Sydney’s Bishopscourt sold
Posted on December 16, 2015
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“The neo-gothic residence ‘Bishopscourt’ in Darling Point has been sold.
‘Bishopscourt’ (formerly Greenoaks) was built in the mid 1840s by prominent colonial businessman Thomas Sutcliffe Mort. It was not the original Archiepiscopal residence, but has housed Archbishops of Sydney since 1911. …
The buyer has requested anonymity, but it is known he is intending to live at Bishopscourt and refurbish the property and gardens to their former glory.”
– Report by Russell Powell. Read it all here.
And from Domain: “A local buyer exchanged on $18 million on Wednesday for the official residence of Sydney Archbishop Glenn Davies.”
Oak Hill’s Commentary magazine Winter 2015
Posted on December 16, 2015
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The Winter 2015 issue of Oak Hill’s Commentary magazine is now up on their website.
It’s available as a 19MB PDF file – or read it online.
You may have missed — 14 Dec 2015
Posted on December 14, 2015
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Here are some recommended posts you may have missed:
Dick Lucas on the Letter to the Galatians (and a full English breakfast).
The Diocese of North West Australia’s December 2015 Northwest Network.
Peter Williams on ‘Does the Bible support slavery?’
Glen Scrivener’s new Christmas video you can use.
Charles Raven on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s upcoming Primates’ meeting.
Christmas message: Canberra & Goulburn
Posted on December 14, 2015
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The Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Stuart Robinson, has released his Christmas message.
“Christmas can appear fragile or even shallow in a world filled with hatred, violence and ideology. The tinsel, trees and tinned puddings of Christmas can seem like weak and trifling distractions in a world filled with pain, hopelessness and despair…”
– Read it here.
‘Episcopal Abuses Turn Inward’
Posted on December 14, 2015
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“In a development that few Episcopalians of four or five years ago could have imagined, the Episcopal bishops of the most powerful and financially secure dioceses have begun to turn on their own once-strong, but now severely weakened, parishes. Having driven out all the dissenters at enormous expense to their coffers, these dioceses are increasingly trying to make up their losses by sacrificing valuable real estate — even if it means turning out previously loyal congregations from their hard-won property…”
– A S Haley looks at the latest goings on in The Episcopal Church. Plenty to pray about – especially the congregations affected. (Photo: Bishop J. Jon Bruno of Los Angeles.)
I. Howard Marshall (1934-2015)
Posted on December 13, 2015
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New Testament scholar I. Howard Marshall died yesterday, at the age of 81, after a short illness.
Darrell Bock has a tribute at The Gospel Coalition.
To Mend the Net?
Posted on December 12, 2015
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“The Archbishop of Canterbury has taken a major risk in calling together the Anglican Primates in January next year and he has already achieved what his predecessor was unable to do with the announcement that the Anglican Global South and GAFCON Primates will attend.
For these Primates, the decision of the Dar es Salaam Primates Meeting of February 2007 must be one of the great ‘What if’ moments of recent Anglican history and they might well want to revisit it. What if Rowan Williams, then Archbishop of Canterbury, had stood by the Primates’ collegial mind to subject TEC to discipline if it failed to give assurances by 30th September 2007 not to authorise Rites of Blessing for same sex unions nor to consecrate persons in such relationships as bishops?
As it happened, Rowan Williams set aside the Primates’ decision by inviting the TEC bishops to the 2008 Lambeth Conference before the deadline. This led directly to the utterly unprecedented withdrawal of over two hundred bishops from the conference and to the first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem, out of which the Anglican Church in North America was birthed.
But there is another and now largely forgotten ‘What if’ which is just as relevant…”
– Charles Raven reminds us of some not-that-distant history, at Anglican Ink. (h/t Anglican Mainstream)
Review of the Report from the Marriage Commission of the Anglican Church of Canada
Posted on December 12, 2015
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The Church of England Evangelical Council has commissioned a Review of the Report (“This Holy Estate”) of The Commission on the Marriage Canon of the Anglican Church of Canada.
