“Gender critical” victories in tribunal cases
Posted on January 28, 2024
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“Over the last month there have been three important tribunal decisions (two in the UK, one in Australia) in favour of women who had been disciplined or dismissed or sued for expressing ‘gender critical’ views.
This phrase, broadly, refers to those who believe that sex is a biological reality and that someone’s gender aligns with their sex. Allegations of ‘transgender vilification’ or claims that someone’s views on this matter can be a ground for workplace penalties have been common over the last few years.
But the three cases I want to mention here (involving social worker Rachel Meade, academic Dr Jo Phoenix, and commentator Kirralie Smith) suggest that the tide may be turning in favour of those who hold the view that biology matters. …”
– At Law and Religion Australia, Neil Foster sees an encouraging trend.
Letter to Church Times about Living in Love and Faith
Posted on January 26, 2024
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Anglican Mainstream has posted this letter sent to Church Times by the Rev James Paice in London:
“Dear Sir
I read with interest your piece by the LLF co-lead Bishops about the need to live with difference.
They appear not to have heard CEEC and other conservative clergy :
blessing same sex relationships in defiance of Scripture has been said to have been a first order issue all along, which is why there has been repeated calls for a separate Province, which has been continually resisted.
We are in the woeful situation that we are in, because despite claiming to do so, the Archbishops have not listened to those who stand on the historic teaching of the Bible. No wonder faithful clergy have been leaving.
Yours faithfully.
The Rev James Paice
St Luke’s Church
Ryfold Road
London SW19 8BZ.”
He speaks for many in the Church of England, and many others around the world who are watching with dismay.
The article to which he is responding is linked here at Anglican Mainstream.
And somewhat related:
‘We must find ways of being joyful in our disagreement’ – The Archbishop of Canterbury preaches in Rome.
Anglicans honoured in 2024 list
Posted on January 26, 2024
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“Anglicans are among the Sydney recipients of Australia Day honours, including two Professors of Medicine for their roles in the COVID-19 response.
The honours are awarded by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Council of the Order of Australia. …”
– Russell Powell has the details at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Photo: Professor Charlotte Hespe AM.
Richard Johnson — Chaplain under fire
Posted on January 26, 2024
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This Australia Day, it’s worth remembering how the gospel was received when it was preached in Sydney Town –
“One observation about the past is especially instructive for Christians of any age: faithful witness is often met with hostile opposition. It would be a mistake to conceive of some halcyon days in the past when the whole of society was motivated by the Christian faith and gospel proclamation went unopposed.
The Constantinian form of Christianity, which permeated the Western world over the past millennium, never truly embraced those who sought to be faithful witnesses. This is certainly true of Australia’s first ordained minister, Richard Johnson, who arrived in Sydney as chaplain to the colony of New South Wales with the First Fleet in 1788. …”
– Steve Tong wrote this for The Australian Church Record last year.
Related:
An Address to the Inhabitants of the Colonies – Richard Johnson (PDF file)
Pray (Don’t Play) Politics
Posted on January 25, 2024
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“For many today, politics takes up far too much of our spiritual hard drive. It’s become an obsession.
Praying to the King of kings (on behalf of our president, senators, and other government officials) helps to reorder our hearts.. …”
– You don’t need to be following the U.S. election cycle to benefit from this encouragement from Brandon Cooper at The Gospel Coalition.
See also:
“…the task of the Christian is not first to understand prayer, though may be a very good thing, and not first to solve prayer, which I suspect is an impossible thing. Rather, the Christian is to pray, knowing that part of the beauty of prayer is that even if we aren’t confident in how prayer works, we can have confidence in the one who tells us to pray. Even if we haven’t resolved the dilemmas and solved the mysteries, we can trust the one who issues the command and who insists that he hears and responds to our prayers. Our task, our calling, and our joyful duty is to pray.”
– It’s Okay To Just Pray – Tim Challies.
Growth and change – with Andrew Heard
Posted on January 23, 2024
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From The Pastor’s Heart:
“‘Many of the ways we are running our churches and ministries and many of the ways we are exercising leadership within our churches, has become a significant hindrance to the growth of the church.’
Andrew Heard’s about to be released book Growth and Change will be the ‘must read’ book for pastors for 2024.
In his opening preface Gospel Coalition founder DA Carson – says ‘I am usually loath to proclaim that such and such a book is the best in its field … but if there is one book that happily serves as the exception to the rule, Heard’s book is it.’…”
“Equality” Bill threatens religious freedom in NSW
Posted on January 22, 2024
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“Independent MP Mr A H Greenwich last year introduced a private member’s bill called the Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 (“the Bill”) into the NSW Parliament. It is understood that time will be allowed for debate on the Bill on February 8, 2024.
Freedom for Faith has an excellent overview of the many areas covered by the Bill and why the Bill should not proceed. Most private member’s Bills are not approved, but there is a danger that some MP’s might support some of the provisions of this Bill.
In this post I will focus on some of the dangers to religious freedom in NSW if the Bill were passed. (There are so many that I may not cover them all in one post, and if I can I will try to pick up those I miss here in a later post.)
… the amendments to s 56, if enacted, would radically undermine the freedom of religious groups to operate in accordance with their faith. They, along with the other proposals in this Bill, should be rejected if they come to a vote in the Parliament. As noted above, Freedom for Faith has provided a summary of the other proposals in the Bill, and links at that website will allow those who want to, to write to their MP to let them know their views.”
– Neil Foster draws attention to an alarming development in New South Wales.
Do take the time to read it all – and consider contacting your MP.
(Image: Assoc Prof. Foster at a Sydney Diocese training day.)
