The emergence of legal Christian publishing in China

Posted on January 19, 2011 
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“About the year 2003 it became possible to legally publish some forms of Christian literature in the People’s Republic of China.

Ten years ago, legal Christian publishing was barely on the radar screen, but today the situation is far different. The demographic and publishing statistics are staggering…”

– There are important publishing opportunities in China, according to this article from the current The Banner of Truth Magazine, republished by Desiring God.

Judge rules against Christians in UK B&B case

Posted on January 18, 2011 
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“The Christian owners of a guesthouse who restrict double rooms to married couples have been ordered to pay £3,600 in damages to a homosexual couple, but leave to appeal has been granted.

Earlier today His Hon. Judge Andrew Rutherford declared it was unlawful for Peter and Hazelmary Bull to operate their policy and deny a double room to civil partners Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy.

The judge ruled that under the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations, introduced under the previous Government, civil partnerships must be treated in the same way as marriage…”

– report from The Christian Institute. (h/t Anglican Mainstream.)

Dever on Conversion and Evangelism

Posted on January 18, 2011 
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Last October, Mark Dever spoke on ‘Conversion and Evangelism’ at Boyce College, on the campus of the Southern Baptist Seminary.

The 18 minute talk is a 6.2MB download. The end of the talk is cut off, but the message is a straightforward reminder of the necessity of conversion.
(h/t Faith by Hearing.)

ANiC Parishes file application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

Posted on January 15, 2011 
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Parishes File Application for Leave to Appeal to Supreme Court of Canada

News Release from the Anglican Network in Canada

14 January 2011

“Today, the Trustees of four Vancouver-area Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) churches filed an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, the BC Court of Appeal decision (November 15, 2010) which removed their right to use their church buildings and awarded the church properties to the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) Diocese of New Westminster. The four churches are St John’s (Shaughnessy), St Matthews (Abbotsford), Good Shepherd (Vancouver), and St Matthias & St Luke’s (Vancouver).    Read more

Unconsciously recasting the nature of gospel ministry

Posted on January 14, 2011 
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“Back in Jerusalem, in the early days of the Christian church, the apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word of God (Acts 6:4). Later, the apostle Paul dedicated himself to proclaiming the crucified Christ (1 Cor. 2:1-5) and spoke insistently of his prayers for those with whom he had shared the gospel (Phil. 1:3-11; Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-18; etc.) This was the pattern of ministry that Paul commended to those to whom he gave responsibility among the churches (1 Tim. 4:11-16). …

In an era when some fear their backs are against the wall and that we must do everything in our power to arrest Christianity’s slide into oblivion, the temptation to rework this classic understanding of Christian ministry is felt keenly…”

– Mark Thompson reflects on the not-so-subtle pressures to change the nature of gospel ministry.

CMS NSW Summer School concludes

Posted on January 14, 2011 
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CMS NSW Summer School at Katoomba has concluded. Hugh Palmer, Rector of All Souls in London gave the Bible Studies, based in 1 Corinthians. Starting this evening, Hugh is speaking at CMS Victoria’s “Summer Under the Sun”.

CMS NSW has made available the audio of his first talk – on 1 Corinthians 15. Well worth hearing.

Queensland flood appeal

Posted on January 14, 2011 
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The Archbishop of Sydney has launched an appeal – through Anglican Aid – for victims of the Queensland Floods.

Story from Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

2010 Reform National Conference

Posted on January 13, 2011 
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Continuing our links to resources you may find helpful, the 2010 Reform National Conference was held at the High Leigh Conference Centre in Hertfordshire last October. The theme was ‘The counter-cultural church’.

Talks and other downloads are available from Reform.

Pastoral moves — latest 9Marks eJournal

Posted on January 11, 2011 
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Looking for a new minister?

Ministers, are you thinking of moving? Or wondering about staying?

The latest eJournal from 9Marks addresses these questions and gives some wise counsel.

Pastors Going
Leave Your Church Well
Prepare the Church for the Next Guy
Book Review: Handle That New Call With Care

Pastors Coming
What’s Wrong With Search Committees?
What’s Right About Elders?
What Not to do when You’re the New Guy
You Might Have the Wrong Candidate If…

Tips for an Interim Pastor
Pastors Staying
Staying to the Glory of God: One Preacher’s Death Wish
Staying for the Glory of God: The Sibbes, Simeon and Stott Model

All this and more at 9Marks.

Think! 2010 Desiring God conference

Posted on January 10, 2011 
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The 2010 Desiring God National Conference (“Think!”) was held last October. All the audio and video (large files!) is at the Desiring God website.

Todd Shaffer at Faith by Hearing recommends all the talks, with just one slight hesitation. See what you think.

Prayer urged for Sudan

Posted on January 9, 2011 
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Prayer is urged for Sudan, with a crucial referendum taking place today. Details from SydneyAnglicans.net.

The Christian Worldview as Master Narrative

Posted on January 8, 2011 
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“Even as the Bible begins the story with creation, it immediately moves to an explanation of what has gone wrong. Again, such an account is required of every worldview, and every philosophy of life must provide some explanation for why human beings are as we are and why we act as we act.

The Bible directs those who asked this question to the Garden of Eden and to the event we know as the Fall…”

– Albert Mohler on the Bible’s unique view of our world.

Euthanasia: The Patient and the right of ‘Advance Directives’

Posted on January 8, 2011 
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“Dr Megan Best suggests that while Christians believe that we are not free to take the life of another person, this does not mean that we must prolong life at all costs. Nor does it mean that the patient has no rights to cease treatment or give directions about their last days of life…”

– Dr Trevor Cairney at the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education has some very helpful resources from palliative care doctor Megan Best at the Just in CASE blog.

ELCA proposes tougher rules for departing congregations

Posted on January 7, 2011 
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“According to the Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Renewal), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) leaders are proposing new rules that will make it harder for congregations to leave the denomination.

The changes are proposed as nearly 300 congregations have completed current departure requirements, and another 140 congregations have begun the process. These congregations represent a loss of 200,000 ELCA members…”

– Story from The Layman Online (h/t AAC.)

Related:
Lutheran CORE November 2010 newsletter (PDF file).
ELCA documents on human sexuality.

Photo: ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, from the ELCA website.

The Authorised Version? – GAFCON and the Anglican Ordinariate

Posted on January 6, 2011 
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Charles Raven:

“It is sadly ironic that on the first day of the year which marks the 400th anniversary of King James’ Authorised Version of the Bible, which has had such a profound impact on the English speaking world, three Church of England bishops were received into the Pope’s Anglican Ordinariate in Westminster Cathedral.

The fact that the Ordinariate is described as ‘Anglican’ while having no authorization from the Church of England or the wider Anglican Communion is a reminder of just how bold a stroke this is. There are now two fundamentally different forms of Anglicanism in England itself, one of which is part of the Church of Rome…

A GAFCON sponsored mission in England would be an ‘authorised version’ of the Ordinariate because while not part of the Church of England, it would be indisputably Anglican in both faith and order.”

– Read all of Charles Raven’s latest opinion-piece at SPREAD.

(Photo of Pope Benedict during his visit to Westminister Cathedral last year.)

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