Responding to the Transgender Revolution

Posted on October 14, 2017 
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“… In light of such a divide, and the social, medical, political, and legislative changes being wrought by the widespread acceptance of transgender claims, Christians have an urgent need to search the Scriptures carefully and prayerfully to see how God would have us think about and respond to such revolutionary developments.

The main purpose of this essay is to begin such a search and to outline such a response. However, before we embark on this task, it will help us, firstly, to clarify a number of key terms that are a basic part of the current discussion and, secondly, to probe a little more deeply into contemporary gender theory and where it is taking us as a culture. …”

– Here’s a very helpful article by Rob Smith, republished at The Gospel Coalition Australia.

Reviving the Novelty of Christmas

Posted on October 14, 2017 
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“The late Archbishop W. Temple once said ‘The wise question is not ‘Is Christ divine?’ but ‘What is God like?’

This was his way of driving home the point that the question of the deity of our Lord is not simply an interesting point of debate among academic theologians who have nothing better to do with their time, but is of fundamental importance to our whole conception of the nature of God. …”

– from Leon Morris, first published in The Australian Church Record, December 22, 1955.

Sydney Synod 2017

Posted on October 12, 2017 
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Resources and news relating to Sydney Synod 2017:

‘Anglican Bishop of North West Australia threatens to ditch registering marriages if Yes prevails in SSM survey’

Posted on October 12, 2017 
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“The conservative Anglican bishop of north-west WA is threatening to abandon registering marriages if the Yes vote prevails in the same-sex marriage survey and religious protections are weak.

Criticising the Federal Government’s handling of the postal survey, Bishop of North West Australia Gary Nelson said details of the legislation should have been released before the vote began. …”

– Story from The West Australian.

Archbishop of Sydney’s Letter to churches

Posted on October 11, 2017 
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The Diocese of Sydney has published the text of the letter (dated Wednesday October 11, 2017) from Archbishop Glenn Davies to Sydney Anglican Churches. It was also read at Synod.

We reproduce it here for your convenience. It is also available from SydneyAnglicans.net, and as a PDF download.   Read more

Policy on responding to Domestic abuse passed by Sydney Synod

Posted on October 11, 2017 
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“A policy on responding to domestic abuse in churches has been passed overwhelmingly by Synod, following years of work by a Diocesan task force.

However, the chair of the taskforce, Canon Sandy Grant, has asked that it be passed provisionally, to allow for feedback on the policy, guidelines and resources from churches and abuse victims. …”

– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.

(Photo: Archdeacon Kara Hartley, Deputy Chair of the Task Force.)

Sydney diocese donates $1m to no campaign

Posted on October 10, 2017 
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“The Sydney Anglican diocese has made a $1m donation to the no campaign in Australia’s postal survey on same-sex marriage.

Archbishop Glenn Davies announced the donation on Monday in his address to the 51st synod of the diocese of Sydney, telling the church that ‘removing gender from the marriage construct’ would have ‘irreparable consequences’ for society.

‘Brothers and sisters, the stakes are high and the cost is high,’ Davies said. …”

– Story from The Guardian.

(Archbishop Davies’ Presidential Address can be read via this link – PDF file.)

ACL Synod Dinner 2017 report

Posted on October 10, 2017 
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Each year the ACL hosts a dinner for Synod members on the first night of Synod.

This year the speaker was Paul Harrington, Rector at Trinity City, Adelaide. He spoke to a full house on the topic: ‘Being hated for the right reasons’. Speaking from his perspective of being an evangelical in the Adelaide Diocese, and being hated, by some, for his gospel conviction, he challenged us not to seek the approval of men.

He encouraged us from the words of Paul in Philippians 1: “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I will rejoice.”

–  ACL Council member Kate Haggar reports on last night’s ACL Synod Dinner at the Chapter House of St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Making it our aim to please God with entertainment

Posted on October 10, 2017 
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“When I was ten, my friend told me he’d seen a hilarious movie with his older brother, and that we should rent it to watch together.

The sheer fact that it was rated R was enough to convince me. So I asked my mum if she could rent the movie for me, with the convincing line that ‘my friends had watched it’. …”

– ACL Council member Mike Taylor has some godly advice about our entertainment. At GoThereFor.com.

Timeless gospel meets changing world

Posted on October 9, 2017 
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“Archbishop Glenn Davies has used his Presidential Address, delivered within days of the 500 year anniversary of the start of the Reformation, as a rallying call to stand firm in proclaiming the gospel. (download full address in PDF) …”

– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.

