Sydney church planters meet
Posted on July 18, 2016
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“Church planters for the first three projects of the Archbishop’s New Churches for New Communities program have met to discuss the vision for Sydney’s fastest growing new suburbs.
The edges of the Sydney basin are expected to become home to an extra 750,000 to 1 million people in coming years and the State Government is already gearing up infrastructure such as rail links…”
– Encouraging news from SydneyAnglicans.net.
For whom did Christ die?
Posted on July 17, 2016
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“In his epistles, Paul speaks of Christ’s death in both a particularistic way (for a specific group) and a universalistic way (for an undefined, ambiguous group). I would argue that these texts present compatible elements of Paul’s atonement theology…”
– Dr. Jonathan Gibson, newly appointed assistant professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, and formerly at Moore College, shares some helpful observations on the question, ‘For whom did Christ die?’.
(Jonny will be back in Australia to speak at Basecamp shortly.)
Calls for a national conversation about anti-Christian prejudice and bullying
Posted on July 16, 2016
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“This week saw one of the two candidates to become simultaneously leader of the UK’s Conservative Party and Prime Minister drop out, leaving her rival to claim the crown without any further voting.
The reason Andrea Leadsom withdrew was a sustained media campaign against her that by Friday last week was being described by seasoned political commentators as “feral” and based on prejudice towards her Christian faith. It was being claimed that her support for traditional marriage and family values, rather than wholeheartedly endorsing every aspect of the gay rights agenda, was morally wrong and that being a Christian in politics somehow made her suspect. …
… Barnabas Fund is calling for a national conversation in the UK and other western countries about the importance of freedom of religion as one of our most important historic national values and how we maintain it.
We are free to speak up for the persecuted church elsewhere because we have freedom of religion here. It is vital that we protect it.”
– from Barnabas Fund in the UK.
Related:
Freedom for Faith Conference at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday 12th August 2016.
Sheep among wolves
Posted on July 16, 2016
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“One vote kept The Anglican Church of Canada’s synod from opening the door to same sex marriage on Monday, July 11.
I wanted to take heart at this outcome – any time a church beats back heresy, Christians should rejoice. We should be glad that the shepherds were able to chase the wolf away, but I couldn’t rejoice at this victory.
That’s because I knew the wolf would come right back. …
The reality is that the Anglican Church of Canada wasn’t saved by Monday’s narrow victory and then suddenly lost by Tuesday’s betrayal of the rules. The Church of Canada was lost over a period of years. Its walls of orthodox teaching and practice that protected the sheep crumbled slowly but deliberately. The Dioceses of Niagara and Ottawa have been embracing un-biblical teaching for years and it’s been no secret…”
– The American Anglican Council’s Communications Director, Robert Lundy, speaks plainly about the tactics you need to understand.
Related:
Seven bishops ‘publicly dissent’ from same-sex marriage vote – Anglican Journal (Canada).
“The [bishops’] statement begins with a declaration that ‘the entire process, beginning with the hasty vote in 2013 and concluding with the vote and miscount this week, has been flawed and inflicted terrible hurt and damage on all involved.’
The bishops also say that the declared intentions on the part of some bishops to immediately proceed with same-sex marriages, before the required second vote on the resolution in 2019, is ‘contrary to the explicit doctrine and discipline set out in our constitution, canons and liturgies.’
‘That raises the question…why did we bother voting at all, if the decision was already made?’ said [Bishop Fraser] Lawton [of the diocese of Athabasca].…”
The inaugural Freedom for Faith Conference
Posted on July 15, 2016
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“Sharing the message of freedom in a threatening public square”
The very first Freedom for Faith Conference will be held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney on Friday 12th August 2016.
This important conference is being run by Freedom for Faith – a Christian legal think tank that exists to see religious freedom protected and promoted in Australia.
Dr J I Packer 90th birthday celebrations planned
Posted on July 14, 2016
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Regent College and St. John’s Vancouver are planning a 90th birthday celebration for J. I. Packer – next Tuesday, 19th July, 2016.
