would make it impossible for the Uniting Church in Australia to continue to exist according to its founding documents:

“The final sentence of Paragraph 2 of the Basis of Union (Of the Whole Church) states: ‘The Uniting Church declares its desire to enter more deeply into the faith and mission of the Church in Australia, by working together and seeking union with other Churches’ …

proposals (b), (c)(ii) and (d).1 are likely to cause further fracturing of relations between the UCA and other Churches in Australia, and certainly are likely to go against any moves to seek ‘union with other Churches’.”

Read it all here. (PDF file.)

And, from Peter Bentley, National Director of the Assembly of Confessing Congregations within the Uniting Church in Australia:

“In a nutshell, my view is that the adoption of the proposals would make the Uniting Church cease to be the Uniting Church as we know it, even it still has the legal name. … The grand experiment of ‘Uniting’ that was begun in 1977 as a church movement that was not ‘its own denomination’, but part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church would simply be no more.”

– Read this, and related articles, in the June 2018 edition (PDF file) of Confessing Congregations’ magazine “ACCatalyst”. (Photo: ACC.)

Nungalinya College seeking new Principal

Posted on June 1, 2018 
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Nungalinya College in Darwin is seeking a new Principal, and it would be good to give thanks for this strategic College and to pray for its continued ministry in a time of transition.

Details here (applications close 20th July 2018).

Moore College welcomes Os Guinness

Posted on May 31, 2018 
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“Last night the College held a special Centre for Christian Living event with internationally renowned apologist, author and speaker Os Guinness, who delivered a stirring lecture about Christian freedom.

It was exciting to see the Marcus Loane Hall so full, and to discover that even more were watching via livestream around Australia and beyond. …”

– News from Moore College.

Meeting people where they are at

Posted on May 31, 2018 
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“One of the most helpful lessons I’ve learnt in ministry to people from a Roman Catholic background is to meet them where they are at and not to expect them to meet us where we are at as Protestants.

One practical example of this struck me as I looked at the sort of evangelistic material available for Catholics. …”

– At SydneyAnglicans.net, Mark Gilbert shares some very helpful observations.

Sin and Error in the Church

Posted on May 30, 2018 
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“One of the most striking things about the Bible is its reality. It has often been observed, for example that only one of its heroes – the Son of God himself – is without sin.  Sometimes the sins of the saints are very serious indeed.

The Bible’s reality includes its description of the Church. As Acts 4 draws to its conclusion with a description of the wonderful generosity of Christian people to those in need, we may think that the presence of the Spirit has led to instant and complete holiness. Then comes the story of Ananias and Sapphira to bring us back to reality. …”

– Read Dr. Peter Jensen’s latest post at the GAFCON website.

How to preach 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 well

Posted on May 30, 2018 
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On this week’s edition of The Pastor’s Heart podcast/vodcast, Dominic Steele speaks with Dani Treweek and Lionel Windsor about a key New Testament ‘gender’ passage.

It’s well worth spending 38 minutes to think about the passage, and how to preach it in today’s culture.

Diocese of Tasmania Synod meets this week

Posted on May 29, 2018 
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The Diocese of Tasmania Synod is meeting this meet – on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd June.

Among other issues for discussion is the Redress Fund Ordinance. Doubtless, Synod members would appreciate prayers for wisdom in their deliberations.

Related: Descendants oppose Tasmanian church sale – The Examiner.

The Anglican Church in Brazil and the Anglican Communion

Posted on May 28, 2018 
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GAFCON General Secretary, Dr. Peter Jensen, has responded to a claim that the new Anglican Church in Brazil is not authentically a part of the Anglican Communion:

“Of course the new Anglican Church in Brazil is an authentic part of the Anglican Communion.”

Why say that? Read his full statement below, dated 25 May 2018 –

“In the London Church Times (18th May 2018), Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council claimed that Gafcon had been ‘inaccurate’ in describing the newly formed Anglican Church in Brazil as part of the Anglican Communion and claimed that “To be part of the Anglican Communion requires being in communion with the see of Canterbury, which this Church is not.”

Here lies the difference between mere institutionalism and spiritual reality.

The basic reason why there is a division amongst the Anglicans of Brazil is because the Episcopal Church of Brazil has departed from the teaching of Scripture, and hence from Anglican teaching, concerning sex and marriage. The division is not over a matter of church politics or personal ambition. It is a matter of the fundamentals of the faith, of what makes a true church, of the authority of God’s word.

