What’s next for New York Churches

Posted on December 11, 2011 
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“Don’t Leave Our Church Homeless” read the signs distributed during Thursday’s press conference outside New York City Hall. More than 60 churches in New York meet in public schools for their Sunday services. When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear their appeal this week, the churches learned they will need to find a new location before February 12. …

“It’s ironic,” one Brooklyn city official commented at Thursday’s press conference, “that the Klu Klux Klan can meet freely in public schools, but churches, who were the backbone of the civil rights movement, are not allowed.”

– John Starke, the new pastor of All Souls Christian Church in the Upper West Side of New York, asks for prayer for his church and more than five dozen others. (h/t Carl Trueman.)

December 2011 Church Record online

Posted on December 9, 2011 
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The December 2011 issue of The Australian Church Record is now available from their website.

Love, marriage and the homosexual agenda

Posted on December 9, 2011 
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“As I write this, the Australian Labor Party has decided to amend its political platform to include a commitment to change the legal definition of marriage.

Under intense pressure from the Greens, with whom they formed a coalition after the last election delivered a hung parliament, from its own left faction, and from a bold and confident gay lobby which has mounted a very sophisticated publicity campaign, the Labor Party has endorsed a right of same sex unions to style themselves ‘marriages’. In a largely successful attempt to claim the moral high ground (an astonishing thought in itself)  this world-wide campaign has adopted the slogan ‘marriage equality’.

It should be abundantly clear that this is not about providing financial and legal security for homosexual relationships…”

– ACL President Mark Thompson writes at Theological Theology to explain why opposing changes to marriage is an act of love.

Exploding Fenella Souter’s Myths of Christmas

Posted on December 7, 2011 
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“Last Saturday, the ‘Good Weekend’ magazine published by the Sydney Morning Herald (and the Melbourne Age?), ran an article by Fenella Souter entitled “Truth, Lies and Santa Claus: Exploding the Myths of Christmas” (not available online).

It was highly sceptical towards the narratives surrounding the conception and birth of Jesus recorded in the Bible…”

– Sandy Grant at St. Michael’s Wollongong looks at some mistakes and undocumented claims in last weekend’s ‘Good Weekend’ – at The Briefing.

New Evidences the Gospels were Based on Eyewitness Accounts

Posted on December 5, 2011 
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In March 2011, Dr Peter Williams, Warden of Tyndale House in Cambridge, gave a public lecture at The Lanier Theological Library in Houston.

His topic: New Evidences the Gospels were Based on Eyewitness Accounts. The 62 minute video is well worth watching.

Christmas — Myth or History?

Posted on December 5, 2011 
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Bishop Paul Barnett responds to an article in last weekend’s newspaper.

“So don’t let the sceptics and atheists take away your hope.”

“You cannot but be impressed with the zeal of the modern sceptic and reciprocally unimpressed with the lethargy of the contemporary Christian. Right on track the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend (3rd December, 2011) has a lengthy and well-researched article, ‘Divine Intervention’ (Fenella Souter) in which she debunks the historical basis for the first Christmas.

Her two main arguments are that there are only two gospel accounts and that they are contradictory, with the addition of many fictional details…”

– Read the full article on Paul Barnett’s website.

Update: If it comes in handy, here’s a PDF version formatted to suit a double-sided A4 sheet.

Two new assistant bishops for Canberra-Goulburn

Posted on December 5, 2011 
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Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Stuart Robinson, has followed-through on his stated commitment to appoint a woman bishop in his diocese. Announcement here.

Dick Lucas at the Autumn Joint Ministers conference 2011

Posted on December 4, 2011 
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Last week we linked to video of Carl Trueman at the Proclamation Trust’s 2011 Autumn Joint Ministers Conference in Leicestershire.

Dick Lucas also spoke at the conference, giving three talks on 2 Peter, and now video and audio files of his addresses are online.

Archbishop of Sydney calls on ALP delegates to reject ‘false rhetoric’

Posted on December 2, 2011 
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Here’s a Statement released by Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen:

Archbishop of Sydney calls on ALP delegates to reject ‘false rhetoric’

The ALP has a proud history of achievement in genuine matters of equality, so it is disappointing to see it divided over the false rhetoric of ‘equality’ surrounding same-sex marriage.

The present law defining marriage is not a denial of rights. Issues of inequity regarding the financial and legal status of same-sex relationships have already been addressed by the Parliament and I have supported these changes.

There is no doubt the ALP conference has a difficult decision and this is a painful subject for many, but it is incumbent on delegates to consider the long-term consequences.

Redefining marriage will have unintended and unwelcome consequences for the meaning of parenthood, our openness to other forms of marriage, sex education and our commitment to religious freedom.

Dr Peter F Jensen
Archbishop of Sydney
2/12/2011.

(Source: SydneyAnglicans.net)

A reminder to pray for DNWA and a new Bishop

Posted on December 1, 2011 
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Dean of Geraldton and Administrator of the Diocese of North West Australia asks for prayer for the election of a new Bishop (election synod February 10-11), in his first letter to the diocese.

Archbishop of Canterbury’s Advent Letter 2011

Posted on December 1, 2011 
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Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, has published his Advent letter to the Anglican Communion – on the Lambeth website.

Bishop Lawrence writes about Disciplinary Board Decision

Posted on November 30, 2011 
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“For now given no more allegations from anonymous sources within the diocese it is my hope we can all get back to focusing our full attention on proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and to Glory of God the Father that the Church here in the Diocese of South Carolina may add daily to its number those who are being saved.…”

– Bishop of South Carolina, Mark Lawrence, writes to his diocese about the dropping of ‘Disciplinary proceedings’ against him.

Earlier: Allegations of ‘abandonment’ against Bishop of South Carolina

‘The Love Feasts’

Posted on November 29, 2011 
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Barry Newman’s latest topic for thoughtful examination is ‘the love feasts’ –

“What exactly did Jude have in mind when he wrote, ‘These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves’ (NIV Jude 12)? In particular what did he mean by ‘love feasts’? This blog series will attempt to examine these and related questions…”

– see the first few posts on the topic at Barry’s blog.

At the Centre of the Storm — accounting for Biblical Theology in the 21st Century

Posted on November 29, 2011 
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Mark Thompson shares news of a new MA course at Moore College, starting in 2012.

From Reformation to Revival

Posted on November 28, 2011 
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Lee Gatiss has been speaking in Cambridge at the ‘Saturday School of Theology’ on the theme ‘From Reformation to Revival’.

The audio of the first two sessions is now available, with the third to come. Below are the descriptions of each session:  Read more

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