Three Lessons from 234 Pastors’ Libraries
Posted on January 22, 2024
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“One of the most common assumptions about pastors throughout church history is that they are men of books – that reading is central to a pastor’s ministry. If you walk into your pastor’s office – he might even call it his ‘study’ – it will almost surely be full of books (2 Tim. 4:13).
But it wasn’t always this way. From our perch in 2023, we easily forget how significant the introduction of the printing press was to the history of the church. Prior to its invention, books were rare, usually only owned by wealthy men and women or tucked away in a monastery. Hardly any ordinary Europeans would have owned more than one book prior to 1450. …”
– At 9Marks, Forrest Strickland shares three lessons from history.
GAFCON Australasia plans a youth-focussed conference
Posted on January 22, 2024
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“GAFCON Australasia’s second conference has set its sights firmly on the future of the church in Australia, for the first time welcoming youth to be fully involved in the movement.
GAFCON, the Global Anglican Future Conference, began as a meeting in Jerusalem in 2008 and grew into a movement for reform and renewal in the Anglican Church across the world. The Australasian branch held its first conference in Canberra in 2022, where it announced the formation of the Diocese of the Southern Cross to cover congregations that had to withdraw from the Anglican Church in various parts of Australia because of teaching that went against the Bible. …”
– Russell Powell reports at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Photo: GAFCON Aust 2022 conference in Canberra.
Victorians gather to lift their eyes at Summer Under the Son
Posted on January 21, 2024
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“Hundreds of people have gathered to lift their eyes to God’s work throughout the world at CMS Victoria’s annual Summer Under the Son conference in Melbourne. …”
Bishop of Newcastle to attend International Ecumenical Gathering
Posted on January 21, 2024
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“The Bishop of Newcastle is packing his bags for a religious journey of the highest order in Rome and Canterbury next week. …”
– Report from The Newcastle Weekly.
Photo: Diocese of Newcastle.
Post-Restoration Reformed Anglicans
Posted on January 20, 2024
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Church Society’s Lee Gatiss shares some history about Post-Restoration Reformed Anglicans –
“The ejection of many of the Puritans from the Church of England in 1662 was not the end of the story for Puritanism, for Reformed theology, or for the gospel in the established church.
This lecture looks at a common tendentious reading of church history and by examining the lives and teaching of three significant Anglicans in the later Stuart period …”
– See it at Church Society.
Plans for Consecration of GAFCON General Secretary Paul Donison announced
Posted on January 19, 2024
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Here’s an Announcement from The Most Rev. Dr. Laurent Mbanda, Chair, Gafcon Primates’ Council, Primate & Archbishop of Rwanda:
“Dear Brothers and Sisters within our Gafcon family,
On behalf of the Gafcon Primates, it is my joy to announce the upcoming consecration of our General Secretary, the Reverend Canon Paul Donison, as a Bishop in our Lord’s one, holy, catholic and apostolic church on 4 February 2024 at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Kigali, Rwanda.
At our November 2023 meeting in London, the Primates passed a resolution asking that Dean Donison be consecrated, as the role of General Secretary is episcopal in nature: guarding and expanding the mission and unity of the Church, and helping to convene the Councils of the Church.
In December 2023, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Rwanda agreed to consecrate Dean Donison as Bishop if the ACNA College of Bishops approved. Furthermore, in January 2024 the synod of the Metropolitan Diocese of Gasabo unanimously resolved that Dean Paul be consecrated as assistant Bishop of Gasabo Diocese.
On 9 January, 2024, the College of Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), consented to the proposal that following his consecration, Bishop-elect Donison will be transferred to the Anglican Church in North America, and Invested as Vicar General (Area Bishop) of the Texas Deanery of the Anglican Diocese of the South. A service of Investiture and Celebration of his New Ministry as Gafcon General Secretary will be held at Christ Church Cathedral, Plano, Texas, USA, on 17 February 2024.
One of Gafcon’s priorities is to raise up a next generation of global leaders, and the Primates are unanimous in our conviction that Paul is the right person to assume this office “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).
I ask your prayers for Bishop-elect Paul, his wife, Monika, their daughters, and for our whole Gafcon movement. …”
– Source: GAFCON.
The T. B. Joshua Story points to a problem in many churches
Posted on January 18, 2024
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“The recent expose by the BBC on the late prophet T. B. Joshua is heart rending.
The reports and eyewitness accounts point to what is without a doubt a massive tragedy on many levels. To witness someone in authority in a church be able to perpetuate so much abuse for so long with complete impunity makes your blood boil. To see the lives of so many people scarred, perhaps for the rest of their lives, cuts to the heart. It puts on full display the ugliness of sin or evil and its power to hide and grow. It should make us all long ever more eagerly for the day of our Lord’s return to judge every lawbreaker and to make all things new.
However, to my mind, one of the greatest tragedies from this saga is that countless similar scandals have happened before in the African church. More so, they’re almost certainly going to happen again. Soon. …”
– At The Gospel Coalition Africa, Oyewole Akande in Lagos (pictured) speaks of a problem which is not always confined to Africa.
Five lessons I learnt this summer
Posted on January 17, 2024
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“CMS Summer School 2024 helped me grow in my faith and challenged me in how I approach my own partnership in cross-cultural mission.
At great conferences like Summer School, I can feel overwhelmed by so much deep and wise insight.
I appreciated the chance to reflect for a couple of minutes after each of the Bible talks from Galatians, while still sitting in the auditorium. And with some more time to reflect in the days since, here are five lessons from the conference that stood out to me – a mix of new challenges, as well as much-needed reminders of gospel truth. …”
– CMS’ Naomi Jones reflects on what she learned at CMS Summer School at Katoomba this year. At Eternity News.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…