From the Archbishop’s address:

“Brothers and sisters, as the penetration of the gospel diminishes in our society, we find ourselves being moved in a more libertarian direction under the influence of those who want to abandon the mores of the past. Yet at the same time these permissive forces who espouse the virtue of ‘tolerance’ are seeking to impose restrictions upon those who wish to maintain the values on which our nation has been founded.

This has become nowhere more apparent than in the current debate surrounding the postal survey on same-sex marriage.

While the advocates of the ‘Yes’ campaign have been unrelenting in their attempts to redefine marriage, they have also been virulent in their opposition to those who hold a contrary view.

The innocent inclusion of drinking Coopers beer in the Bible Society’s promotion of an informed and civilised debate between two politicians, each holding opposing views on same-sex marriage, is a case in point. It resulted in an uncivilised, unwarranted and malicious campaign through social media to boycott Coopers Breweries.

Similarly, a Christian doctor who appeared in an advertisement opposing same-sex marriage was subject to a campaign to have her medical registration withdrawn.

Witness also the ludicrous attempt to rename Margaret Court Arena, merely because Margaret Court, one of our greatest Australian athletes, went public on her opposition to same-sex marriage. …”

Read it all.

Humanity & Hope in Genesis

Posted on October 9, 2017 
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“What is the diagnosis of Humanity in Genesis 5-11, and is there any sign of hope? What is God’s assessment of humanity’s state in the world? What hope do we have of building towards something lasting? How can reconciliation with God be achieved?

William Taylor and Mickey Mantle talk with Sam Manchester about these issues in this month’s Preaching Matters.”

– The latest instalment of Preaching Matters is out from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.

Scottish Anglican Network statement on the Meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion

Posted on October 7, 2017 
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“The Scottish Anglican Network is grateful to the GAFCON primates who gave courageous leadership by not attending the meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion this week. We are thankful too for the GAFCON Primates and others who did attend and who robustly supported the complementary nature of biblical marriage. …”

– Read the full statement here.

Also from the Scottish Anglican Network:

Secxit (or why I must leave the Scottish Episcopal Church) – Daniel Davies.

Can two walk together unless they are agreed?

Posted on October 7, 2017 
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“Today’s Communique from the Primates’ Meeting 2017, in Canterbury, England, is very disappointing, but it is not surprising.  As we have consistently said, the current ‘Instruments of Unity’ are broken, and as Archbishop Ntagali, Primate of Uganda, has said, ‘every attempt to repair the torn fabric and heal the betrayal has made the situation worse.’ This has again proved true.

When the leaders of Gafcon and the Global South, representing the majority of the world’s Anglicans, met in Cairo last month it was their prayer that ‘the outcome of the upcoming [Primates] meeting would be decisive and lead to coherent and responsible action regarding the issues which continue to tear apart the fabric of the Communion, issues that have eternal consequences.‘ Judging by the Communique, their hopes for the meeting have been disappointed. …”

– An initial Response to the Primates’ Meeting 2017 Communique from GAFCON.

Are we surprised, really?

Posted on October 7, 2017 
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“It was confirmed that the Anglican Church of North America is not a Province of the Anglican Communion. We recognised that those in ACNA should be treated with love as fellow Christians.”  Statement of the Primates Meeting 2017

The Primates Meeting of 2017 has issued its final statement.  Who wrote the statement—the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican Communion Office, the Secretary General or the whole body of the Primates?

If the whole body of the Primates wrote the final statement, where are the signatures of the Primates who consented to all of these statements?  When did the Primates come together and write this statement?  How many drafts did they have to go through before they came to this statement?  Which Primates were actually involved in writing it?  When did they discuss and redraft?  How many Primates were present to approve the final draft?  Was it even shown to the Primates before they departed?”

– Canon Phil Ashey, President of the American Anglican Council, asks some questions about the final statement from the Primates’ meeting.

Australian Church Record, Spring 2017

Posted on October 7, 2017 
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The latest edition (No. 1918, Spring 2017) of The Australian Church Record is now available for download from their website.

This issue is packed with useful articles. For example, from Kirsten McKinlay:

“Now more than ever we need to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have—that the truth found in God’s word is not only still applicable and relevant, but also good.

I can say from my experience as a former student and wife of a current student that Moore College — this firmly complementarian institution — has been a guiding light in thinking hard about how to deal with the evil of domestic violence in light of God’s good design for men and women.”

Download your copy.

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