The heart of GAFCON
Posted on November 13, 2016
Filed under Anglican Communion, GAFCON, Resources Comments Off on The heart of GAFCON
“At the heart of GAFCON is communion.
When I became Archbishop of Sydney in 2001, I had a lot to learn. Even though I had been ordained for over thirty years by then, had lived in England for three years and had been the Principal of a theological College with students from many places in the world, there was so much that I did not know.
Two of the many things I had to discover through experience may sound strange and you may wonder where I had been all my life. But I suspect that many of us are in the same position…”
– GAFCON General Secretary, Dr. Peter Jensen, on The heart of GAFCON.
Bishop Greg Venables is new Primate of South America
Posted on November 12, 2016
Filed under Anglican Communion Comments Off on Bishop Greg Venables is new Primate of South America
“The Bishop of Argentina, Greg Venables, has been re-elected as the new Primate of the Anglican Church of South America. …”
– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service.
‘Worship in the woods’
Posted on November 11, 2016
Filed under World news Comments Off on ‘Worship in the woods’
“Churches destroyed a year ago by Islamic extremists and police in Aceh Singkil – a rural ‘regency’ in Indonesia’s only Sharia-ruled province – have still not been rebuilt because of discrimination against Christians by local authorities, say church leaders. However, despite the troubles, church membership is climbing. …”
– This report from World Watch Monitor.
(By complete contrast: Nature’s dome is Church of the Wood’s only chapel, Episcopal News Service.)
GAFCON website updated
Posted on November 11, 2016
Filed under GAFCON Comments Off on GAFCON website updated
GAFCON has a revamped website.
Cornhill Sydney moves to Moore
Posted on November 10, 2016
Filed under Australia, Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Cornhill Sydney moves to Moore
“In what is great news for the training of preachers and Bible teachers in Sydney and beyond, Cornhill Sydney will relocate to the Newtown campus of Moore College from the start of 2017. This new location will facilitate closer partnership, with the common goal of better equipping men and women in Bible exposition, and especially those who are charged with the critical role of preaching…” – More good news from Moore College.
Understanding the electoral forces behind a stunning victory
Posted on November 9, 2016
Filed under Opinion Comments Off on Understanding the electoral forces behind a stunning victory
In his daily broadcast, The Briefing, Albert Mohler turns to the news of the day – the election of Donald Trump as US President.
How Cornhill began
Posted on November 9, 2016
Filed under Encouragement Comments Off on How Cornhill began
From The Proclamation Trust:
“Over the next few days we’ll be posting video highlights from the service of thanksgiving for the 25th anniversary of the Cornhill Training Course, held last week.
First, here’s a brief interview with Dick Lucas on how it all began.”
The Remarkable Mr. Graham
Posted on November 8, 2016
Filed under People Comments Off on The Remarkable Mr. Graham
Billy Graham turned 98 yesterday. Christianity Today gives thanks.
(Photo: Billy Graham with Archbishop Marcus Loane in Sydney in 1979 — courtesy Ramon Williams.)
Keys to the new Moore College building handed over
Posted on November 8, 2016
Filed under Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Keys to the new Moore College building handed over
“There was great joy at Moore College yesterday as the keys to the new building were handed to the Principal, Dr Mark Thompson. ‘This is a significant milestone’, Dr Thompson said. ‘In one way or another a building has been planned on this site for 50 years and now in God’s goodness it is here.’
Though there is still much to be done to get the building ready for its official opening on 11 February, 2017, there is excitement as staff, students, faculty and of course the library, plan to move into the new building. …”
– Good news from Moore College.
See also: Moore remembers its longest serving Principal. (Broughton Knox worked hard to consolidate the College’s property holdings, for the service of Christ.)
The shocking, abysmal, and embarrassing failure of churches to Pray
Posted on November 7, 2016
Filed under Resources, Theology Comments Off on The shocking, abysmal, and embarrassing failure of churches to Pray
“This Sunday, a vast majority of evangelical churches will gather for singing and preaching and reading Scripture and perhaps even a few baptisms and the Lord’s Supper. There will also be some praying.
In comparison to everything else, though, there will be just a little bit of prayer—a transition as a few musicians scurry off-stage, a quick ‘thank-you’ to God after collecting the offerings, a prayer for God’s Spirit to work on the hearers of the sermon.
All in all, you might pray for a few minutes, almost always as a passive observer. …”
– Mark Dever and Jonathan Leeman talk about what passes for prayer in many church services. What should we be like? How can our church gatherings be more clearly examples of dependence on the Lord? A great encouragement to be more intentional in our praying.
Same-sex marriage plebiscite bill blocked by Senate
Posted on November 7, 2016
Filed under Australia, Culture wars Comments Off on Same-sex marriage plebiscite bill blocked by Senate
“The Federal Government’s bid to hold a plebiscite on whether to legalise same sex marriage has been defeated in the Senate.
The proposal was voted down a short time ago in the Upper House 33 votes to 29.”
– report from ABC News.
Can we talk about same-sex marriage? videos
Posted on November 5, 2016
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Can we talk about same-sex marriage? videos
The talks from the recent ‘Can we talk about same-sex marriage?’ evening at Moore College’s Centre for Christian Living are now available to view online:
CCL Director Tony Payne introduces the topic.
Talk 1: Michael Kellahan – ‘Can we talk publicly about same-sex marriage?‘
Talk 2: Tony Payne – ‘Can we talk personally about same-sex marriage?‘
D.C. gives initial OK to assisted suicide
Posted on November 3, 2016
Filed under Culture wars Comments Off on D.C. gives initial OK to assisted suicide
“Physician-assisted suicide in America’s capital city has gained first approval, and Southern Baptist leaders locally and nationally are warning about the consequences.
The Council of the District of Columbia voted 11-2 Tuesday … for legislation that would empower doctors to prescribe lethal drugs to people who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses and supposedly have less than six months to live. …
Mark Dever, a Southern Baptist pastor in D.C., warned the council’s effort to end suffering will only produce more suffering. …
‘The council may have acted with the best of intentions, but this will spawn a thousand private nightmares that we will never hear of, and will rob us of stewardships of the weak and vulnerable that God has given to us.
It is not good when societies learn to dispose of anyone.’…”
– Report from Baptist Press. (Photo: Mark Dever, courtesy christianity.com.)
Love your neighbour enough to speak truth
Posted on November 2, 2016
Filed under Culture wars, Opinion, Theology Comments Off on Love your neighbour enough to speak truth
“If this were 1999—the year that I was converted and walked away from the woman and lesbian community I loved—instead of 2016, Jen Hatmaker’s words about the holiness of LGBT relationships would have flooded into my world like a balm of Gilead. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition, Rosaria Butterfield responds to some comments by a ‘best selling author’ (whose books have just been pulled from LifeWay Christian bookshops).
Make the time to read Rosaria Butterfield’s observations about the nature of sin and the Christian life. (Image: Desiring God.)
‘Pride Mass’ at Branxton, Newcastle Diocese
Posted on November 1, 2016
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on ‘Pride Mass’ at Branxton, Newcastle Diocese
In last week’s “This Week Around the Diocese”, photos of a “Pride Mass” held on Sunday October 23 at Branxton in the Hunter Valley in the Diocese of Newcastle are featured.
Archdeacon of the Central Coast, Rod Bower, evidently took part in the service.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…