The Commission was established in 2013 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, with consideration of the report (including a motion ‘to allow the marriage of same-sex couples’) to come at their 2016 General Synod.
The Review of the Canadian report, made for the CEEC by Dr Martin Davie, complements earlier reviews of similar reports by The Episcopal Church of the USA and The Scottish Episcopal Church.
– Read his full review here. (PDF file)
Related: The American Anglican Council’s Canon Phil Ashey writes:
“[The Canadian report] follows exactly the pattern we saw in the United States in TEC: create facts on the ground in violation of the Bible, and then call for ‘theological reflection’ upon those facts-that-you-have-just-established. In this case, the theological reflection in ‘This Holy Estate’ presents only three possibilities for the General Synod, none of which affirms a Biblically faithful understanding of marriage and human sexuality…”
Photo of Archbishop Fred Hiltz: Anglican Church of Canada.
Does the Bible support Slavery?
Posted on December 12, 2015
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Dr. Peter Williams, Warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge, recently spoke at the Lanier Theological Library in Houston, Texas.
His topic: “Does the Bible support Slavery?”
The fascinating 57 minute address (followed by 18 minutes of questions) is well worth your time. You may be surprised by some of the conclusions he draws.
Watch it here. (Note that the HD video is just over 1GB in size.)
10 questions to ask at your Christmas gathering
Posted on December 12, 2015
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Any Christmas gatherings (work parties, BBQs, etc) coming up? At the Southern Seminary blog, Don Whitney has some ideas –
“Here’s a list of questions designed not only to kindle a conversation in almost any Christmas situation, but also to take the dialogue gradually to a deeper level.”
C.S. Lewis — a secret Government Agent?
Posted on December 12, 2015
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“As I browsed eBay not long ago, I came across a 78 rpm recording of a lecture by C. S. Lewis.
I assumed that it was a mistake or that the seller was trying to defraud an unwitting public. I knew Lewis well enough to know that he had never made a 78 rpm recording for general distribution, much less one produced by something called the Joint Broadcasting Committee…”
– News of an interesting discovery, from Christianity Today.
(Image: Christianity Today.)
Campus Crusade for Christ Australia to change name
Posted on December 11, 2015
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From an e-mail from Campus Crusade for Christ Australia:
“On the 1st of February 2016, the name of our organisation will become to Power to Change. …
Around the globe Campus Crusade for Christ national ministries have been going through their own name changes. Nowadays Campus Crusade for Christ is known as ‘Cru’ in the USA, ‘Agape’ in Europe and ‘Tandem’ in New Zealand. Campus Crusade for Christ is also known as ‘Power to Change’ in Canada…
While we are changing our name, we are not changing our purposes. …”
You can read about their decision to change their name –
“While coming with a rich heritage, our old corporate name of ‘Campus Crusade for Christ Australia’ has long been recognised as unhelpful. It has varying problems with our audiences (through the words ‘crusade’ and ‘campus’)…”
December 2015 Northwest Network
Posted on December 11, 2015
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The December 2015 edition of Northwest Network – from the Diocese of North West Australia – is now out.
Download your copy (850kb PDF) and use it to prompt you to pray for the people of the North West, that Christ might be glorified.
‘Catholics should not try to convert Jews, Vatican says’
Posted on December 11, 2015
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“The Vatican has told Catholics that they should not seek to convert Jews and stressed that the two faiths have a ‘unique’ relationship. …
Turning to the vexed question of salvation, the document says: ‘that the Jews are participants in God’s salvation is theologically unquestionable, but how that can be possible without confessing Christ explicitly, is and remains an unfathomable divine mystery’. …”
– BBC News report. Read the full text of the document, at Vatican News.
Bishop Robert Forsyth farewelled on his retirement in Sydney
Posted on December 11, 2015
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“In the same place he was consecrated Bishop of South Sydney fifteen years ago, Robert Forsyth has been farewelled to retirement.
Friends, family and clergy colleagues gathered in St Andrew’s Cathedral on Thursday, 10th December, to give thanks for Bishop Forsyth’s 40 years in ministry…”
– Russell Powell has a report at SydneyAnglicans.net.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…