Zac Veron to move on from Youthworks
Posted on September 9, 2016
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“The Rev Zac Veron has announced his decision to step down as CEO of Anglican Youthworks by the end of 2017 at the latest, pending the recruitment of a new CEO.”
– Read the full announcement at the Youthworks website.
Please uphold Zac and his family as they consider future ministry, and the Youthworks Council as, in due course, they begin the process of seeking a new CEO.
And here’s a statement from Youthworks Council Chairman, Chris Braga:
“The Rev Zac Veron has shared with the Council his intention to finish his time as CEO of Youthworks at the latest by the end of 2017. The Council is thankful to God for Zac’s almost decade long service as the CEO of Youthworks.
Zac has led the organisation through significant challenges, including the impact of the Global Financial Crisis and the resulting reduction in Synod funding, the world-wide decline of traditional publishing and the ongoing secularization of the ministry context in our Diocese.
He has been an advocate for ministry to children and youth in our Diocese and abroad, particularly through the continuing work of SRE. Zac leaves the organisation with certainty about its mission, clarity about its finances and a leadership team united in a common purpose. He has modelled to everyone a deep commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and the cause of his gospel. We are thankful to God for the unique and important contribution Zac has made to this strategic ministry.
Please pray for Zac and Sheree as they work out where the Lord would have them serve next, and pray for the Youthworks Council and the Archbishop as a search is made for the best possible candidate to lead Youthworks into the future.”
Victorian challenge to religious freedom of faith-based organisations
Posted on September 8, 2016
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Here’s an important post from Law and Religion Australia’s Neil Foster:
“On 30 August 2016 the Victorian Attorney-General introduced into the Victorian lower house the Equal Opportunity Amendment (Religious Exceptions) Bill 2016.
The Bill proposes to “amend the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 to modify the religious exceptions in relation to the employment of a person by religious bodies and schools”.
I would like to suggest that, if enacted, it will fundamentally impair the religious freedom of faith-based organisations. In fact, it might also be found to be constitutionally invalid and of no effect. …
The effect of the amendments … is to seriously undercut the religious freedom of many religious schools and charitable organisations, and indeed to undermine the very reason for their existence.”
Thinking about The End — Preaching Matters
Posted on September 8, 2016
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In the latest Preaching Matters from St. Helen’s Bishopsgate, William Taylor discusses what 2 Peter 3, and other passages, teach about The End.
How does our understanding of The End influence the way we live today?
What does the New Testament’s teaching about The End say to us about where our affections should lie and where we should invest ourselves?
9/11 to be remembered in Sydney
Posted on September 7, 2016
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“Former Prime Minister John Howard will join the US ambassador and diplomatic representatives for a special remembrance service on Sunday, September 11 to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the attacks on New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.…
The Dean of Sydney, the Very Rev. Kanishka Raffel, who will lead the service, has issued an open invitation for members of the public to join the congregation for the event.”
– Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.
The church and its mission: visible and invisible
Posted on September 7, 2016
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“What is the church for?
In chapter three of his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul reveals his understanding of the purpose of the Church. He doesn’t look at this in sociological terms, from a human perspective, but from a supernatural, spiritual viewpoint.
The primary purpose of the church is to be like a ‘broadcasting tower’, a means of making known to invisible spiritual powers the wisdom of God – wisdom which is described in most familiar translations as ‘manifold’ but which literally means something like ‘multi-faceted’ or ‘variegated’ (Ephesians 3:10).
Ephesians is a contextual theology, explaining the Gospel to people living in a culture very aware of, even fearful of and obsessed by, spiritual powers. Paul, following the rest of the teaching of the Bible and the life of Jesus himself, recognises the existence of these invisible forces, which include angels and demonic spirits…
So it’s not just the church’s traditional position on sexuality which looks totally “weird and odd” (to use Archbishop Justin’s language). The whole project of the Christian faith and the Church is defined in the Bible in ways that are unintelligible to those on the outside, especially with a secular worldview. …”
– At Anglican Mainstream, Andrew Symes reminds us why the church is here.
Archbishop of Canterbury expresses sadness at death of Bishop David Jenkins
Posted on September 6, 2016
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“The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has expressed his sadness at the death of the Rt Revd David Jenkins, the former Bishop of Durham. …”
– Report and photo from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s website.
