Report: Bp of Newcastle appoints Rod Bower as Archdeacon of the Central Coast
Posted on October 19, 2014
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Rod Bower, the Gosford Anglican priest made famous by signs such as “Dear Christians, Some people are gay. Get over it. Love, God”, has reportedly been appointed by Bishop of Newcastle Greg Thompson to be Archdeacon of the Central Coast.
We understand the report to be correct, and he will be collated on Saturday 24th October, though the matter is not yet on the Newcastle diocesan website.
See also David Ould on the Rev. Mr. Bower’s previous public statements – on heaven and hell – and that Jesus did not die for our sins.
Related: Just before General Synod met recently, Sandy Grant considered the Prayer Book’s call to “drive away all false and strange doctrines that are contrary to God’s word”.
(Photo: Gosford Anglican Church.)
St Jude’s Carlton damaged in blaze
Posted on October 18, 2014
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“Fire has ravaged a church in inner Melbourne, causing more than $500,000 in damage. St Jude’s Anglican Church on Lygon Street caught fire just after 4am, with flames engulfing the roof, windows and basement…” – Report from The Age.
Sermons are ‘fair game’ in Houston
Posted on October 18, 2014
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“When news broke earlier this week that the attorneys working for the City of Houston had issued subpoenas to pastors for sermons, I was fairly certain that some mistake had been made. When the actual text of the subpoena came to me, I could hardly believe my eyes.
Here was a legal demand, sent to Christian pastors in the name of one of America’s largest cities, to surrender ‘all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO (an anti-discrimination ordinance), the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.’
That subpoena is nothing less than ruthless thuggery …”
– Albert Mohler looks at the real warning in the big story out of Houston.
Also Bishop David Anderson, of the American Anglican Council, comments.
Barnabas Fund urges intercession for Pakistani Christian sentenced to death
Posted on October 17, 2014
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“Barnabas Fund has today received the sad news that the appeal made by Pakistani Christian mother Aasia Bibi against her conviction under Pakistan’s “blasphemy law” has been rejected and the death sentence she was given confirmed. …”
– Read at Barnabas Fund, including suggestions for how you can write on her behalf. (Report on the UK’s Premier Christian Radio.)
Archbishop of Melbourne Synod Address
Posted on October 17, 2014
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The text of the 2014 Synod Address by Dr Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne, is now up on their website. (PDF file)
Mark Driscoll resigns from Mars Hill
Posted on October 16, 2014
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“On Tuesday, October 14, Pastor Mark Driscoll submitted his resignation as an elder and lead pastor of Mars Hill Church.
The Board of Overseers has accepted that resignation and is moving forward with planning for pastoral transition, recognizing the challenge of such a task in a church that has only known one pastor since its founding. We ask for prayer for the journey ahead…”
– from a statement posted on the Mars Hill website.
Hugh Latimer — 16 October 1555
Posted on October 16, 2014
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“On the morning of 16 October, 1555, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, both formerly bishops of the Church, were executed for heresy in Oxford.
It was then that Hugh Latimer uttered his famous sermon,
Be of good cheer, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as I trust shall never be put out.”
Written by the then Church Society Director David Streater for Crossway in 1996, “Hugh Latimer – Apostolic Preacher” is available in Church Society’s archives as a PDF file.
Take the opportunity today to learn of and to thank the Lord for Bishop Hugh Latimer.
Dr. Ashley Null on Cranmer — article reprint
Posted on October 15, 2014
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In September 2001, ACL News spoke with Dr. Ashley Null while he was visiting Moore College. The interview was mentioned in the October 2014 issue of The Australian Church Record. Here is that interview if you’d like to read it…
“Most people don’t realise that the first liturgical change Cranmer made was to insist on good solid biblical preaching in every Sunday church service.
To ensure that, he and others gathered together a set of Homilies that were to be read in course throughout the year. The first six of these sermons explain how one comes to a biblical understanding of having Jesus Christ as your Saviour by faith alone – and the gratitude that one receives from knowing God has saved you, even though you are not able to make yourself worthy of salvation.”
– Read the interview here – in our Resources section.
Mission Property Committee update
Posted on October 14, 2014
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This 10 minute update video from the Mission Property Committee was shown at Sydney Synod yesterday (October 13th).
