Gravity Waves and Singing Stars

Posted on October 8, 2023
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“Back in June, scientists announced the discovery that the universe is vibrating with low frequency gravity waves. Music analogies proliferated. It was a ‘cosmic bass note’, a ‘hum’, a ‘chorus’, the ‘background sound of the universe’. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Andrew Moody notes the temporary re-enchantment brought by modern astronomy.

Image: James Webb Space Telescope.

John Anderson in conversation with Glen Scrivener

Posted on October 6, 2023
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From JohnAnderson.net.au:

“In this interview, John sits down with author, minister and director of Speak Life, Glen Scrivener for a conversation on how the Christian worldview has shaped our society.

Glen does a fantastic job communicating how thoroughly the Christian ethic has shaped and still continues to shape our culture today. Most remarkably, Glen highlights how even many of Christianity’s biggest detractors’ arguments are based on presuppositions that are fundamentally Christian in nature.”

– Fascinating and worth watching. This would be a very helpful video to share with anyone who wants to know that Christians believe.

At JohnAnderson.net.au – or see YouTube for a version with time markers to jump topics discussed.

Howard Guinness and the beginnings of evangelical university ministry in Australia

Posted on October 6, 2023
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Coming up at Moore College on Wednesday 1st November –

“Dr Howard Guinness, of the well-known Irish brewing family, was sent to Australia in 1930 by Inter-Varsity Fellowship to develop Christian student groups on university campuses. His visit was the catalyst for the establishment of Sydney University and Melbourne University Evangelical Unions on the basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

During his later parish ministry in Broadway and Vaucluse, his ongoing involvement in EU missions has left a lasting legacy in university campus ministry.

Dr Ruth Lukabyo will examine Dr Guinness’ work and legacy in this free event.”

– Details and booking from the College.

For more background see:

Remembering Howard Guinness – including Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane’s sermon at the funeral of Dr. Guinness in 1979.

Archbishop Sir Marcus Loane remembers the beginnings of the SUEU – audio recording from 1980.

Catechising – A short introduction

Posted on October 5, 2023
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“Believe me, Sir, the Church of God will never preserve itself without a Catechism, for it is like the seed to keep good grain from dying out and causing it to multiply from age to age.”

“So wrote the Genevan reformer John Calvin to Lord Protector Somerset during the reign of King Edward VI in 1548. He wanted to stress the importance of instructing the youth so that gospel ministry would go from strength to strength during the English Reformation. In other words, it was about children’s and youth ministry. In particular, it was the importance of catechising.

But what exactly is catechising? In short, it is verbal instruction (institutio viva voce). In the context of Christian ministry, it is a way of teaching the gospel to the next generation of God’s people to know, love, and serve the Lord. …”

– At The Australian Church Record, Mark Earngey reminds us why the Reformers thought catechesis was so important and challenges us to teach our children (and ourselves) well.

Global Encouragement for Wales

Posted on October 4, 2023
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In this media release from the Anglican Convocation in Europe, Bishop Stuart Bell writes about last week’s visit of Archbishop Ben Kwashi to Wales –

“Archbishop Ben was the guest of the Evangelical Fellowship of the Church in Wales meeting with Anglican leaders for 24 hours (28-29 September) at the Hookses, the retreat of the late John Stott in Dale, Pembrokeshire. In one session he spoke of what God is doing more widely in the Anglican communion and in another he gave encouragement from the Scriptures and from his own experience that we should stand firm. ‘We have nothing in Nigeria’, he said, ‘so if we give up Christ then we would have less than nothing; whereas if you in the west were to give up Christ you still would have your comfortable lifestyle.’

‘The church has delegated the care of persecuted Christians to other organisations.’ It seems so wrong that the church should pass motions about climate change and human sexuality but at the same time seem to ignore the suffering of fellow Christians who are being persecuted around the world.

During the following 24 hours (29-30 September) he spoke at the Wales Leadership forum. On the Friday evening he was interviewed about his own Christian experience and then he responded to questions from the floor. On the Saturday morning he spoke on the theme of hope in a bruised and broken world. He based his address on the concluding words of Habakkuk inviting us to rejoice however difficult our circumstances might be. Those comments come from a man who has lived through the killings of more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria and the burnings of hundreds of churches in his own diocese. ‘If we embrace homosexuality,’ he said, ‘then that would give the Muslims one more reason to kill us’.

Not only has Archbishop Ben faced death by the hands of murderous opponents, but more recently he has faced death from stage four cancer on two separate occasions. He retired from his ministry in Jos on 30th September whilst he was with us, only to continue his ministry as General Secretary of Gafcon but now moving to a new compound where his wife will be caring for 400 orphans. That’s fruitful living!”

– Received via e-mail.

The Legacy of Charles Christopher Godden – A Testament to Faith

Posted on October 4, 2023
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Mark Earngey, Head of Church History at Moore College, shares the story of Moore College graduate Charles Christopher Godden 1876-1906.

For more on C. C. Godden, see

“Let there be peace”: the spiritual legacy of C.C. Godden – Moore College.

A unique memorial: the John Francis Cash Memorial Chapel after 70 years – Moore College.

Images: Moore College.

Blind spots in the evangelical ecosystem – with Mikey Lynch

Posted on October 4, 2023
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From The Pastor’s Heart:

“Whether we are the senior pastor, theological college lecturer, missionary, student worker, Christian publisher, or denominational leader – we all work within an evangelical ecosystem. And it’s possible for us to make it harder or easier for our ministry peers to play their part in glorifying God.

Mikey Lynch’s new book The Vine Movement, published by Matthias Media, explores how churches, missionary organisations, evangelical student ministries, chaplains and denominations can all work together best.

