Hear the ACL Synod Briefing Podcast

Posted on September 4, 2025 
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“We will obey God”

Posted on September 19, 2025 
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From SydneyAnglicans.net –

“The Act purports to give churches, schools and parents permission to teach about sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual activity and religion. But, respectfully, we do not need the permission of the government to teach about such things,” said Archbishop Kanishka Raffel, drawing a line in the sand in his opening address to the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney.

“I want to state clearly and publicly to you all – that ‘I will stand by any clergyperson or church worker who finds themselves brought before a tribunal or court because of this poorly conceived law. We must not be silenced or intimidated from teaching God’s good plan for human sexuality and relationships. We will insist on the freedom to do so, respectfully but without fear.’ We will obey God”

The act being referred to was the NSW Conversion Practices Ban Act 2024 which Premier Chris Minns promised would not restrict churches in prayer or preaching. That pledge has now been undercut by Anti-Discrimination New South Wales (ADNSW). …

– Russell Powell reports.

100 Ministry Stories from Moore College — Dani Treweek

Posted on September 19, 2025 
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Moore College has published the latest video in its 100 Ministry Stories.

Veronica Hoyt, Director of the Priscilla & Aquila Centre, speaks with Dani Treweek.

Most encouraging.

– Watch here.

See also:

Singleness book wins Christian book of the year

The real meaning of singleness

Kanishka Raffel and the Sydney Anglican Synod promise to stand with Christians over conversion practices laws

Posted on September 18, 2025 
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John Sandeman reports on Monday night’s gathering of the Synod of the Diocese of Sydney –

“Clergy, church workers, and any Christian taken before a tribunal when accused of breaching the Conversion Practices Ban Act in NSW have been assured by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel and the Sydney Anglican Synod that they will be supported. ‘I concluded by saying, and I want to say this clearly and publicly to you all, that I will stand by any clergy person or church worker who finds themselves brought before a tribunal or court because of this poorly conceived law,’ the Archbishop declared in his presidential address to the Synod, repeating an assurance he had sent to his clergy as the new law began to operate.

‘We must not be silenced’, he added. ‘We must not be silenced or intimidated from teaching God’s good plan for human sexuality and relationships. We will insist on the freedom to do so respectfully, but without fear, we will obey God. We can do nothing less.’ During the debate, Raffel made it clear his support extended to lay people caught up in tribunal hearings as well. …”

– Do read it all on this important issue.

Related:

Living Faith website.
“Living Faith is a Sydney Anglican ministry to Christian persons who experience attraction to the same sex and/or gender incongruence.”

Image: Archbishop Raffel during his Presidential Address.

100 Ministry Stories from Moore College — Grahame and Patty Scarratt

Posted on September 18, 2025 
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Moore College has published another video in its 100 Ministry Stories.

Peter Jensen speaks with Grahame and Patty Scarratt.

“From surveying in NSW to serving in Chile, Grahame and Patty Scarratt’s journey has been marked by a deep love for God’s word. What began at Moore College grew into decades of ministry across Latin America—most significantly the translation and teaching of the Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) and the beginnings of MOCLAM.

Through their work, countless pastors and church members gained access to solid biblical training in their own language, shaping the Anglican Church in Chile and beyond. Even after returning to Australia, the Scarratts continued publishing and supporting resources so that more people might know and teach the Scriptures.”

– Watch here. (And Grahame has a challenge for churches in Sydney.)

Related –

Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) from Moore College.

England: Christians to launch new declaration calling on leaders to respect freedom of conscience

Posted on September 17, 2025 
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“Christians from different denominations and traditions will make a united stand for the faith in London on Saturday.

The cornerstone of the event will be the signing of the 2025 Westminster Declaration, a document calling on leaders in government, academia and wider society to respect human dignity and freedom of conscience. …”

– Report from Christian Today.

And in Australia – The FREEDOM25 Conference is on Saturday, 27 September 2025, at Village Church Annandale.

New Vice Principal of Moore College

Posted on September 17, 2025 
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Announcement from Moore Theological College –

“We are delighted to share that the Principal has appointed The Rev Dr Paul Grimmond as the next Vice Principal of Moore Theological College, commencing 1 January 2026.

Paul is a much-loved member of our College community, having joined the Faculty in 2017 as Dean of Students. Since then, he has taught in the Ministry Department and played a key role in the revamping of ministry courses with the development of the Intentional Ministry Reflection (IMR) program, and introduced a more intentional preaching program. Earlier this year, Paul stepped into the role of Head of the Ministry Department following the appointment of Mal York as Dean of Students.”

– Read it all here.

Photo: Paul and Cathy Grimmond with Moore College Principal Mark Thompson.

Sydney Synod greenlights a five-year focus on raising church attendance – and disciples

Posted on September 17, 2025 
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“In yesterday’s afternoon session, Synod approved a motion encouraging parishes in the Diocese to focus on increasing church attendance by 5 per cent each year until 2030.

This grew from a report prepared in response to attendance decline in diocesan churches between 2013 and 2023, and a motion at last year’s Synod expressing repentance for where ‘we have fallen short in not giving sufficient priority, attention, reflection and resources to seeing the lost throughout the Diocese of Sydney saved by Jesus’. …”

– Judy Adamson has this report at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Honouring Dick Lucas – with Phillip and Peter Jensen

Posted on September 17, 2025 
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From The Pastor’s Heart –

“This week marks the 100th birthday of Dick Lucas, one of the most influential evangelical leaders of the 20th century. For nearly four decades as Rector of St Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, Dick shaped a generation of preachers and transformed a quiet city parish into a global centre of expository Bible ministry. The influence of his clear, fearless, and creative preaching continues to ripple out through pulpits around the world.

