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.
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.
A Review of “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality within the Biblical Story” by Christopher B. Hays and Richard B. Hays
Posted on August 31, 2024
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“Sometimes when people change their mind it is occasion for joy and celebration, for there is no virtue in adhering to past opinions for the sake of tradition or fear of criticism.
In this case, however, Richard Hays’s change of mind is a cause of grief and sadness instead of joy, especially for those like me who have learned so much from his outstanding scholarship over the years. …”
– At The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Thomas Schreiner reviews “The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality within the Biblical Story”.
See also:
At The Gospel Coalition, Rebecca McLaughlin shares her review of the book:
“For decades, Christians seeking to uphold the Bible’s ‘no’ to same-sex sexual relationships have quoted Richard Hays’s treatment of this topic in his Moral Vision of the New Testament. But Hays (emeritus professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School) has coauthored a new book, The Widening of God’s Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Story, arguing for ‘the full inclusion of LGBT+ people in Christian communities.’
Readers might expect to find that Hays has changed his mind about the meaning of the verses that apparently prohibit same-sex sex. But he hasn’t. Instead, he and his son, Christopher (an Old Testament professor at Fuller Theological Seminary), suggest God has changed his mind. …”
A fresh encounter with John’s Gospel
Posted on August 31, 2024
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“An epic Bible reading at St Jude’s Carlton invites attendees to encounter Jesus in a powerful and immersive way.
John’s Gospel will be read aloud in full, allowing people to experience the entire book and notice the threads running throughout.
The event is part of a series of free public readings Simon Camilleri will deliver across Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney churches in September 2024.
Mr Camilleri said he was excited to present the entire gospel story for people who may never have heard it before. …”
– Story on page 28 of The Melbourne Anglican for September 2024.
Simon is reading John’s Gospel at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Saturday 7th September.
Moore College School of Biblical Theology 2024
Posted on August 30, 2024
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Coming up next week!
We understand it’s not too late to register.
Interview: The Christian Church and Porn
Posted on August 30, 2024
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From AP, the national journal of the Presbyterian Church of Australia –
“In this episode of AP’s Profiles in Christian Living, host Mark Powell sits down with Dr. Marshall Ballantine-Jones to discuss the sensitive and pervasive issue of pornography.
Dr. Ballantine-Jones, who holds a doctorate on the societal impacts of pornography, shares his personal faith journey and presents alarming statistics about the prevalence of pornography in the Church and wider community.
The discussion delves into the harmful effects of porn on individuals, relationships, and society, and offers hope through practical solutions and spiritual guidance. Learn more about the Resist program, a course designed to help people break free from pornography addiction.”
– Watch here.
Sharpened and Refined: a missionary journey – Kylie Zietsch
Posted on August 29, 2024
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From Moore College, an interview with Kylie Zietsch:
“Despite my education degree, the volunteer work I was doing in Johannesburg, ministering to students and the homeless, lacked the firm foundation of theological education. So in 2010 I came to Moore College intent on studying for a year. But I soon realised I wanted to go deeper into the word and grow skills in how to approach ministry, so one year grew into four, and I finished the Bachelor of Theology.
I am really thankful for my time at Moore. I was surrounded by women with whom I could walk the journey of life and ministry, with whom I could think through future plans, and who encouraged me in my faith. Looking back now, the student body were formative in encouraging me in mission and sharpening me, preparing me for the mission field.. …”
– Read it here.
Positive Masculinity
Posted on August 29, 2024
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“Friends in Christ, this month, Micaela Cronin, the country’s first Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner, handed down her first ‘report card’ to federal parliament on progress of the government’s National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children. …
Also highly significant in my view, Ms Cronin urged governments to help redefine masculinity and engage men effectively. She said, “we need to have eyes on men in different ways than we do now”. She said she was being told consistently by women to “please work with our men” and data uncovering how men become violent and stopped being violent was desperately needed. [Source]
It’s at this point I offer some Christian reflections.”
– The Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, turns to Scripture to show us what a real man must be like.
Latest issue of Themelios (49/2) now available
Posted on August 29, 2024
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The latest edition of Themelios (volume 49, no. 2) is now available for download – or to read online – from The Gospel Coalition.
Includes a book review by Moore College’s Lionel Windsor (that’s also available here).
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…