Mikey Lynch is a director of Reach Australia, leads the AFES staff team at the University in Hobart and is the editorial director for Gospel Coalition Australia.”

– Watch or listen here.

What’s wrong with the Church of England? — Church Society podcast

Posted on October 3, 2023
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From Church Society:

“The second in the mini series looking at the Church of England featuring Charlie Skrine, James Cary, George Crowder, Lee Gatiss and Ros Clarke.”

Includes clips from the recent Junior Anglican Evangelical Conference.

– Listen here.

Bishops in Communion and Prayers in Love and Faith

Posted on October 2, 2023
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“To say that the House of Bishops Occasional Paper Bishops in Communion, published in 2000, is not well known is an understatement. Twenty-three years after its publication very few people in the Church of England even know of its existence. However, despite this fact, Bishops in Communion remains an important document because the understanding of how bishops are meant to conduct their ministry which it puts forward continues to shape the way in which bishops operate in the Church of England today.

To put it another way, the actions that the bishops of the Church of England have taken, and continue to take, during the Prayers of Love and Faith process directly reflect the thinking about the role of bishops which is found in the pages of Bishops in Communion. …

The model of episcopal ministry set out in [the paper] sees bishops as facilitators. The job of the bishops, it says, is to ensure that dialogue between those of different views continues until a consensus emerges about the mind of Christ for his Church. This understanding of the bishops’ role is what shaped the Living in Love and Faith Process. The whole point of that process was to encourage an open process of discernment across the Church of England between those with different views about human sexuality.

If this is indeed the model that is shaping the way that the bishops are acting, it follows that the existence of the Prayers of Love and Faith proposals following on from Living and Love and Faith must mean that the bishops collectively believe that a new consensus has been reached. …”

– At his Reflections of an Anglican Theologian, Martin Davie looks at the self-understanding apparent in the Church of England’s House of Bishops – and why that is a huge problem.

Churches backing traditional marriage are cut loose by their bishops –

“Paul’s suffering supported his apostolic authority to appeal to these baptised Christians in virulently pagan Ephesus to stand together for the truth of the biblical gospel centred on Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God the Father almighty. Such unity based on a shared understanding of the essentials of Christian truth is vital if the Church is to be effective in proclaiming the gospel and defending it in a hostile culture.

Sadly, the deep doctrinal divisions in the Church of England undermined a united response to a recent attack on orthodox Oxford churches by the university’s powerful 3,000-member LGBTQ+ Society. …”

– Julian Mann asks how can bishops who support novel doctrines be a support for those churches which stick to the Bible.

Bishop of Bathurst’s latest newsletter – Synod 2023

Posted on October 2, 2023
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Bishop of Bathurst Mark Calder has released his post-Synod newsletter.

Download it for your encouragement and for your prayers. (PDF file.)

Included in the prayer requests:

Parishes without clergy – Dubbo, Cudgegong Valley, Kelso, Narromine, Gilgandra, Coolah-Dunedoo, Condobolin, Trundle, Coonamble, Warren, Bourke-Brewarrina, Cumnock and Warren.

Please pray that the Lord would raise up 13 godly, able and passionate men or women to serve in ALL of these parishes, to his great glory!

The power and pain of perseverance — CCL event

Posted on October 1, 2023
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On 18 October 2023, Moore College Principal Dr Mark Thompson is speaking on “The power and pain of perseverance” at a Centre for Christian Living event.

Watch the 55 second promo video, and register here (it’s free!).

New Presiding Bishop of REACH-SA

Posted on September 29, 2023
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Today’s GAFCON prayer request –

“We prayed for the synod of REACH-SA last month. Three new area bishops were elected. Also, The Rev. Dr. Siegfried Ngubane has been elected as the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa. Pray for each of these bishops to know the Lord’s help and guidance as they prepare to take up their roles.

(Photo: Presiding Bishop Elect, Siegfried Ngubane, meeting with Bishop Glenn Lyons).”

At Sydney Synod earlier this month, Bishop Malcolm Richards moved –

‘Synod, noting –
(i) the long partnership between the Diocese of Sydney and the Reformed Evangelical Anglican Church of South Africa (REACH-SA), and
(ii) that the Synod of that Church met from 11 to 13 September 2023,

(a) gives thanks to God for –

(i) the election of the Rev Dr Siegfried Ngubane as the eighth Presiding Bishop of the REACH-SA,
(ii) the faithful service of the current Presiding Bishop, the Rt Rev Glenn Lyons who will hand over leadership at a date to be announced, and
(iii) the election of three new Area Bishops for the largest regions (dioceses) in REACH-SA, and

(b) requests that the Archbishop’s office write to Dr Siegfried and Mrs Maureen Ngubane and to Bishop Glenn and Mrs Sandra Lyons assuring them of the prayers of our people, expressing the congratulations of this Synod and the commitment of this Diocese to continued gospel partnership.’

from the draft Synod minutes.

Bishop Glenn Davies speaks about the ACL

Posted on September 29, 2023
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ACL Council Member Michael Latten reports on last week’s visit to Moore College of Bishop Dr Glenn Davies:

On 21 September, 42 students and faculty members came to an Anglican Church League lunchtime talk at Moore College.

Former Archbishop of Sydney and Bishop of the Diocese of the Southern Cross, Glenn Davies, with his characteristic wit and humour, outlined the impact of the ACL over the last 100 years in establishing and sustaining the Protestant, Reformed, and evangelical character of the Sydney Diocese and in supporting evangelicals in Australia and beyond.

While Bishop Davies noted the strong influence of the ACL in Sydney on diocesan elections today, he warned that we must never take for granted the evangelical character of the diocese. Like those who came before us, we too must contend for the gospel in Sydney and beyond.