The most dangerous meeting in your church? Rethinking the Annual General Meeting!
Posted on February 4, 2026
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From The Pastor’s Heart this week –
“For many pastors, the AGM is something to be survived — not led.
A governance headache. A compliance exercise.
And for some, the meeting where old tensions resurface and trust quietly erodes.
But what if we’ve misunderstood the AGM?
What if, instead of just doing compliance, we aimed to build confidence?
What if the AGM could be a leadership moment — one that strengthens, not damages, your church?
Jo Gibbs (Reach Australia) and Dave Moore (Hunter Bible Church) on how to plan and lead an excellent church AGM.
• Why good AGM preparation is actually pastoral care
• How to move from enduring the AGM to envisioning it
• Why ‘no surprises’ is kindness, not bureaucracy
• What faithful impact and financial reporting really look like
• And what a genuinely Jesus-honouring AGM would feel like.”
Bondi and Antisemitism
Posted on February 3, 2026
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From Phillip Jensen:
“Before we start our 2026 Two Ways News series on 1 Corinthians, we need to have an important discussion on Bondi and antisemitism. This is something that neither of us imagined would happen.
Not all our listeners will agree with our views, but we hope the thinking and discussion is helpful grist to the mill.”
– Listen to this edition of the Two Ways News podcast from Phillip and Peter Jensen.
Church Society podcast – Leviticus
Posted on February 2, 2026
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From Church Society,
“Dr Katherine Davis, author of the new Hodder Proclamation Bible Commentary on Leviticus talks to Lee Gatiss about its relevance as Christian scripture today.”
– Listen here.
Photo credit SMBC.
New federal hate speech laws- impact on religious freedom?
Posted on February 1, 2026
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Associate Professor Neil Foster shares his opinion on the ‘“Hate Speech” laws –
“After the dreadful terrorist incident at Bondi on December 14 2025, where 15 folk from the Jewish community were murdered, the Federal government has introduced new ‘hate speech’ laws at the national level.
Whenever there is a proposal to target ‘hate speech’ there is always a potential danger that unpopular religious views will be caught up in the ban. However, it seems that the recently enacted changes will have little impact on religious freedom in Australia, except where religion is offered as a reason to justify calls for violence against others.
In this post I will try to spell out what the changes are, and why they seem to be a reasonable response to the danger of terrorist violence. …”
He does note that, “Perhaps surprisingly there is no clear definition of ‘hate group’ provided in the amendments.”
– Read it all at Law and Religion Australia.
“Supercharging” faith for 20 years
Posted on February 1, 2026
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“As Year 13 celebrates its 20th birthday this year, there is rejoicing at the number of students who have taken a gap year to get equipped for life and strengthen their spiritual foundations.
Since beginning with 16 students in 2006, over 1200 young people have been through the program.…”
– A most encouraging report from Tara Sing at SydneyAnglicans.net.
170 Years of Moore Exhibition
Posted on January 31, 2026
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From Moore Theological College:
“The Donald Robinson Library is celebrating the College’s 170th anniversary with a special exhibition on the Lower Ground Floor, featuring archival items from across the College’s history.
The display starts with Thomas Moore and the College’s early days in Liverpool, followed by items showcasing its growth and expansion.
The second part of the exhibition features documents from the lives of three key Principals (Nathaniel Jones, T.C. Hammond and D.B. Knox), alongside informal photographs and student-led publications giving an insight into the College’s communal life.
On display now until 19th June.”
New CEO for Bible Society Australia
Posted on January 31, 2026
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“Bible Society Australia (BSA) has appointed long-serving mission leader, Chris Melville, as its new Chief Executive Officer …
Mr Melville has been serving as Interim CEO for the past six months and previously held the role of Chief of Mission, where he oversaw BSA’s domestic and international mission work. …”
– News and photo via John Sandeman at The Other Cheek.
Two long-term governors of Moore College called home
Posted on January 31, 2026
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“Over its 170 years Moore College has been served by a faithful succession of wise and godly governors. These men and women have overseen the work of the College, at least at two points in its history have helped to rescue the College when it was going through hard times, and have ensured that the College’s fundamental mission of preparing godly ministers of the word of God for Sydney and the world remained unwaveringly central to all we do.
We have very great cause to thank God for those who share in the governance of our College. …”
– Moore College gives thanks for Neil Cameron (pictured) and Professor Keith Watson.
