Veteran children’s evangelist dies

Posted on August 6, 2014
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“Owen Shelley, who spent more than 30 years as children’s missioner with Scripture Union, has died.

Mr Shelley was well known to generations of Christians in Sydney and NSW for his talks and story telling at church services, outreach events and beach missions.”

– SydneyAnglicans.net has this story on Owen Shelley, including a tribute from Scripture Union.

An Apology to any hurt by the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn

Posted on August 6, 2014
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“On Sunday 10 August 2014, parishes across the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn will hold a special commemoration service called Lamentation Sunday.

These services will include a public apology by the Right Reverend Stuart Robinson, Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn.” – Read it here.

Second Ebola Patient arrives in the U.S.

Posted on August 6, 2014
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“A grey Gulfstream III carrying Nancy Writebol, an American aid worker diagnosed with Ebola, landed at Dobbins Air Force Base north of Atlanta Tuesday morning. … She now joins Kent Brantly, a doctor who’d been volunteering in Liberia with with the Christian aid organizations Samaritan’s Purse and SIM USA when he, too, became infected with the deadly virus.”

– Story from Wired. Photo: SIM.

Famine in South Sudan ‘worst in the world’

Posted on August 6, 2014
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“An escalating civil war is preventing humanitarian aid from reaching those most affected by famine in South Sudan, says a senior International Mission Board strategy leader for sub-Saharan Africa…”

– report from Baptist Press.

With thanksgiving for Owen Shelley

Posted on August 5, 2014
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Many thousands of people will be giving thanks to the Lord Jesus for his servant Owen Shelley, who died on Saturday at the age of 87.

“Owen Shelley left us on Saturday 2nd August to be with his Lord and Saviour. He lived to serve Jesus and to share the good news of salvation to thousands of children.”

There will be a memorial service at 2:00pm on Tuesday 12th August at Narwee Baptist Church (33-39 Baumans Road, Peakhurst). The Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, will preach.

– Read more at Shelley and Son.

How do we lose sight of the basics?

Posted on August 4, 2014
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At the recent NEXUS Conference, Richard Chin spoke on how ‘gospel DNA’ can be distorted and corrupted in our ministries. His wide-ranging talk is well worth watching. See the video here.

Bishops demand UK Government offer asylum to Iraqi Christians

Posted on August 3, 2014
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“From Canon Andrew White, Vicar of Baghdad: ‘We have just had terrible news that Baghdad International Airport has been shut down because of security risks. Without it we cannot go North to do the relief work or even leave the country. Please pray that we can get out.’

As the Islamic State continues its programme of bloody executions and forced conversion, Canon White bears witness to the suffering…”

– Blogger “Cranmer” on the deterirotaing situation in Iraq. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

Samaritan’s Purse doctor infected with Ebola now in US hospital

Posted on August 3, 2014
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“Samaritan’s Purse doctor Kent Brantly, who contracted the Ebola virus while treating patients in Liberia, is now back home in the United States.

A medical evacuation plane equipped with a special containment unit arrived at Dobbins Air Force Base in Atlanta today…”

– Dr. Kent Brantly was serving as medical director for the Samaritan’s Purse Ebola Consolidated Case Management Center in Monrovia, Liberia, when he fell ill.

Moore College Sunday 2014 — Watch the video

Posted on August 2, 2014
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Moore College wants to encourage you to pray for the college, and they’re going to great lengths to solicit your prayers!

See their Moore College Sunday website and watch the video. (Moore College Sunday in 2014 is this weekend, Sunday August 3rd.)

5 things you can do to help Iraq’s persecuted Christian

Posted on August 1, 2014
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“If you’re like us, you’ve probably felt outrage and despair reading about the situation in Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul.

Islamic militants have taken over the ancient city (traditionally called Nineveh and featured in the story of Jonah) to establish an Islamic state. In the process, they’ve demanded Christians leave, convert or die. It’s resulted in the city emptying of Christians whose families have lived there for thousands of years. They are now sheltering in mosques, churches, refuge camps in Kurdish cities without their belongings.

So far away from the situation, it’s easy to feel helpless. But there are some things you CAN do. Here’s 5 things you can do to help Iraq’s persecuted Christians…”

– Read the list of ideas at The Bible Society.

Open Letter to the PM regarding Iraqi Christians

Posted on July 31, 2014
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“Thu 31 July 2014

Dear Prime Minister,

I write this ‘open letter’ on behalf of Anglicans across southern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to express our deep distress and dismay at the creation of a new wave of refugees by militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS); a situation about which, I am sure, you are fully cognisant…”

– Read the full letter to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, from Stuart Robinson, Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn.

Related: Church leaders call for support of Christians in Iraq. (NSW Council of Churches.)

Archbishop of Sydney calls for an end to Iraqi persecution

Posted on July 30, 2014
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Public Statement

July 30, 2014

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Glenn Davies, has joined calls for prayer and international assistance for Iraqi Christians facing severe persecution, even death, for their faith.

“It is an outrage that a community established in the early centuries of the Christian era should face expulsion from their own land, simply for their faith.” Dr Davies said.

In Mosul, near the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh, the militant Islamic group ISIS gave Christians an ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a “protection tax” or face death.

Churches have been looted, burned or occupied. Christian homes have been marked with the Arabic letter “N” (for the word ‘Nasrani’ which translates to ‘Nazarene’, a follower of Jesus).

Thousands of Christian families have been driven from the city.

“In the same area where God sent the prophet Jonah to turn back the people of Nineveh from their evil ways, we pray for a turning back of the evil which has come upon the Christians of Mosul, stripped of their livelihood, property and possessions.”

“The Australian government, the international community and the UN must not stand by while such persecution continues unabated.” Dr Davies said.

The Archbishop called on churches to pray for peace and justice in Iraq and also for Palestinian Christians caught in the conflict on the West Bank and the Gaza.

“We have entered a period of significant suffering for Christians around the world: from Iraq to Syria and from Egypt to Sudan.” the Archbishop said. “While the Cross is the symbol of suffering for all who are followers of Jesus of Nazareth, we have a responsibility to stand with our brothers and sisters in the face of such unmitigated persecution.”

– from SydneyAnglicans.net.

Story from SydneyAnglicans.net.

The silence is deafening – Catholic Herald.

Bathurst’s All Saints College named in bank’s legal action against diocese

Posted on July 30, 2014
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“Court documents have revealed the Commonwealth Bank is looking for damages of more than $24m from the former Anglican bishop of Bathurst and five other defendants…”

– Report from ABC News.

More time needed for Bishopscourt sale

Posted on July 29, 2014
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“The chairman of the Anglican Property Trust, Dr Robert Tong, says an initial offering of the neo-gothic mansion ‘Bishopscourt’ in Darling Point, has been encouraging but no buyer has yet emerged…”