Create 09 registration closes soon

Posted on November 10, 2009
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Registration for next Saturday’s Create Conference (being run by Outreach Media) closes at 17:00 on Wednesday November 11th. Details here.

Article XVIII

Posted on November 10, 2009
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They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

“The sequence of articles on the subject of individual salvation that began with Article XI ends here with this very strong statement against the view that it is sincerity and diligence that matter most in the religious life.…”

– Michael Jensen is up to Article XVIII at Thirty Nine.

Mary Shilton 1925-2009

Posted on November 9, 2009
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Anglican Media Melbourne has published a tribute to Mary Shilton, remembered by many Sydney Anglicans as a CMS missionary and also the widow of former Dean of Sydney Lance Shilton. She died last month.

(Photo: Anglican Media Melbourne.)

‘A liberal pit that was no earthly use’

Posted on November 8, 2009
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“A bestselling author and Anglican priest has launched an outspoken attack on the Church of England and revealed that he is converting to Catholicism.

GP Taylor, whose children’s book Shadowmancer became an international bestseller and is being turned into a film, accused the church of sinking ‘into a liberal pit that was no earthly use and offered no hope, no love and no grace’…”

– Story from The Guardian. See also his article in The Yorkshire Post (h/t Anglican Mainstream). Photo: Tyndale House Publishers.

Help and encouragement in sharing the gospel

Posted on November 8, 2009
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“Paul E. Little’s book How to Give Away Your Faith was first published in 1966, a few years before the popular evangelist was killed in a tragic car accident. Since his untimely death, his wife Marie has overseen two revisions of Little’s book (1988, 2008). It is sometimes described as ‘the classic guide to evangelism,’ perhaps because of the way in which the book addresses practical issues surrounding personal evangelism.”

– Trevin Wax offers some good reasons to dust off your old copy – or perhaps to get a revised edition. At The Discerning Reader.

Of course, Chappo’s Know and Tell the Gospel, written for Australian conditions, is essential reading! (Photo of Paul Little: Ake Lundberg.)

Get to know the Nigerian Primate-elect

Posted on November 7, 2009
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The Vanguard newspaper in Nigeria has run this interesting interview with the Primate-elect of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Nicholas Okoh.

(Photo: Church of Nigeria.)

The Influence of Liberalism upon Evangelicalism — ‘the Curate’s Egg’

Posted on November 7, 2009
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“When a term is used frequently enough it can become over used and so end up being abused. We may think, for example, of the word, ‘awesome’. A mobile phone can now be described as ‘awesome’ and pretty soon everything is awesome which means nothing is so. We have a similar problem with the term ‘evangelical’. It can now mean little more than indicating that one prefers guitars to organs in public worship…”

– Church Society has just reprinted this 2007 Churchman article (PDF file) by Melvin Tinker.

Graphic Design Tips for Church

Posted on November 7, 2009
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Phil Campbell at Mitchelton Presbyterian Church in Brisbane points to a new font resource that some may find to be useful – at his occasional blog Graphic Design Tips for Church.

Related: Don’t forget the Create conference coming up on November 14.

A gift-wrapped community

Posted on November 6, 2009
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Here’s a great idea for Christmas –

“The Emmanuel Church in Glenhaven is gift-wrapping 1900 Essential Jesus Gospels in preparation for Christmas this year. Church members will door-knock homes in the local area over 2 Sundays, to give out their special gift…” – Story here.

Remembering B. B. Warfield

Posted on November 5, 2009
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“At important moments in the history of the church God, in kind providence, has raised up men to give voice to His Word. And so there is Augustine, the theologian of sin and grace. He did not invent these doctrines, of course. But in his battle with Pelagius he gave them such clear and cogent articulation that forever since he has been recognized as the one who gave these doctrines to us. He was the high water mark. So also there is Anselm, the theologian of the doctrine of the atonement. And there is Luther, the theologian of justification. And Calvin, the theologian of the Holy Spirit.

In this sense exactly Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield of Old Princeton is the theologian of the doctrine of inspiration…”

– At Between Two Worlds, Fred Zaspel writes on the significance of B B Warfield, who was born 158 years ago today.

Diocese of Maine to ‘continue the conversation’ on same-gender couples

Posted on November 5, 2009
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Bishop Stephen Lane of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine issued a statement on the result of the Marriage Equality referendum in his state –

“Yesterday, Question 1 provided each of us with the opportunity to exercise our franchise, to express our support for the right of same-gender couples to be afforded the full rights and responsibilities of a civil marriage or to disagree. Yesterday, Mainers chose to disagree.

Many faithful Episcopalians are deeply grieved at this decision.

Although the question of same-gender civil marriage may be settled in Maine for now, I would remind all Episcopalians – both here in Maine and across the wider Church – that we will continue the conversation about these issues for years to come.”

– Read his full statement on the Diocese of Maine website.

As Night follows Day?

Posted on November 5, 2009
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“The premise is wrong, the logic is wrong and the conclusion is wrong, but who cares so long as we can make the Bible say what we want it to say?”

– Church Society’s David Philips on the slippery-slope of making the Bible teach whatever you want. (90kb PDF file.) From the Autumn 2009 edition of Cross†Way.

Where now, after October 20th?

Posted on November 5, 2009
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“As long ago as 1971, Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones wrote a book titled, What is an Evangelical? John Stott addressed the same issue in 1977, as did Mark Thompson as recently as 1995 in a book titled Saving the Heart? subtitled, What is an evangelical?

However, in recent years the evangelical identity has become even more diffuse, even within Anglicanism…”

– John Richardson gave this address at Forward in Faith’s Manchester branch last weekend. (It was on October 20th that the Vatican made its offer to Anglo-Catholics.)