For some background about Bishop Jenkins, see also:
“Anglican sets off a Theology storm”, The New York Times, 28 October 1984.
“A new theological storm brewed in the Church of England today after the new Bishop of Durham, Dr. David Jenkins, compared the Resurrection of Jesus to a ‘conjuring trick with bones.’…
There was no immediate reaction from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, spiritual leader of the 65-million member Anglican Communion.”
and “July 9, 1984: Wrath of God the prime suspect as lightning bolt sparks York Minster blaze”, BT.
“On this day in 1984, a lightning bolt set fire to York Minster’s south transept, destroying its roof and causing £2.25 million worth of damage. …
Some believed that the lightning bolt was nothing less than fiery retribution for the installation, on July 6, of controversial clergyman David Jenkins as Bishop of Durham under the very roof which now lay in ruins.”
What is distinctive about Preaching?
Posted on September 6, 2016
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“People read their Bibles at home. People go to Bible studies. Children and young people are taught the Bible. So members of churches are hearing the words of God all the time. What is different about the Sunday sermon? What is distinctive about the Sunday sermon is that is addressed to the church?
It is the one time in the week when…
- God’s people hear God’s words collectively, as a body.
- God addresses the corporate life, the shared common life, of his people.
- The people of God gather around the word of God, and
- God is present among his people to speak to them about their common life.
The Sunday sermon is therefore the moment in the week when the people of God together meet the word of God and and so the role of preachers of God’s word to God’s people is one of immense worth and unique importance. In our weekly sermon God’s people gather around God and hear him speak to them through his Spirit-inspired Scriptures. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Dr. Peter Adam asks, “What is distinctive about preaching, and how does it differ from other ministries of the Word?”
Read Part 1 and Part 2. (Image via St. Helen’s Bishopsgate.)
First Church of England Bishop ‘to declare he is in gay relationship’
Posted on September 3, 2016
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“The bishop of Grantham has become the first Church of England bishop to publicly declare that he is gay and in a relationship. …
Nicholas Chamberlain said there had been no secret about his long-term – albeit celibate – relationship with his partner. …
In a statement, [Archbishop of Canterbury Justin] Welby said: ‘I am and have been fully aware of Bishop Nick’s long-term, committed relationship. His appointment as bishop of Grantham was made on the basis of his skills and calling to serve the church in the diocese of Lincoln. He lives within the bishops’ guidelines and his sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office.’…”
– Story from The Guardian. Photo: Diocese of Lincoln.
See also: GAFCON Statement on the Appointment of the Bishop of Grantham.
“We note with prayerful concern the revelation that Nicholas Chamberlain, Bishop of Grantham, is in a same sex relationship.
Our understanding is that the nature of his relationship conforms to the guidelines set out by the Bishops, and that he has not been campaigning publicly for a change in the church’s teaching on sex and marriage. We do not doubt that he has many gifts as a leader and pastor.
However there are aspects of this appointment which are a serious cause for concern for biblically orthodox Anglicans around the world, and therefore we believe that this appointment is a major error.
In 2003, Jeffrey John’s candidacy for the post of Bishop of Reading caused deep divisions within the Diocese of Oxford and beyond, and this news about Nicholas Chamberlain will exacerbate the same divisions within the Church of England and throughout the wider Anglican Communion.
In this case the element of secrecy in the appointment to the episcopacy of a man in a same sex relationship gives the impression that it has been arranged with the aim of presenting the church with a ‘fait accompli’, rather than engaging with possible opposition in the spirit of the ‘shared conversations’.
We remain opposed to the guidelines for clergy and Bishops, permitting them to be in same sex relationships as long as they publicly declare that the relationship is not sexual. This creates confusion in terms of the church’s teaching on the nature of sex and marriage, and it is not modelling a helpful way to live, given the reality of our humanity, and temptation to sexual sin.
The Most Rev. Peter Jensen
General Secretary of Gafcon Global.”
and also: Gay bishop: Appointment of Nicholas Chamberlain ‘major error’ says Gafcon. BBC report.
Persevering with the Desperate
Posted on September 3, 2016
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Simon Manchester’s exposition on 1 Kings 19 at the recent Evangelical Ministry Assembly in London is a great encouragement to all in pastoral ministry.
