Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism? — conference audio
Posted on March 23, 2015
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On Saturday 21st March 2015, the Anglican Church League held the “Is there a Future for Confessional Anglicanism?” conference in the Chapter House of St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney.
Those present considered our Anglican inheritance, our current challenges and our potential future under God.
Glenn Davies, Archbishop of Sydney; Ashley Null, authority on Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation; and Mark Thompson, Principal of Moore Theological College, were the speakers.
Listen to the talks via these links:
Archbishop Dr. Glenn Davies:
The State of Play in the Anglican Church of Australia.
27MB mp3 file and 100kb PDF file outline.
“The ACL’s role in Sydney is to keep the Diocese evangelical. That’s our role. Our role is to be ever vigilant … What one generation fights for, the next generation accepts and the third one forgets. … The stronger ACL is, the stronger the Diocese of Sydney is; the stronger the Diocese of Sydney is, the better the national church will be.”
Dr. Ashley Null:
Our Inheritance.
“The very heart of Cranmer’s understanding of the mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel … to renew the hearts and minds and lives of the English people.”
Dr. Mark D. Thompson:
Where next for confessional Anglicanism?
17MB mp3 file or 160kb PDF file.
“I am an Anglican – not just by historical accident but by conviction. I am convinced that here is a good – more than good, something that has proven to be powerfully effective over almost five hundred years — expression of gospel principles and gospel priorities … Yet to be true to that heritage I must be a gospel man first.”
Photo by Scott Blackwell.
Calls for the Liberal Party to ‘hold the line on same-sex marriage’
Posted on March 23, 2015
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The Australian Christian Lobby (not related to the ACL – we just have the same initials) is supporting a campaign to encourage the Liberal Party to oppose same-sex marriage,
“as libertarian Senator David Leyonhjelm seeks to bring yet another bill to redefine marriage before the Parliament on Thursday. Mr Shelton urged Liberal members to hold the line on voting as one if the issue came up at Tuesday’s party room meeting.”
See also: preservingmarriage.acl.org.au.
Will I know my loved ones on the other side?
Posted on March 21, 2015
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“Every pastor has been asked “will I know my loved ones on the other side?”
The intermediate state is the time between our death and the day when Jesus Christ returns and we receive our new body. In that time we are disembodied souls, will we be able to recognise loved ones?…”
– David Cook writes to encourage.
Confident: Why we can trust the Bible
Posted on March 20, 2015
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“Last February and on into March, Mike Ovey and I each wrote a number of little blog posts responding to Steve Chalke’s article, ‘Restoring Confidence in the Bible’. We’ve reworked those posts, added some more material and discussion questions, and the result is a new little book published by Christian Focus and called, Confident: Why we can trust the Bible.
It’s not a finger-pointing, hand-wringing book (Steve Chalke isn’t mentioned at all). Rather it’s a book to encourage and equip Christians…”
– from Dan Strange at Oak Hill College in London. (Availability.)
National Day of Prayer for Defence
Posted on March 20, 2015
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“Each year, the Military Christian Fellowship of Australia hosts a National Day of Prayer for Defence.
This year’s National Day of Prayer for Defence ison Saturday 28 March 2015.
All who have a heart to pray for Defence are welcome to join us in Canberra at the Duntroon Chapel, or remotely in the regions…”
– from Defence Anglicans.
Into all the world — Moore College Graduation 2015
Posted on March 18, 2015
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Moore’s 2015 graduation was held on Monday night, with 109 graduates receiving their awards.
Anglican Aid opens appeal for Vanuatu
Posted on March 17, 2015
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“Anglican Aid has opened an appeal to aid the nation of Vanuatu in the wake of the worst cyclone in memory.
Reports emerging from the Island say Cyclone Pam, which struck on the weekend of the 14th and 15th of March, left unprecedented devestation. Vanuatu’s president Baldwin Lonsdale was in tears as he described the effects of the ‘monster’ storm…”
– Details at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Image: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team.