We’re joined by Peter Jensen (former Archbishop of Sydney and Principal of Moore College) and Phillip Jensen (founder of Two Ways Ministries, former Dean of Sydney Cathedral, and long-time leader of Campus Bible Study). Both were impacted by Dick’s ministry and friendship.

Dick Lucas was a trainer of preachers. He helped us see what could be done with city pulpits, and founded the Proclamation Trust and Cornhill Course.

Our focus is on learning from Evangelical History from a faithful, eccentric, humble servant of Christ.”

– Most encouraging. Watch or listen here.

Are You Really in God’s Image? — The glory to be found in body-building

Posted on September 16, 2025 
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From Phillip Jensen –

“One of the great statements of the Bible that is most often quoted or alluded to in public Christian debate is the ‘image of God’. But what does it refer to, and to whom does it refer?

In this episode we continue to look at the New Testament understanding of the early chapters of Genesis. And here we find there are more references to the image of God than in the Old Testament. For there is a great surprise in store for those who read Genesis 1.”

– Listen at Two Ways News podcast.

Aeration

Posted on September 16, 2025 
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“All the garden experts tell us every weekend that we must give close attention to our soil; dense, compact soil needs to be aerated, it needs oxygen to rejuvenate and to be productive.

Sermons are like soil, they can be dense and compact and need aeration.

Spurgeon called aeration, ‘the windows of the sermon’ and Clifford Warne used to remind us when I was at Moore College, that explanations are like feathers, they  don’t stand up by themselves, they need support. …”

– David Cook shares some wisdom for preaching – at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Keeping the main thing the main thing

Posted on September 15, 2025 
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Archbishop Kanishka Raffel delivered his Presidential Address at Sydney Synod tonight.

Russell Powell reports –

“I believe in conversion” was the first thing Archbishop Kanishka Raffel said to the crowd of more than 700 delegates gathered for the Sydney Anglican Synod.

“I believe in conversion because the first recorded words of Jesus’ public ministry are words that call on his hearers to be converted,” the Archbishop said. “Mark records: ‘… Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.”’ ’ (Mark 1:14) For the first time in Mark’s narrative Jesus speaks, ‘Repent and believe the gospel’.”

Recalling his own conversion from Buddhism forty years ago, the Archbishop described “Reading the Gospel alone in my room, not because I was on a search for God, but because God was on a search for me. Not knowing, despite having been told, that another friend who had been converted by the Lord when we were fourteen, had started to pray for the conversion of his Buddhist friend, and hadn’t stopped.” …

– Read it all here.

And take the time to watch the Archbishop’s full address:

Eyes Wide Open: Using Secular Wisdom to Achieve Ministry Goals

Posted on September 15, 2025 
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“Recently, I had the joy of spending time with some ministers in an area of Sydney where Anglican churches are growing and thriving. Several of the ministers had participated in church consultations that used an outcomes-oriented framework based on solid gospel convictions and utilising organisational systems theory. The consultations had helped the ministry teams accurately measure their present situation and make concrete plans to achieve goals for reaching the lost. This had already led to substantial gospel growth and had given these ministers renewed optimism and Christ-centred confidence in ministry.

I praise God for this. I believe there should be more of it.

The positive power and potential of frameworks like this leads me to keep sounding a note of warning. I’m not trying to dampen enthusiasm for such frameworks. I’m trying to help make their implementation theologically robust for decades to come. …”

– Lionel Windsor at Moore College provides a stand-alone text and video version of his article in the current Synod edition of The Australian Church Record. You might find it easier to read, or watch or listen.

Do check it out.

Reading as Rebellion

Posted on September 15, 2025 
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“Everyone agrees. We live in an age of vanishing readers – a digital desert where sustained attention has evaporated and the next generation risks losing its imaginative inheritance.

But we can still read! some say. Sure, we read snippets here and there wherever we scroll online, and we dip into an occasional article or post on a sports page or in a political forum. But reading a book, going about it the old-fashioned way, where you give yourself over to a thoughtful and sustained argument that unfolds over several chapters, or where you lose yourself in a novel alive with beauty and subtlety – this practice appears less and less common for all ages, but especially the young. …”

– At The Gospel Coalition, Trevin Wax has encouragement and a challenge for us all.

Gafcon Solemn Summons to Global Bishops

Posted on September 15, 2025 
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“Dear Brothers and Sisters of Gafcon,

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus, our rock and our redeemer!

The next six months are crucial for our global Anglican church.

This is why the Gafcon Primates have summoned the world’s orthodox Anglican bishops to gather in Abuja, Nigeria, from 3 to 6 March, 2026.

This may be the most important assembly of authentic Anglicans since Gafcon reset the Communion at Jerusalem in 2008. …”

– Read the full message from Archbishop Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman of the  Gafcon Primates Council.

Southern Cross September-October 2025

Posted on September 15, 2025 
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The latest issue of Southern Cross magazine – for September-October 2025 – is now available for your encouragement.

Grab a copy at your church – or see it online here.

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