Bathurst Diocese Bishop’s Newsletter June 2026

Posted on June 26, 2026 
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The latest Bishop’s Newsletter from the Diocese of Bathurst has been published. PDF file at this link.

Among other important topics is this request – “Please pray for great wisdom and the Lord’s guidance for the Bishop’s Election Board.” (Bishop Mark Calder retires on 19th September.)

In this newsletter, Bishop Calder writes,

“It’s been a joy and privilege to preach through Romans these past weeks; something I’ve not done before. It quickly became clear to me that Romans is not simply a detailed theological document. It is a deeply pastoral letter, written to ordinary Christians learning what it means to live in the King’s kingdom.

Again and again, Paul takes us back to the gospel: our universal sinfulness, God’s astonishing grace, justification by faith, peace with God, life in the Spirit, and the certain hope of future glory. Yet Romans never leaves these truths in the realm of theory. The gospel transforms how we think, how we worship, how we suffer, how we relate to governing authorities, how we love one another, and how we live together as God’s people.

I soon realised how determined Paul is to remove every ground for boasting in ourselves. We cannot boast in law-keeping, our religious background, or any effort to make ourselves right with God. Instead, we are reminded again and again that it is only through Jesus’ sacrifice that we are declared right with God. If we are to boast at all, we boast in the Lord.

Romans also reminds us that God’s saving purposes are far bigger than we often imagine. Through Christ, God is creating one people from many peoples, united not by background, culture, tradition, or personal preference, but by faith in his Son. We are to serve one another in humility and love our enemies generously.

My prayer is that this series has helped us to more clearly see the greatness of Jesus and what he has done for us, that we might with one mind and one voice, glorify him.”

Also on the diocesan website, and for your prayers and consideration, there’s a reminder of this parishes which are seeking leaders –

Only the Lord gives life — Community Chapel at Moore College

Posted on June 25, 2026 
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From Moore College –

“In the last week of May, faculty, staff, students and families gathered for Community Chapel, a regular opportunity for the Moore College community to meet together around God’s word, encourage one another, and reflect on his faithfulness. …”

– Read at the College website.

Bishops after attack on Anglican cathedral in Nairobi

Posted on June 25, 2026 
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“‘If what we saw happen in All Saints Cathedral Nairobi is anything to go by, where a meeting was disrupted by goons, who were so confident as to even threaten the policemen present, a grave danger awaits us!’ affirmed the bishops of Kenya in a pastoral letter…’

The incident refers to the attack by unidentified young men on motorcycles on All Saints Cathedral, belonging to the Anglican Church of Kenya, in Nairobi on June 12 during a public event discussing the state budget. …”

– Report from Catholic news service Fides.

The Church of England’s Problem with Antisemitism

Posted on June 25, 2026 
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“This week, the Archbishop of Canterbury is visiting Israel/Palestine and meeting with Palestinian Christians there, who have made a plea for churches in the West to support them and campaign for peace in the region.

For reasons I will explain below, I think this visit, like the earlier one by Rachel Treweek, Graham Usher, and Guli Francis-Dehqani (bishops of Gloucester, Norwich, and Chelmsford) are disastrous for the Church of England, for Jews in Britain, and for our relationship with the Jewish community. …”

– At Psephizo, Ian Paul shares his possibly controversial, but very interesting, commentary on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s current overseas trip.

Image: Ian Paul speaking at the Church of England’s General Synod in February 2024.

William Tyndale: The most important Englishman in history?

Posted on June 25, 2026 
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“William Tyndale was the first person to translate the New Testament into English from Greek, and this was the first NT printed in English. It had an immense impact on the English-speaking world, which reverberates down into our own time. …”

– Tony Watkins at Tyndale House in Cambridge has this sketch of the life and importance of William Tyndale.

“In 2026, Tyndale House [celebrates] the 500th anniversary of the Tyndale New Testament (1526).

This anniversary marks a turning point in the history of the English Bible and an enduring reminder of why William Tyndale matters today: he placed the word of God into the hands of ordinary people, doing so with attention to the original languages and giving his life for this mission.”

Click this link for more.

Why do young people leave the church, and what do we need to change to help them stay? Ruth Lukabyo

Posted on June 24, 2026 
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From The Pastor’s Heart –

“New research suggests that around 70% of those who attended church regularly at age 11 are no longer attending by their late twenties, with the most vulnerable years stretching from around age 10 through to 25.

Dean of Students at Youthworks College Ruth Lukabyo explores why young people disengage, how inherited faith becomes owned faith and what churches can do to better navigate the critical transitions from childhood to adulthood.

We discuss the practical changes pastors, parents and churches can make to help more young people keep following Jesus for the long haul.”

– Very helpful.  Watch or listen here.

The Anglican Church of Canada has published a [trial] euthanasia liturgy

Posted on June 24, 2026 
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From Anglican Samizdat in Canada –

“The state in Canada has euthanised around 80,000 people as part of its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) programme since its inception in 2016. That’s one in 20 deaths. So far, you have to be over 18 and of sound mind to request termination. The state even pays for it regardless of income, a claim it can’t make about dental care.

To solemnise the occasion, the Anglican Church of Canada has published a series of liturgies to be used at the bishop’s discretion. …”

– Read here.

ACL AGM Address 2026 — Dr Lionel Windsor

Posted on June 24, 2026 
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The Rev Dr Lionel Windsor, New Testament Lecturer at Moore Theological College and ACL Council Member, gave the occasional address at the Anglican Church League’s 2026 Annual General Meeting.

His topic was: “Built on the foundation, joined together: Does God care about inter-church organisations?”  A talk on Ephesians 2:20–22.

