Large TEC congregation considers leaving
Posted on September 12, 2009
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“One of the largest congregations in The Episcopal Church, St. Andrew’s Church of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., may by December become one of the largest congregations to renounce its Episcopal ties. …
‘Since 2003 I have felt compromised by continued association with a denomination that I consider to be apostate,’ Fr. Wood told The Living Church.”
– report from The Living Church. (Image: St. Andrew’s website.)
Top Commentaries
Posted on September 12, 2009
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“Over the course of several months, Keith Mathison [of Ligonier Ministries] put together a list of his top 5 commentaries for each book of the Bible…”
– Tim Challies compiled this index page.
Paul Helm at PTC
Posted on September 11, 2009
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British philosopher and theologian Paul Helm is giving guest lectures at the Presbyterian Theological Centre in Burwood next week. (He’s also speaking at the Moore College Calvin@500 Conference.)
On Tuesday 15th September, 3:00pm – 5:00pm he’ll be speaking on aspects of the age of reason; the enlightenment ; and the appropriation by Luther and Calvin of 16th century philosophy.
Paul Helm is Professor in History and Philosophy at Kings College, University of London, and holds the J.I. Packer Chair in Theology and Philosophy, Regent College, Canada.
Details: PTC website. Location map.
Mark Thompson on Calvin@500
Posted on September 11, 2009
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Academic Dean of Moore College, and ACL President, Dr Mark Thompson, exhorts you to come to the Calvin@500 Conference, 16-17 September 2009.
Brochure and registration info from Moore College (PDF – direct link).
Confess or Die audio
Posted on September 10, 2009
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The audio files of the Confess or Die conference held at the Presbyterian Theological College in Sydney last month are now available for download, with thanks to the PTC.
“The contemporary church seems to have amnesia about what it really believes. This two day conference is here to jolt the church’s memory, and give it new life for mission. …”
Carl Trueman – Talk 1, Talk 2, Talk 3
John McClean – Bible and Confessions
Mark Thompson – The 39 Articles and Global Anglicanism
Geoff Tacon – The AFES Doctrinal Basis
Chris Balzer – WCF and Presbyterian Church of Australia (Text only)
Source: Confess or Die website.
The need for GAFCON
Posted on September 9, 2009
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“The immediate cause for GAFCON was the invitation from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams to those who had consecrated Gene Robinson as a Bishop to attend the Lambeth Conference. This invitation was sent in July 2007, and the timing was significant as I will show later.
Following this invitation, Archbishop Peter Akinola made a visit in October 2007 at his own expense to London to meet with Archbishop Rowan Williams to ask him most seriously to delay the Lambeth Conference until the issue of the consecration of Gene Robinson by the Episcopal Church could be resolved. When Archbishop Williams proved immovable on this certain things became crystal clear to Archbishop Akinola and his colleagues. …”
– Chris Sugden spoke at last week’s launch of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, Southern Africa. Read the full text at Anglican Mainstream.
Back to Church Sunday
Posted on September 9, 2009
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While Anglican Churches in Sydney are involved in Connect09 and Jesus. All About Life, other Anglicans are also seeking to reach out. Nineteen Australian diocese are holding Back to Church Sunday next Sunday.
“On September 13th 2009 thousands of people across Australia will be inviting someone special back to church with them. People lose touch with church for all sorts of reasons but millions would come back with an invitation.”
See the Back to Church Sunday website for details. (See also, e.g., Canberra & Goulburn, Melbourne, Newcastle, Grafton.)
Restitution call puts Dr Adam in spotlight
Posted on September 9, 2009
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“The Revd Dr Peter Adam exchanged the lecture room for the uncomfortable glare of the media spotlight last month with his suggestions for restitution that ought to be made to indigenous Australians for the wrongs done to them since European settlement, especially that non-Aboriginal people should leave Australia if asked by the original Australians. …
Reaction to Dr Adam’s speech was swift and, in many prominent quarters, negative. Broadcaster Neil Mitchell on 3AW said it was a reason no one should step inside a church again…”
– Anglican Media Melbourne reports on reactions to Dr Peter Adam’s John Saunders Lecture, ‘Australia – whose land?’.