It’s an encouraging overview of the progress made in securing sites in new developments around Sydney. Uploaded by Anglican Media Sydney.
Update: an edited 5 minute version is now also available.
New Bishop for Georges River Region
Posted on October 13, 2014
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During his Presidential Address to the Diocese of Sydney’s Synod, Archbishop Glenn Davies today announced a new bishop for the Georges River Region – Peter Lin, Rector of Fairfield with Bossley Park.
– Story and photo from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Listen to Archbishop Davies’ address, watch it here, or read the text (PDF).
Australian Church Record — October 2014
Posted on October 13, 2014
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The latest issue of The Australian Church Record, Number 1914, October 2014, is now out on their website (just in time for Sydney Synod). Here are some excerpts:
From ‘Faith Under Attack‘
“So Protestants should be alarmed at recent trends in scholarship presenting fine-sounding arguments for faith + something else. And Anglicans need to be alarmed at even small additions to their liturgy that confuse those praying it in this same direction.”
From ‘Faith Alone v. Faith at work‘
“The tendency of the human heart to want to boast in its own achievements is all too prevalent. But there is nothing that we do to merit our justification before God. Like our forebears, contemporary Protestantism must continue to work carefully and clearly in defining the place of faith.”
‘ACNA is Anglican’
Posted on October 11, 2014
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“The Anglican Church in North America is Anglican and its primate is an archbishop of the Anglican Communion, declared seven archbishops last night.
At the close of the prayer of investitute of the Most Rev. Foley Beach at the Church of the Apostles on 9 Oct 2014, the primates of Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Myanmar, Jerusalem and the Middle East and South America, and bishops representing the primates of the Congo, Sudan and South East Asia laid hands on Archbishop Beach. Giving him their primatial blessing, they also acknowledged him by word and through laying on of hands to be a fellow primate of the Anglican Communion.
The archbishops’ act comes one week after the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the Church of Ireland Gazette the ACNA was an ecumenical partner of the Anglican Communion and was not Anglican…”
– George Conger reports at Anglican Ink.
GAFCON primates help celebrate ACNA investiture
Posted on October 10, 2014
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“GAFCON Chairman Archbishop Eliud Wabukala joined Deputy Chairman, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, the Global South’s Archbishop Mouneer Anis and clergy and bishops from around the world at the investiture of Archbishop Foley Beach as Primate of the Anglican Church in North America.
The majority of the world’s Anglicans were represented at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia. Archbishop Wabukala, who was among those who led the service, described the three and a half hour event as very significant…”
– Read the full report from GAFCON.
Related:
- 3 1/2 hour video archived here.
- “A.C.N.A. is a separate church. It’s not part of the Anglican Communion” – Archbishop Justin Welby (Church of Ireland Gazette interview. Direct link to 10.2MB mp3 file. Starting from 2:30.)
- Diocese of North West Australia “recognizes the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) as a member church of the Anglican Communion, in full communion with Diocese of North West Australia”.
(Photos: from the ACNA live video stream. Archbishop Foley Beach at top.)
The View from The Top
Posted on October 10, 2014
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“In an age of tolerance poisoned by relativism, inclusive multi-culturalism, and cultural sovereignty which is still coping with the guilt of colonialism, any exclusive claim to truth, salvation or God has to be challenged.
Yet, Jesus said ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6). And the Apostle Peter said ‘there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12). So it has been consistent Christian teaching down the centuries that we have no assurance of salvation for anybody other than those who name Jesus as their Lord, just as we have every assurance for those who do…”
– Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen writes in his weekly column.
Does God really want you to be rich?
Posted on October 10, 2014
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“We’ve all heard the phrase ‘worshipping the almighty dollar’. But there are some people who take the phrase literally. To them, the almighty, as in God, is the key to wealth and riches. Serve him well and material wealth will be the reward.
This philosophy is the cornerstone of an American movement called ‘prosperity theology’, and one man who preaches its message to his Australian flock is Hillsong Church leader Brian Houston…”
– in The Australian, Anthony Sharwood links to an excellent video by John Piper (pictured). You may have seen it before – watch it again.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…