Global Anglican Council Communique: Our Hope for Years to Come

Posted on October 26, 2026 
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From Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman, of the Global Anglican Council:

“Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings from the land of a thousand hills and the land of a thousand smiles!

The Global Anglican Council gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, for meetings on 22–23 October 2026, followed by a concluding meeting on Sunday 25 October. This was an important time of prayer and deliberation as we sought the mind of the Lord in laying the foundations for the future of the Global Anglican Communion.

Our gathering in Kigali also provided an opportunity to celebrate the transition of leadership in the Anglican Church of Rwanda, as I conclude my ministry as Archbishop and Primate.

On Sunday 25 October, we rejoiced together at the installation of the Most Revd Dr Manasseh Gahima as the fifth Primate of Rwanda, and the Council was delighted to welcome him as a new member. Although I have retired from my leadership of the Church of Rwanda, I remain deeply committed to serving as Chairman of the Global Anglican Council.

Bishop Julian Dobbs reminded us from Psalm 90 that we can only see our days wisely when we see God clearly. Our lives are short, but our Lord is eternal, and so we must pray that he would teach us to number our days and establish the work of our hands.

We focused particularly on the guiding principles that form the foundation of our Council and Communion, as we continue the historic transition established at G26 in Abuja. We rejoice that these principles reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the authority of God’s Word, the Jerusalem Declaration, and our principled disengagement from the Canterbury Instruments of Communion.

We heard encouraging reports from our provinces and regions, giving thanks to God for the growth of evangelism and discipleship throughout the world.

We gave particular attention to Europe, where the gospel once flourished but where so many have now turned away from Christ. We were encouraged by opportunities for renewed gospel proclamation and church planting, and strengthened in our commitment to this vital mission.

We reviewed the exciting preparations for our G27 Prayer Conference in Recife, Brazil, next April, and considered the shape and vision of our GAFCON V Assembly in Athens 2028, including a theme we look forward to announcing soon.

We also considered the development of our global Secretariat and approved a refreshed logo and website address, which we look forward to unveiling in the coming weeks.

Yet we remain mindful of the schemes of the evil one, who seeks to divide Christ’s people and draw them away from the truth of God’s Word. This reminds us of our urgent need for fervent prayer, faithful preaching and steadfast commitment to the gospel.

As we sang together the great hymn O God, Our Help in Ages Past, we were reminded that the Lord who has sustained us through the years remains our hope for the future.

As we look towards gathering again in Recife next April, I ask you to continue praying for us, that the Lord would establish the work of our hands, unite us in his truth, and strengthen us for the proclamation of Christ throughout the nations.

Yours in Christ,

The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda
Chairman, Global Anglican Council
25 October 2026.

– Source: Gafcon. Larger version of the photo.

The Church of England Must Stop Wasting Money

Posted on October 26, 2026 
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Julian Mann, a former Church of England Vicar, shares some of his experiences, as well as a new report on the CofE –

“In early 2019 I was sitting in the choir stalls of a large medieval church in Sheffield with a group of somewhat stressed-out fellow clergy being told by the then new Bishop of Sheffield that the diocese couldn’t afford us and that our numbers had to be cut. …”

– At The Daily Skeptic.

Reformation Sunday — Preaching like we believe in Scripture Alone

Posted on October 25, 2026 
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David Cook has exhortation and encouragement for preachers (and their hearers) –

“Scripture Alone

Reformation Day this year is a Saturday, 31st October, the day in 1517 when Martin Luther hammered his 95 Theses to the doors of Wittenberg Cathedral.

Reformation Sunday is therefore the Sunday preceding, 25th October.

I want in this column to concentrate on the first of the five Solas, Sola Scriptura, Scripture alone.

Expository preaching begins and ends with the Bible. …”

– Read it at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Encourage your preachers to give us the Word we need to hear.

Related:

The public reading of Scripture: How to do it well – Jen Richards writes at The Australian Church Record.

Launch 2027 — 26th-29th January

Posted on October 24, 2026 
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Launch 2027, the camp for school leavers, is planned for The Tops Conference Centre at the end of January.

See all the details at Phillip Jensen’s website.

The Enduring Word: From William Tyndale to the English Standard Version

Posted on October 23, 2026 
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From Crossway –

“This short film celebrates God’s providence throughout the history of English Bible translation—from William Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament to the English Standard Version Bible.”

It’s a 20 minute video. As part of Crossway’s celebration of 25 years of the ESV.

The First 250 Books for Your Church Library

Posted on October 23, 2026 
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Do you have a church library? Or a personal library?

Tim Challies has just published a suggested list.

“I am sometimes asked to help churches evaluate their libraries, and to suggest the books they should add and the ones they should take away. I thought it might prove helpful to put together a list of the first 250 books that can get a church well on its way to having a great library.

No one will agree with every book on this list. In fact, by this time tomorrow I probably won’t agree with them all either. But I think you’ll still find it a very good place to begin as you attempt to build a well-rounded, trustworthy church library. I will work on a list for the children’s portion of the library next.”

– See his selection here.

Whether or not you’re building a church library, it’s worth looking through the list to see what you might have missed otherwise.

And there will be local sources for many of these books. (Great to support local booksellers like The Wandering Bookseller and Reformers Books.)

Reformation Day 2026 event

Posted on October 22, 2026 
Filed under Good News, Resources Comments Off on Reformation Day 2026 event

Mark Gilbert, Certainty4Eternity and Evangelism and New Churches are running what promises to be a super helpful event.

A morning helping Protestant Christians to speak with people from a Roman Catholic background about Jesus with understanding, clarity, confidence, and wisdom.

Saturday 31st October 2026, 9:15am–2:45pm at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney.