Rome Scholars Network meets to discuss Evangelical — Catholic Relations
Posted on July 14, 2016
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“The morning of Friday 1 July brought to a close the inaugural edition of the Rome Scholars Network (RSN) held in Rome. Under the leadership of the Italian lecturer and pastor, Dr. Leonardo De Chirico, the Network brought together Protestant scholars and ministers from across Europe, the United States and Australia who discussed Evangelicalism’s increasingly incoherent relationship with Roman Catholicism in today’s ecumenical climate. …
‘Given that the fifth centenary of the Reformation is just around the corner, the message coming from many Catholic quarters and some Evangelical leaders is that the Reformation is over. We at RSN do not agree. The Reformation is as relevant as ever since the Gospel and the five solas are as relevant as ever. Roman Catholicism is employing a strategy of absorption in order to swallow up Evangelicals. In spite of its friendly tone from Vatican II onwards, Rome has not changed a bit in its fundamental structure‘…”
– Report from Evangelical Focus. (Sydney’s Mark Gilbert was a part of the meeting.)
Twelve marks of excellent pastoral ministry
Posted on July 14, 2016
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“John MacArthur has had a long, faithful, fruitful ministry unblemished by great scandal. For decades he has maintained a tight focus on teaching the Bible verse by verse and book by book.
In 2006 he taught through 1 Timothy 4 and there he saw Paul providing his young protégé with ‘a rich summary of all of the apostle’s inspired instruction for those who serve the church as ministers, as pastors. And it all begins with the statement, a noble minister, an excellent minister, a good servant of Christ Jesus.’
What are the marks of such a man? MacArthur reveals twelve of them…”
– An excellent summary, and full of godly encouragement, from Tim Challies. (Photo: John MacArthur.)
Mike Ovey on Faithful Teachers in an Age of Confusion
Posted on July 14, 2016
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Mike Ovey spoke at this year’s Church Society Conference on the major threats to the gospel in the Church of England.
Sober, challenging, rebuking, and very helpful.
The talk and Q&A (34MB mp3), is linked from this page.
Anglican Church of Canada: General Synod vote count in error – the vote for same-sex marriage was actually passed
Posted on July 13, 2016
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“A stunning reversal of a divisive vote has paved the way for the Anglican Church to perform same-sex marriages in Canada, but that won’t happen before 2019 at the earliest.
The canon change must be approved by two successive General Synods before it is official…” – Report from CTV News.
Photo: Screenshot from this Anglican Church of Canada video.
(Even if the error had not been realised, several Canadian bishops had said they would go ahead and marry same-sex couples anyway.)
Gospel DNA one-day forum: last chance to register this week
Posted on July 13, 2016
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“A one-day forum wants to examine the very core of our ministry and lay bare whether we are being as effective in godly leadership as we could be.
To be held at Brighton-Le-Sand’s Novotel Hotel on July 20, ‘Gospel DNA – Replicating Effective Ministry’ will feature several prominent experts and practitioners sharing ways to cultivate a culture of discipleship, focus and direction…”
– See the Moore College’s Centre for Ministry Development for details and registration!
Latvian Lutherans end ordination of women priests
Posted on July 12, 2016
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“The General Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia … has voted to end the ordination of women to the priesthood…”
– News from last month via Anglican Ink: a counter-cultural move in Latvia. (Photo: Riga Cathedral.)
Archbishop of Canterbury intervenes to stop Sunday schools being affected by anti-terrorism laws
Posted on July 12, 2016
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“The Archbishop of Canterbury has reportedly persuaded the government to drop some aspects of a counter-terror law after arguing it would unfairly affect church Sunday schools…”
– Story from The Independent.
Samson and Delilah (the Israelite Woman)
Posted on July 12, 2016
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“In the book of Judges, we encounter the mighty Israelite judge, Samson. He is perhaps best known for his herculean strength. Yet, he is also known for his weakness for women—especially Philistine women. His relationship with Delilah, often portrayed as a sneaky seductress, was his undoing. She coaxed him into divulging the secret of his strength: his long braids of hair. Though they were the symbol of his devotion to God, they were also his ‘Achilles’ heel.’
But was Delilah a Philistine?”
– At With Meagre Powers, Dr George Athas at Moore College shares some shares some fascinating insights from a careful reading of the Biblical text.
Pastoral Letter from GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Okoh, July 2016
Posted on July 11, 2016
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Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria and Chairman of the GAFCON Primates Council has released his July Pastoral Letter.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…