(The theme of this year’s EMA was ‘Leaders who last’.)
(He also spoke on Persevering with the disobedient, Exodus 34; and Persevering with the dull, Mark 6.)
ACL Pre-Synod Briefing Wednesday 5th October & Synod Dinner Monday 10th
Posted on September 1, 2016
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Two special events for Sydney Synod members: Read more
Adrian Reynolds to be Training Director for the FIEC (UK)
Posted on September 1, 2016
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News from The Proclamation Trust:
“The Trustees of The Proclamation Trust (PT) today announce that Adrian Reynolds, Director of Ministry for the Trust since 2009, will be leaving his post at Easter 2017 to take up a role as Training Director for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC)…”
GAFCON UK responds to Archbishop Nicholas Okoh’s August Letter
Posted on September 1, 2016
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“GAFCON UK welcomes and is very encouraged by the Chairman of the GAFCON Primates’ Council’s recent August Letter. In it Archbishop Okoh states that the ‘greatest cause for concern continues to be the British Isles’. We share this analysis and hear Archbishop Okoh’s call on GAFCON UK and the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE) to ‘demonstrate that they have the necessary courage and faith in a context which to a large extent they alone can grapple with’.
GAFCON UK has recently been reconstituted precisely to meet the challenges that Archbishop Okoh outlines and is committed to grappling with the departure from orthodoxy in the UK. The AMiE is about to launch an ambitious plan for pioneering church-planting in the context of the ReNew Conference in September, where the aim is to encourage regions throughout England that pioneer, establish and secure healthy local Anglican churches.
Andy Lines
Chairman of the GAFCON UK Task Force.”
– via GAFCON.
Youthworks College to move to Moore College’s Newtown campus
Posted on September 1, 2016
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From Moore College:
Youthworks has today announced the move of the Youthworks College diploma courses to their new Moore Theological College campus premises.
“A vital need of the moment is men and women committed to gospel work among children and youth in our city and beyond. Youthworks College under the principalship of Dr Bill Salier is uniquely placed to meet this need and its new location in Newtown alongside Moore College will significantly enhance this work. I am looking forward to building on the already close partnership between Moore and Youthworks College” said Moore College principal, Dr Mark Thompson, when speaking of the move.
Youthworks College sees this as a strategic move that is aimed enhancing Youthworks College’s mission of raising up skilled youth and children’s ministers serving in churches and schools.
This move will provide greater accessibility of Youthworks College’s programmes to more students due to the relative ease of the physical location; and the greater visibility of Youthworks College generally as they move closer to the centre of Sydney.
Dr Bill Salier remarked, “We are also excited by the opportunities as yet unseen that will occur as a result of a change of this type. We believe it will further stimulate us to think through what we do, and how we do it, in the new space.”
“Youthworks College is grateful for the generosity of Moore College and the spirit of partnership this represents. We look forward to working side by side, albeit with our different audiences and programmes, sharing the common goal of strengthening Gospel ministry in Sydney and beyond” concluded Dr Salier.
GAFCON Chairman’s Pastoral Letter, August 2016
Posted on August 31, 2016
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“My dear people of God,
I have just returned from a very encouraging visit to the United States where I met with my brother Archbishop Foley Beach and I rejoice to see how the Anglican Church in North America is growing strong and standing firm.
As the steep decline of The Episcopal Church (TEC) of the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada continues, despite the hope of its leaders that reshaping it in the image of secular culture would attract, we give thanks for the Anglican Church of North America and remember the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ ‘I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matthew16:18).
GAFCON recognises that the Church is not ours. It belongs to Jesus and it is Jesus who builds the Church through his word. …”
– Read all of Archbishop Nicholas Okoh’s pastoral letter for August 2016 at the GAFCON website.
Marriage debate ‘taints’ outcome, says Anglican Archbishop
Posted on August 31, 2016
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“The leader of the nation’s largest Anglican diocese has warned that the political debate on same-sex marriage is ‘so tainted’ its resolution is beyond the ‘capabilities of the current parliament’.
Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies said the issue went to a change that would ‘affect the foundations of our society’. All Australians needed to be consulted and the arguments against marriage equality given a fair public hearing, he said. …”
– Full story from The Australian. (Paywalled.) Photo: Moore College.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…