Mark also writes,

As inheritors of the Reformation, Reformation Day is a great opportunity to celebrate our identity in Christ.

But as well as that, Reformation Day 2026 will help those that come to understand people from a Roman Catholics background better so they can have great conversations with them about Jesus.

Please consider coming and bringing a team with you.

• Bible Teaching
• Historical Theology
• Applied Theology
• Evangelistic Tips
• Wonderful Testimonies
• Stephen Shead playing the grand piano
• Curated Bookstall
• Free Food

What’s not to love?

See the promo video below – and reserve your spot.

A Toolkit for Preachers

Posted on October 22, 2026 
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Presbyterian Minister Dr Peter Moore (graduate of Moore College and Christ College, and well known to many Sydney Anglicans through his mentoring ministry) has begun publishing “A Preacher’s Toolkit” as an encouragement and help to preachers:

“Clarity is a great virtue in preaching. And for clarity in what others hear, we need to ruthlessly eliminate fog in what we say.

One technique that gets rid of fog is the use of antithesis. Antithesis is placing opposite terms or meaning in connected phrases. That is exactly what Paul does in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 …” (from Principle Two – Opposites.)

– See the posts already published, and subscribe to be notified of new content.

Bathurst Diocese news — Appointment for the Parish of Blayney

Posted on October 22, 2026 
Filed under Bathurst Diocese, for your prayers, People Comments Off on Bathurst Diocese news — Appointment for the Parish of Blayney

The latest good news from the Diocese of Bathurst serves as a reminder to continue in prayer for gospel ministry across that large area of NSW.

From Archdeacon Andrew Thornhill, Diocesan Administrator –

“It is with gratitude to God that I advise that today in the parish of Blayney it is being announced that the Rev’d Julian Yin is to commence as their Deacon in Charge in late January / early February 2027. …

Julian first approached the diocese back in August, aware of the needs in our diocese including the opportunity in Blayney, to faithfully proclaim the Gospel to encourage God’s church and bring more people to Christ.

Our existing partnership with The Bridge Church (Rector Paul Dale has regularly provided Bible teaching for us including at this year’s diocesan camp; and we’ve been blessed by ministry workers sent to coordinate children and youth programs at a number of our diocesan camps) helped facilitate the parish’s discernment of Julian, and we’re so grateful to the continued Gospel partnership with The Bridge Church who are generously supporting the Yins’s ministry. …”

– Read the full announcement here.

Legal Challenge to Project Spire Announced

Posted on October 21, 2026 
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“A parish priest and a churchwarden have sought permission from the Charity Commission to launch a legal challenge to Project Spire, the Church of England’s plan to set up a £100 million fund as reparations for the church’s complicity in the transatlantic slave trade. …”

– Report from The Living Church.

Lessons, Bruises & Wins: 15 years of Vine Church with Toby Neal

Posted on October 21, 2026 
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From The Pastor’s Heart –

“They said a Bible-believing church would never grow in Sydney’s secular heartland.

But 15 years after planting Vine Church in Surry Hills with just 12 adults, Toby Neal leads a church community of more 380, with over 160 professions of faith.

Yet the journey has been anything but smooth — hostile media coverage, a controversial merger and a church that suddenly stopped growing.

Senior Pastor & planter Toby Neal says the most confronting discovery was that he himself had become the barrier to further growth — so what went wrong and how did he need to change?”

– Watch here.

Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne – new books

Posted on October 20, 2026 
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From Phillip Jensen at Two Ways News –

“Dear friends,

In this episode of Two Ways News, we welcome back Tony Payne, because each of us has published a new book this year.

Tony’s book entitled Let The Word Dwell Richly helps us understand the great importance of ministering the Word of God to one another.

My new book Written on our Hearts seeks to recover the Ten Commandments for those of us who are saved and live by grace.

This episode is not simply an advertisement for these two books, but a discussion between us about the central concepts of our publications. I hope you enjoy the discussion—and that you buy and read the books.”

– Listen – or read the transcript.

Encountering Jesus through The Mark Drama

Posted on October 19, 2026 
Filed under Evangelism, Moore College, Resources Comments Off on Encountering Jesus through The Mark Drama

From Moore College:

“Over two nights in Marcus Loane Hall, Moore College students performed The Mark Drama, a 90-minute retelling of the Gospel of Mark presented in theatre-in-the-round.

With no professionals, no props and no elaborate staging, the focus remained firmly on Jesus: his words, his actions, his death and his resurrection.

For the students involved, preparing and performing the drama was an opportunity not only to share the Gospel with others, but also to encounter its message afresh themselves. …”

– Encouraging news.

No excuses on Gambling

Posted on October 19, 2026 
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“Sydney Anglicans delivered a firm message to the Federal Parliament, demanding a total ban on online gambling advertising and inducements.

Dean of Sydney, Sandy Grant, who chairs the Diocesan Social Issues Committee, urged a senate inquiry to fully adopt the recommendations of the landmark parliamentary inquiry chaired by the late MP Peta Murphy, titled ‘You Win Some, You Lose More’. …”

– Story by Russell Powell at SydneyAnglicans.net.

Giving thanks for 100+ years of The Australian Church Record

Posted on October 18, 2026 
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“The Australian Church Record celebrated a significant milestone at this year’s Sydney Synod, with a motion recognising 100 years since the publication adopted its present name in 1926.

Giving thanks for the ACR’s ministry as an independent theological voice for Reformed Evangelical Anglicanism, the Rev Dr Mark Earngey reflected on its long history of defending biblical truth, encouraging gospel ministry and supporting evangelical work across Australia.”

– Read Mark Earngey’s encouraging speech.

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