Book Review — Words from the Fire
Posted on September 9, 2009
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“We’ve seen a steady stream of books come from Mohler’s pen in the past couple of years. I have read them all and am quite comfortable saying that this one is the best of the bunch.”
– Tim Challies reviews Albert Mohler’s new book, “Words from the Fire: Hearing the Voice of God in the 10 Commandments”.
John Wycliffe’s Work and Worth
Posted on September 8, 2009
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“It was not by accident that Archbishop Arundel chose Oxford for the scene of the prohibition of English Bibles. In his letter to John XXIII in 1412 he describes our Reformer [John Wycliffe] as ‘that wretched and pestilent fellow, of damnable memory, that son of the old serpent, the very herald and child of Antichrist,’ who ‘to fill up the measure of his malice, devised the expedient of a new translation of the Scriptures into the mother tongue.’…”
– In 1933, R. M. Wilson wrote this fascinating article about John Wycliffe, ‘the morning-star of the Reformation’. It was published in Churchman and has just been republished on Church Society’s website (PDF file).
Related: John Wycliffe and the English Bible – by F F Bruce.
New College Lectures 2009 this week
Posted on September 8, 2009
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Bioethics And Future Hope: This year’s New College Lectures offer a Christian perspective on the impact of technology on contemporary medical practices.
John Wyatt, Professor of Ethics and Perinatology, University College London, will consider the bioethical issues faced every day as we make decisions about creating, preserving and protecting life.
“Our understanding of the future changes the way we think about our ethical responsibilities in the present. The lectures will outline three different conceptions of the future and their implications for bioethics. The secular perspective derived from the Enlightenment sees the future as a human construct, an artefact created by human ingenuity. In contrast, the neoplatonic future offers the hope of an escape from the material world into the timeless realm of the spirit. The biblical view of the future provides a third radical perspective. …”
The lectures are set for September 8, 9 and 10 and details are available in this PDF file from the New College website.
A New Evangelical Anglican Vision?
Posted on September 7, 2009
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“Just this past term I have had the great pleasure of co-teaching – with Professor Ashley Null, the renowned Cranmer scholar – a MA unit offered here at Moore College entitled ‘Anglican Identity’. In it we made careful study of the development of the English reformation and the works of leading figures like Fisher, Cranmer and Hooker.
A highlight was reading the moving testimony of Catherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII, to her conversion to the gospel of justification by faith.
I was curious, however, as to why so few Sydney clergy thought this was a subject that might interest them, or that the study of the founding documents of our denomination might be well worth their while…
More than ever, we need to renew our vision of what it means to be an evangelical Anglican. My conviction is that not only is being evangelical the most authentic way of being Anglican – we’ve been saying that for years – but also that being Anglican is a great way of being evangelical.”
– Read Michael Jensen’s full post at The Blogging Parson.
ACL Centenary Dinner Address
Posted on September 7, 2009
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The Rev. Ed Loane gave this reflection on the history of the Anglican Church League at the ACL’s Centenary Dinner on Thursday 3rd September 2009:
I’ve been asked this evening to offer some account of the work of the ACL over the last 100 years. So I humbly put on my amateur historian hat – and amateur should be read in capital letters in light of present company – and I offer these reflections…
It has often been claimed that Sydney Diocese, with its pervasive and dominant conservative evangelicalism, is unique within the Anglican Communion – particularly within western Anglicanism. One of the chief questions that this situation raises is ‘how did this come to be?’ Read more
Gospel opportunities abound
Posted on September 7, 2009
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The ‘viral’ phase of the Bible Society’s Jesus. All About Life campaign begins today (September 7), with the other phases to start soon.
See details of the planned TV advertising from Dan Willis on this YouTube video.
The Connect09 Inspiring People panel discussions begin next week (September 15). See this 60 second video from John Dickson, courtesy SydneyAnglicans.net.
And for resources to help you, see Evangelism Ministries and also others they recommend.
Colossians 4.2-6 is a good reminder of our privilege and responsibility.
Edinburgh Expositors’ Conference audio
Posted on September 6, 2009
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Audio files from the 2009 Expositors’ Conference held at the Faith Mission Bible College in Edinburgh the week before last have now been made available.
Iain Murray’s talk on The Expository Ministry of Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones is well worth hearing.
The files are on the College website. (h/t Colin Adams.)
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…