I. Howard Marshall (1934-2015)
Posted on December 13, 2015
Filed under News Comments Off on I. Howard Marshall (1934-2015)
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
Filed under Anglican Communion, Opinion Comments Off on To Mend the Net?
“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
Filed under Anglican Church of Canada, Anglican Communion, TEC Comments Off on Review of the Report from the Marriage Commission of the Anglican Church of Canada
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
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Does the Bible support Slavery?
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
Filed under Resources Comments Off on 10 questions to ask at your Christmas gathering
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
Filed under History Comments Off on C.S. Lewis — a secret Government Agent?
“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
Filed under News Comments Off on Campus Crusade for Christ Australia to change name
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
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on December 2015 Northwest Network
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
Filed under News Comments Off on ‘Catholics should not try to convert Jews, Vatican says’
“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
Filed under Sydney Diocese Comments Off on Bishop Robert Forsyth farewelled on his retirement in Sydney
“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.
Four Kinds of Christmas — video
Posted on December 11, 2015
Filed under Resources Comments Off on Four Kinds of Christmas — video
Glen Scrivener in the UK has done it again, with another thought-provoking Christmas video.
You can use it in church – and pass it on to your friends.
See it at, as well as previous videos, and an evangelistic e-book, at fourkindsofchristmas.com.
Here’s a direct link to the 33MB mp4 file (to download, right-click and Save As.)
Free speech and religious freedom even for ADF members
Posted on December 10, 2015
Filed under Australia, Opinion Comments Off on Free speech and religious freedom even for ADF members
“The Federal Court has recently handed down a very important decision on free speech, with connections to religious freedom, in Gaynor v Chief of the Defence Force (No 3) [2015] FCA 1370 (4 December 2015). It encouragingly reaffirms the right of Australians, even members of the Defence Force, to be able to speak their minds, even when their views are not popular…”
– Associate Professor Neil Foster bring us up to speed on another legal ruling – this one with important implications for free speech in Australia.
Diocese of Bathurst — Court Judgment
Posted on December 10, 2015
Filed under Australian dioceses Comments Off on Diocese of Bathurst — Court Judgment
The Judgment in the Supreme Court case, involving the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst, has been released.
We can be sure that all involved in the Diocese of Bathurst would value your prayers as they consider their options.
See also:
“Anglican Diocese of Bathurst liable for $40 million Commonwealth Bank loan: court” – The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The Anglican Diocese of Bathurst is liable for a $40 million loan from the Commonwealth Bank and may have to sell property including schools, churches and other land and buildings to meet its outstanding debt.”
Vacancy: ‘Director of Communications for the Anglican Communion’
Posted on December 9, 2015
Filed under Anglican Communion Comments Off on Vacancy: ‘Director of Communications for the Anglican Communion’
The Anglican Communion Secretariat in London is seeking to appoint a new Director of Communications.
Tasks include:
“Daily gathering and disseminating good news, without ignoring the divisions in the Communion” and
“Taking charge of communications at Primates’ Meetings, the Lambeth Conference and meetings of the Anglican Consultative Council and assembling an international communications team for the purpose”.
Interested? The closing date for applications is Noon, 15 January 2016.
New Master of Arts (Theology) subject at Moore
Posted on December 9, 2015
Filed under Resources Comments Off on New Master of Arts (Theology) subject at Moore
From Moore College:
“The Master of Arts (Theology) program at Moore College is aimed at providing continuing education in theology for graduates in full-time ministry. In 2016 we are offering a new subject in this postgraduate degree program…
In September 2016, Professor Daniel Block from Wheaton College, world-renowned for his work in Ezekiel and Deuteronomy, will be delivering the MA unit Recovering the Gospel According to Moses…”
– Info here.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…