Pakistan bomb attack — March 15 2015
Posted on March 17, 2015
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“The attacks took place as Christians met together for Sunday morning worship services in the predominantly Christian neighbourhood of Youhanabad in Lahore, capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The two churches targeted were separated from each other by about half a kilometre…”
– Barnabas Fund has this summary and appeal for prayer and financial assistance.
And the Primate of The Church of Pakistan, Bishop Samuel Azariah, also asks for prayer. (Anglican Communion News Service.)
Presbyterian Appeal for Vanuatu
Posted on March 15, 2015
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David Cook, Moderator General of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, has launched an appeal for Vanuatu:
“The Presbyterian Church of Australia has a unique relationship with the Church in Vanuatu, we have a long history of Ni Vanuatuan students training for ministry in Australia, and have had a strong connection with the Bible Training College in Talua.
At this stage we dont know of about loss at Talua, the worst impact of the cyclone was in the south, whereas Talua is in the north.
Please pray for Vanuatu, pray for relief to be provided, pray that there will be selfless rescue and generous love shown both from those on the ground in Vanuatu and neighbouring nations…”
– from Australian Presbyterian World Mission.
And an update (Monday 16 March) here.
Professor Edwin Judge — Engaging Rome and Jerusalem — book launch
Posted on March 15, 2015
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On March 11th 2015, Bishop Paul Barnett gave this address at the launch of a collection of essays by Professor Edwin Judge. Very encouraging:
(Update: See also Assoc. Prof. Stuart Piggin’s remarks, and ordering details for the book.)
Book Launch – Text of Bishop Paul Barnett’s remarks:
E.A. Judge, Engaging Rome and Jerusalem,
(ed. S. Piggin; North Melbourne: Australian Scholarly Publishing, 2014).
In 1966 E.A. Judge, Reader in History at the University of Sydney had a small third year Roman History class of which I was a member, along with a younger Tom Hillard.
Tom has gone on to great things as a Roman historian and I have pursued the study of Christian origins within the canon of Jewish, Roman and early Christian texts. Another in the class, Judith Nicholls, now a senior mature age student, is researching her PhD on Jerome.
Edwin Judge’s office is lined with the higher degree theses of his dozens of supervised students. These volumes are silent tribute to a master teacher’s scholarship but equally to his generosity. Read more
Twin blasts at churches in Pakistan kill 10
Posted on March 15, 2015
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“Bombs outside two churches in the Pakistani city of Lahore killed 10 people and wounded more than 55 during Sunday services, rescue workers said, and witnesses said quick action by a security guard prevented many more deaths…”
– Report from the Anglican Communion News Service. BBC report.
How can we pray for terrorists?
Posted on March 14, 2015
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Canon Phil Ashey of the American Anglican Council writes to encourage Christians to pray for those involved in terrorism.
North West Network March 2015
Posted on March 13, 2015
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Keep up with happenings in (and pray for) the churches of the Diocese of Northwest Australia through their latest North West Network newsletter, March 2015.
Download it here as a 900kb PDF file.
‘There is no biblical justification, in any circumstance, for domestic violence.’
Posted on March 13, 2015
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Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
Media Statement March 13th, 2015
Domestic violence and churches
(response to SMH and ABC)
“There is no biblical justification, in any circumstance, for domestic violence. The classic Christian understanding of a husband’s loving, sacrificial, servant-like leadership leaves absolutely no room for violence or fear.
We would be very open to participating in a cross-denominational survey of domestic violence issues, benchmarked with society in general. Whether or not such a survey is conducted, we will continue to speak out against domestic violence through education, training and advocacy.
I also encourage our ministers to explore this issue further with their congregations, making them more aware of the problem and the necessity of properly dealing with specific cases where-ever they may be found.
Archbishop Glenn N Davies,
March 13, 2015.”
First published at SydneyAnglicans.net.
C. E. B. Cranfield (1915-2015)
Posted on March 12, 2015
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“The Reverend Professor Charles E. B. Cranfield, who has died six months short of what would have been his hundredth birthday, was one of the leading British New Testament scholars of the second half of the twentieth century.…”
– Tom Wright has written this tribute to C.E.B. Cranfield, who died last week.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…