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A victory won amid Episcopal Church crisis

Many here are saddened by the recent events at the Episcopal Church’s 74th Convention in Minneapolis. I however want to remind your readers that there were many encouraging signs.

Many brothers and sisters took a strong stand for Scriptural authority at this convention. The Dallas deputies and Bishop voted ‘No’ to the consent of Canon Robinson as Bishop Coadjutor of New Hampshire. One deputy from Dallas gave her testimony at General Convention about her repentant gay son who died in her arms from AIDS. Other Episcopal dioceses made a similar stand.

Archbishop Jensen’s comments were extremely helpful and supportive, as was his leadership among the conservative bishops. His stand helped to empower and equip them. As a ‘Sydney boy’ I am proud. Now as the event is front-page news, many in the Episcopal Church here are being called to answer. Many Christians who didn’t have a vote at General Convention have been able to answer and to take the opportunity to restate the truths of the gospel. They too stand firm.

In the end, the outcome of the General Convention was not a defeat. The Episcopal Church’s Convention does not decide what is truth and what isn’t. Victory however is seen as common Christians take a stand for biblical truth.

The Rev Gavin Poole
Assistant Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church
Dallas, Texas

Worship review misses the mark

A review of my book, A Better Way, was forwarded by a friend in Australia. I have appreciated so much that is done by the Sydney Diocese for the defense of evangelical Christianity worldwide. That is why I was quite surprised to read the recent review of my latest book on worship. The reviewer did not display evidence of having read it in any depth, since he accuses me of not treating matters that I quite explicitly did handle in that book. Most importantly, however, he misread my position on worship and particularly on the sacraments as tilting toward Rome. As a professor of Reformed theology at a conservative Reformed institution, I would surely have been called on the carpet before now if that had been the case. As all of my citations (and critique of the Roman Catholic view) demon-strate, my views are no different from those of Calvin and the Reformed confessions.

Perhaps the reviewer takes for granted a low view of the church and sacraments that prevails in evangelical circles, but readers of your fine periodical should not have to choose between revivalism and Rome.

Michael S. Horton
Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary, California

Small churches deserve support

It is always interesting to read Stuart Robinson’s articles on various ministries around Sydney, not least for personal stories highlighted each month. I was especially interested to read the story of the person featured in the August edition because I believe it highlights a sad trend across the city. In an article on the growth of the church at Castle Hill we were told that the featured family came to Christ when they started attending church at Lalor Park. They were later drawn to Castle Hill ‘because of the thriving youth ministry’.

I don’t want to single out the family mentioned in this article, but it is disappointing to me that there seems to be a trend of people moving to larger churches because they have ‘better ministries’ – especially large youth ministries. Sometimes the loss of just a few families may devastate a smaller church and make effective outreach to local children, youth or young families almost impossible.

As a parent I recognise the need to do the best by our children, but I wonder if sometimes the ‘best’ may involve committing ourselves to being missionaries in our own city as we seek to grow a smaller church. As the minister of a smaller church I am praying for a few mission-minded people to join our church and play a part in reaching this suburb for Christ.

Richard Blight
Padstow, NSW

Our Anglican schools are on the cutting edge of ministry

Brian Bradley (SC, August) is to be commended for his passionate advocacy of Christian witness in government schools. I share that passion and for over three decades was privileged to be in the front-line of such a ministry in government schools and subsequently in their administration.

I suspect that only a small fraction of Anglicans recognise how much harder it is becoming to maintain a distinct influence for the gospel in government primary and secondary schools. An increasing number of subtle and not so subtle obstacles are being created. Some reflect local sensitivities or prejudices; some reflect a misunderstanding of multiculturalism or pluralism, whilst others are deliberately created to make it difficult for Christian students, teachers and visiting SRE teachers to express and model their faith.

At the same time, an increasing number of non-Christian families are choosing to enrol their children in Anglican schools where the modelling and teaching of biblical values underpin the delivery of high quality education. These schools differ from the conventional ‘Christian schools’ in many ways, not the least being their overtly inclusive enrolment policies and the targeted marketing to families who have no church association. The composition of these schools closely mirrors that of the government schools.

These schools are not by intention nor practice, safe havens for Christian teachers, students or families. Quite the contrary, they present great opportunities and challenges, and warrant the same earnest prayer support of all Anglicans as do government schools. But Brian has good reason to be concerned if there is not a massive increase soon in the number of committed Christians entering the teaching profession to serve in public and independent schools. This is one of the greatest challenges for Christian ministry in our Diocese now and over the next ten years.

Dr Bryan Cowling,
Principal Thomas Hassall Anglican College,
Hoxton Park