Clergy applying for ordination in the Sydney Diocese will have their privacy invaded under tough questioning about past misconduct, Philip Gerber, Director of the Diocese of Sydney's Professional Standards Unit, has admitted. But he says it is an invasion of privacy ‘we had to have'.

The Rev David Mansfield, Director of Evangelism Ministries (EM) has resigned after 12 years to become the rector of St Phillip's, York Street.

Church plant of the month: Keen church members at St Edmund's, Eastgardens who are sharing the gospel with their friends and neighbours are continuing to see more people put their trust in Christ.

Canberra and Goulburn's new Assistant Bishop, Archdeacon Trevor Edwards, has been appointed to head up the diocese's evangelistic efforts, but says his first task will be to ‘restore confidence in the gospel'.

Since being forced to resign as the Chief Executive Officer of the Bulldogs Rugby League Club on March 22, Steve Mortimer has taken some time off to “catch his breath and smell the roses”. Mr Mortimer resigned following the furore over allegations that up to six Bulldogs players sexually assaulted a woman in a Coffs Harbour hotel in February. Mr Mortimer insisted that all players must be “answerable to community standards”.

After more than a decade of negotiations the back block of Bishopscourt, the Archbishop of Sydney's residence, is to be developed and sold.

Debate has fired up between theologians over the merits of the English Standard Version (ESV). Two years after the Bible's release into the Australian market, opinions are divided over the ESV's usefulness in church life and whether the promoters and publishers ‘oversold' the translation.

Ellen Fok would not have made the decision to follow Christ this time last year had it not been for a simple sign advertising English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at All Saints Anglican Church, West Lindfield.