In 2005, the Diocese of Recife withdrew from the existing Church body over this issue. In so doing it was being true to Scripture and to the overwhelming majority view of the Communion’s Bishops as expressed in Lambeth 1.10 of 1998. In 2016, after court cases, it had to surrender much of its property. And yet, under God, the Diocese continues, grows and is now in a position to become a Province, with several Dioceses.

Throughout this period, orthodox Bishops (such as Archbishop Greg Venables of South America) upheld the Diocese and supported it and ministered within it. Because this was an issue of basic theology, the Gafcon movement recognised the Diocese and arranged for the consecration of the present Archbishop. Gafcon held on to faithful Anglican Christians whose ‘fault’ was merely that they were accepting biblical and Anglican teaching. Gafcon holds the Communion together while we wait to see if other instruments of the Communion will do what is right.

The Gafcon Primates Council was not mistaken in recognising the Anglican Church in Brazil as a Province of the Anglican Communion. This step has also been supported by leaders of the Anglican Global South. This also is a recognition of spiritual reality.

Communion with the see of Canterbury used to be a welcome, useful and easily understood way of describing the Anglican Communion. But with leadership comes responsibility. So far, the recent Archbishops of Canterbury have not used the power of their office either to discipline those who have created disorder and threatened the basis of our faith, or to reach out the right hand of fellowship to those who have stood firm.

The institution has triumphed while faithful Anglicans are disaffiliated and deprived.

It was this failure that our 2008 Jerusalem Statement and Declaration faced when it was affirmed that ‘While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury.’ The only justification for the continued pre-eminence of the see of Canterbury would be if it serves the apostolic gospel. At present it is not doing so effectively. Again, the Jerusalem Statement and Declaration brings the problem into focus when it claimed ‘We can only come to the devastating conclusion that we are a global Communion with a colonial structure’.

Of course the new Anglican Church in Brazil is an authentic part of the Anglican Communion. It is not a matter of recognition by Canterbury. But, like the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the Brazilians invite Canterbury to recognise spiritual reality, and to use its influence to help align the old instrument of the Anglican Communion with the spiritual reality and new growth of the Communion. Will this happen?”

– Source: GAFCON. (Emphasis added in the pull-quote at top.)

Books for Reformed Evangelical Anglicans

Posted on May 28, 2018 
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The team at Reformers Bookshop in Stanmore have put together a list they think would be of interest to Reformed Evangelical Anglicans. Check it out here.

They also have a blog which is worth watching.

(And don’t forget Matthias Media as another source of quality publications.)

‘Melbourne Anglican church and clergy take part in same-sex wedding’ — report

Posted on May 28, 2018 
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“davidould.net has received video and photos from a same-sex wedding that took place on 12 May 2018 and involved a number of licensed Anglican ministers. …”

– A report from David Ould, who is seeking clarification on what took place on a Baptist church property in inner-city Melbourne.

The Irish Vote

Posted on May 27, 2018 
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion Comments Off on The Irish Vote

“The world’s press are reporting expressions of relief and rejoicing all over Ireland since the vote on legalizing abortion. It is seen as a victory for justice and the right of women to control their own bodies. …

… it might be helpful to spell out what exactly is to be repealed as a result of the referendum vote. Article 40.3.3 of the Irish Constitution …

The State acknowledges the right to life of the unborn and, with due regard to the equal right to life of the mother, guarantees in its laws to respect, and, as far as practicable, by its laws to defend and vindicate that right.

The fact that the repeal of this provision in the Irish constitution was the immediate subject of the referendum frames the entire discussion in a different and highly significant way.”

– Read the full article by Dr. Mark Thompson at Theological Theology.

Image: togetherforyes.ie

Religious Freedom amendments introduced in NSW

Posted on May 27, 2018 
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On Friday “the Rev the Hon Fred Nile, for the Christian Democrat Party, introduced a Bill to add “religious beliefs or religious activities” into NSW legislation as a prohibited ground of discrimination. The proposed Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms) Bill 2018 will add new Parts 3B and 5A into the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) (“ADA”), making it unlawful in various areas to discriminate on the grounds of religion, or to subject religious bodies to a detriment. The proposals will also make it unlawful to penalise someone for holding views on marriage as the union of a man or a woman, or for holding the view that there are only two genders.

The CDP is a minority Party in the NSW Parliament, and the Bill is a Private Member’s Bill, so it is not clear whether it will be fully debated, let alone enacted. But it is an interesting and worthwhile proposal which may lead to clarity in the future on the need for changes to the law of NSW. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Assoc. Prof. Neil Foster summarises the provisions in the proposed amendments.

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