The influence of reading
Posted on January 30, 2026
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Ian Carmichael – with Matthias Media from the start (when they were known as St Matthias Press!) – shares some thoughts about reading:
“It will, I’m sure, come as no surprise to you that I am a reading enthusiast. But I don’t mean I read enthusiastically; I don’t. I generally find reading quite hard work (especially reading whilst remaining awake – which I concede is the more effective of the two modes of reading). No, I am a reading enthusiast because I believe wholeheartedly in its benefits. I am confident of its benefits generally and its benefits for our growth and maturity as Christians.
An organization in Australia called Australia Reads is on a mission to get more Australians reading, and they’ve published a significant report into the reading habits of Aussies in the hope of revealing potential strategies for achieving that mission.
I have now read that report. (See, their mission is working already!) …”
– Read it here.
Admittedly, this is could be a plug to buy books from Matthias Media (their New Year sale ends tomorrow!), but it’s also encouragement to church leaders to set an example in reading.
Photo: Ian and Stephanie Carmichael.
The Long Road to the English Bible: William Tyndale’s life and legacy, part 1
Posted on January 30, 2026
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A new resource from Tyndale House.
Tony Watkins hosts a new Tyndale House Podcast series as 2026 marks the 500th anniversary of the publication of William Tyndale’s New Testament.
“This is the first episode in our new series exploring William Tyndale’s life, Bible translation, and legacy. Tony Watkins interviews experts in the sixteenth century and the history of the Bible. In this first episode, they explore the history of Bible translation prior to William Tyndale and the cultural context in which he lived and worked.”
– See it here – or direct on YouTube.
Will the new Archbishop of Canterbury be any different?
Posted on January 29, 2026
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“The election of the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury will be confirmed at St Paul’s Cathedral on the 28th January.
She inherits a Church and a Communion in crisis.
It is profoundly regrettable that the lack of decisiveness of Mullally’s predecessors will now become her problem. The failure to deal with progressive teaching at home and abroad, and the fallout that comes from decades of prioritising the reputation of the institution over and above the needs of victims of abuse, means Sarah Mullally has a very full inbox. …”
– Sadly, the writer of this opinion piece at Anglican Futures does not have high expectations.
Where we complementarians can get it wrong with preaching
Posted on January 29, 2026
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“Over my past 26 years of ministry, I have become increasingly aware of a problem in the way complementarians teach about who should be allowed to preach.
Let me be clear—I am a complementarian, and I believe that a faithful application of 1 Timothy 2:11–15 includes a prohibition against women authoritatively teaching (now referred to as preaching) to a mixed congregation. I also believe that women who have the gift of preaching should be encouraged, trained, and given appropriate contexts to exercise that gift. I want to affirm and train women in this area.
However, complementarians often speak about 1 Timothy 2:11–15 in isolation from 1 Timothy 3:1–7. …”
– Fiest published in the ACR’s Synod 2025 Journal, Moore College’s Dean of Students Mal York points us to the full context of what Paul says about who should preach.
Image: Mal York preaching at Moore College chapel.
How did we get here? How 1776 culturally and intellectually shaped the post-Christian West
Posted on January 28, 2026
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From The Pastor’s Heart –
“Wisdom for pastors seeking to preach and lead well in a post-Christian age.
So much of our culture judges events in isolation — a single moment, a single failure, a single decision — detached from what led to it and what flows from it. But history doesn’t work like that. Events emerge from long trajectories, and they reshape the future in ways no one fully controls or intends.
We’re joined by Archie Poulos, Head of the Ministry Department at Moore Theological College, to reflect on Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West by Andrew Wilson.
Wilson’s argument isn’t that everything changed overnight in 1776, but that the events clustered around that year give us a window into the forces that have shaped the WEIRDER world we now inhabit — Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian and Romantic.
We explore why reading history as an ecosystem rather than isolated episodes matters, why Romanticism isn’t just a past movement but our present operating system, and how Christian faith — offers a deeper, more hopeful way to understand our moment.”
Anglican Heroes: Josephine Butler — Church Society Podcast
Posted on January 27, 2026
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From Church Society:
“Ros Clarke talks to Sarah Allen about the life, faith and work of 19th century social reformer Josephine Butler.”
– Listen here.
Anglicans honoured in larger Australia Day awards
Posted on January 27, 2026
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“A number of Sydney Anglicans have been acknowledged for their contributions to church and community in the Australia Day honours list, which expanded by 200 places this year.
Among the 2026 honourees was Emeritus Professor Christopher Bellenger, who was made a Member of the Order of Australia. …”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…