“How do we define who the ACL is from a theological point of view? There are two dangers when we attempt to define ourselves theologically. At one end of the spectrum, we create too grand a vision and start believing church political networks like the ACL are central to God’s purposes in the universe. Yet at the other end, there is the danger that we become purely pragmatic, seeing the ACL as exclusively a human organisation. …”

– Listen to the full 19 minute talk here:

 

Or download the 19MB mp3 file at this link.

My Rights — Freedom, life, and liberty?

Posted on June 23, 2026 
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From Phillip Jensen –

“Today we are looking at freedom from slavery in the beginning of 1 Corinthians 9, but we decided to call this episode ‘My Rights’, for the way the passage has been translated raises the question of ‘rights’. The passage is really about the authority of the Apostle—an authority he does not use in his concern for other people’s salvation.

It is an extraordinary explanation of the nature of Christ’s work of salvation, preached in the apostolic gospel and lived out by the Apostle Paul.”

– Listen (or read the transcript) at Two Ways News.

(You can also join the Supporters Club – scroll down at this link.)

Bishop Richard Condie’s 2026 Presidential Address to the Synod of the Diocese of Tasmania

Posted on June 23, 2026 
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Bishop of Tasmania Richard Condie delivered his Presidential Address at the 2026 earlier this month.

It’s now on the diocesan website –

“Synod is about partnership. We each have our roles to play, as we bring our spiritual gifts to bear on our ministry and leadership. Each Parish and sector ministry, each chaplaincy and school has a unique context with unique mission challenges. But Synod reminds us that we do not labour alone, but alongside each other in partnership in the gospel. Paul was very aware of this as he wrote to the Philippian church. He was not a solo missionary, nor was the church in Philippi all on its own. Rather, Paul gives thanks to God for their partnership, their fellowship, their communion in the Gospel, right through his association with then. They were in this together, and so are we.

I am so thankful for your partnership and prayers and give thanks to God for them. I have been especially aware of this in recent days as we have begun to address our challenges around redress, but also in the development of our renewed shared Vision that we will launch at this Synod. We genuinely do this work together and it is a great joy. …”

Bishop Condie speaks around three points –

  1. Where we have come from
  2. Where we are now – redress
  3. The Future – Launching Tasmanian Anglicans 2031.

Under the third heading, he outlines –

– Read it all here.

Plenty of food for prayer for our brothers and sisters and the progress of the gospel in Tasmania.

Image thanks to the Diocese of Bathurst.

Bishop Malcolm Richards reports from DRC on the Ebola crisis

Posted on June 22, 2026 
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SydneyAnglicans.net has this report from Bishop Malcolm Richards, Sydney’s Bishop for International relations. He is on a pastoral visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Photo thanks to Anglican Media Sydney.

Nine Questions every Pastor should ask about their Church’s music

Posted on June 22, 2026 
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9Marks has republished this 2014 article by Keith and Kristyn Getty, excerpted from their book Sing!: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church –

“The one thing we have learned above all others as we have traveled with our music these last ten years is this: Good congregational singing begins with the pastoral leadership.

Whatever the denomination, musical style, or cultural background, the singing is directly proportional to the senior pastor’s or leadership team’s care for the subject. It is not primarily the music, or the musical leadership, or the budget. Just like parents can’t blame their child’s ballet teacher if she behaves badly through the week, so the leader of the church, and not the music leader or team, is ultimately responsible for how well the congregation is singing.

With that in mind, here are 10 questions we encourage every pastor to ask. …”

– Read it here.

Last week we linked to Liv Chapman Leggett’s review of the book at The Australian Church Record.

Shaped in Community

Posted on June 21, 2026 
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The Dean of Sydney Sandy Grant writes in the Cathedral newsletter –

“Dear Friends, today, I republish the first half of an excellent article by Cathedral Canon Dr Mark Thompson from the latest edition of Moore Matters, the newsletter magazine our Moore College, our ministry training theological college.

I asked for Mark’s permission, since what he says about why it is valuable to study theology face-to-face in community is equally true about why it is so important to keep coming to church.

We both acknowledge there are times when this is not possible, for example, my relative in aged care now watches the Cathedral service online, because she can no longer easily get to her local parish. But Mark shows why it is so important to pursue face-to-face community and learning, when he writes…”

– At the Cathedral website.

And see the full Moore Matters Winter 2026.

The State of Theology in Canada – some good news, but not a lot

Posted on June 21, 2026 
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“What do Canadians in 2026 believe about God, the Bible, and salvation? Ligonier Ministries Canada and Lifeway Research partnered to find out. …

Evangelicals were defined by Lifeway Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:

– See the rather mixed results here. (Link thanks to challies.com.)

“Magnifica Humanitas”. The Chart of Roman Catholic Humanism and Its Theological Problems

Posted on June 19, 2026 
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Leonardo De Chirico takes a look at the first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, of Leo XIV, Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. The encyclical is his response to the rise of Artificial Intelligence.

De Chirico examines the place, in this document, of sin and the Atonement – “In MH the cross is only mentioned once… in a quotation from a 19th century French theologian…”

In summary, he writes,

“The voice of the Pope adds new strength to the choir of those who don’t want to succumb to the technocracy of AI and should be heard by all those who share this concern.

Having said that, the theological vision of MH is embedded in the Roman Catholic account of the nature-grace interdependence. …

The language used is Christian as far as the use of words is concerned, but the meaning is Roman Catholic rather than biblical. This results in doctrinal ambiguity at best…”

– See his reasoning at Vatican Files.

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