New BCA videos

Posted on June 17, 2011 
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The Bush Church Aid Society has released a short promotional video. It runs for 3 minutes and can be seen here.

There’s also an interview with Mike & Chantalle Keith, with BCA at Lightning Ridge. Food for thanksgiving and prayer.

New Garage Hymnal album coming

Posted on June 16, 2011 
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Garage Hymnal’s forthcoming album, Unity, recorded live at St Stephen’s Newtown last month, is now available for pre-order. Details on the Garage Hymnal website.

(This week, Bob Kauflin introduced his US readers to the song We Belong to the Day.)

Peter Brain at Latimer Fellowship NZ

Posted on June 16, 2011 
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Bishop of Armidale, Peter Brain, will be speaking at the Latimer Fellowship NZ’s Retreat in August 2011.

Details and info on other events in NZ here.

(Photo: Russell Powell.)

New bishop for Ballarat

Posted on June 15, 2011 
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Garry Weatherill, currently Bishop of Willochra in South Australia, has been appointed the 10th Anglican Bishop of Ballarat.

Report from Anglican Media Melbourne.

Bishop rejects claim of hardline attitude

Posted on June 15, 2011 
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“Anglican Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn Stuart Robinson has emphatically rejected his diocese is becoming a clone of the hardline, evangelical Diocese of Sydney. …”

– Story from The Canberra Times.

Tasmanian Synod ‘No’ to Euthanasia

Posted on June 12, 2011 
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The Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania  –

* affirms that all human life is made in the image of God and precious in his sight

* affirms that a just society will seek to protect the weak and vulnerable.

* affirms its opposition to voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide

* calls on the Premier and Prime Minister to oppose any initiative to legislate for voluntary euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide

* calls on State and Federal Governments to provide adequate funding for palliative care services across Tasmania

* calls on all Tasmanian Anglicans to raise these issues with their local members of Parliament

* requests the Bishop to make the substance of this resolution known to the relevant parties.

– from Bishop John Harrower. The Synod met in Launceston on 4 June 2011.

The Power of the Original: Beyond the King James Bible

Posted on June 12, 2011 
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“When Scripture is translated into any language, it has the power of incarnation. Often it proceeds to shape the language of its host culture. The danger is that we can then treat the Bible as though it were a product of our own history and culture and forget that its origin and world is distant. The KJV was English, but it was not quite my English. …”

– Archbishop Peter Jensen writes on the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible, on the ABC’s Religion & Ethics pages of its website.

Real Marriage — Dr Peter Jensen

Posted on June 11, 2011 
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Archbishop of Sydney, Dr Peter Jensen, has spoken about the pressures to redefine marriage, and how Christians should respond.

“Should the Marriage Act allow two people of the same sex to be married?

Over the years, I’ve said little about same?sex relationships. My opposition is known but I hope I put my views with respect. I have supported legislation to register relationships and to extend economic rights. I condemn violence against homosexual people. Like most Australians, I prefer to live and let live. Furthermore, I am all too aware how close to home this is for a number of us, either personally or through family members and I appreciate that this discussion can be painful.

Nonetheless, since change is being actively advocated we need to be clear that what is at stake is not simply an extension of marriage ‘rights’ but a change to the definition of marriage itself. …”

First published in the June 2011 Southern Cross magazine, the article, “Real Marriage”, is available here as a PDF file, and deserves wide distribution.

Queen’s Birthday Convention IV

Posted on June 10, 2011 
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The Queen’s Birthday Convention is on at St. Andrew’s Cathedral on Monday (June 13) – with Phillip Jensen and Greg Clarke speaking.

Watch the stirring video promo here.

Prayers for Defence Chaplains

Posted on June 10, 2011 
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Recent deaths and injuries among Australian military serving overseas are a reminder to pray for the defence chaplains and those to whom they minister.

Recent posts on the Defence Anglicans website include a poem reflecting the sadness of loss, by Army Chaplain Jim Cosgrove, and also a reflection on “Is it right for a Christian to serve in the military?” by Archdeacon Kevin Russell.

It’s official: Australia is unfair

Posted on June 9, 2011 
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“The debate about processing asylum seekers in Malaysia has distracted Australians from an even more concerning injustice brewing in our own backyard – the Federal Government’s proposed changes to the ‘character test’ in the Migration Act are politically expedient and fly in the face of measured, compassionate governance. …”

– Andrew Cameron, Chair of the Social Issues Executive of the Diocese of Sydney, has his say on The Drum today.

From subtle exclusion to overt discrimination

Posted on June 8, 2011 
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“Since 1993 I have chosen to belong to a church that ordains women priests, and before I retire it is likely I will belong to one that consecrates women bishops. Yet this is a practice that I believe to be mistaken, so why am I still here? …

In 1993, as the ordination of women to the priesthood was brought in, the Church of England similarly committed itself to treat those on both sides of the debate equally. Thus the Episcopal Ministry Act of Synod (which is still in force) stated as its first principle that,

There will be no discrimination against candidates either for ordination or for appointment to senior office in the Church of England on the grounds of their views about the ordination of women to the priesthood.

Unfortunately, that commitment was never upheld, and has now effectively been overturned.”

– John Richardson laments shifts taking place in the Church of England.

Transformed by God: David Peterson interviewed at Oak Hill

Posted on June 7, 2011 
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Last month, David Peterson travelled back to Oak Hill College in London to give the annual School of Theology lectures.

While there, Vice Principal Chris Green recorded a 15 minute interview about the ideas in David’s forthcoming book, “Being Transformed by God”. Encouraging.

New National Director for BCA

Posted on June 6, 2011 
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Dr Mark Short, Archdeacon of Wagga Wagga and Rector of St. Paul’s Turvey Park has been announced as the next National Director of The Bush Church Aid Society.

More from Anglican News (PDF), newspaper of the Diocese of Canberra & Goulburn. (Photo: Anglican News.)

Bp John Harrower’s Synod Address 2011

Posted on June 6, 2011 
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The text of Bishop John Harrower’s Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania last Saturday is now on the diocesan website (PDF file). His theme: ‘Passionate Spirituality’.

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