A Mandarin-speaking woman who first encountered church through AI translation and two young men who decided to read the Bible together before seeking baptism were among the stories highlighted by Archbishop Kanishka Raffel in his Presidential Address to Synod.
Weaving together statistics and personal testimonies, the Archbishop pointed Synod members to evidence of God's work across the Diocese.
Referring to Synod's goal of 5 per cent growth through conversion, Archbishop Raffel said churches were increasingly reaching people from overseas backgrounds, who make up 31 per cent of the population.
One example was Lucy (not her real name) who walked into a church seeking information about Sunday services.
“She only spoke Mandarin so a staff member used Google translate to explain that services have AI translation and prayed for her,” the Archbishop said. “Lucy began to attend services and took part in a Chinese inquirers course with a Mandarin speaking church member. Lucy confessed faith in Christ and was baptised.”
Click video above to watch the full address, click here to read, click below to listen.
Turning to youth ministry, the Archbishop declared “People matter to God. Young people matter to God and children matter to God.”
He reported that all 33 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have been fully implemented in the Diocese.
He said that some survivors of abuse, who he has met with, “have expressed to me that this simple piece of information, representing as it does massive cultural and institutional change and investment by us all, is of real meaning and significance for them in their journey of healing. I find this incredibly humbling, and something for which I thank God.”
The Archbishop spoke of the Alive rallies of young people as well as joint Youth group events as “Collaborative effort by schools, diocesan organisations and churches to bring the gospel to children and young adults. Because they matter to God.”
He highlighted research which showed that among Gen Z, young men are especially open to spiritual conversations.
“In the South West two young men checked out different religions online. Dissatisfied with what they found, they started to read the Bible together. After reading the Bible by themselves for some time, they decided they’d become Christians so they turned up at one of our churches and asked to be baptised. Six months later, they were.”
“He was struck by the authentic and relational way in which church members led in public prayer, and the way the Bible spoke to real life. He is now assured in his faith and sings with joy
Among Diocesan organisations, the Archbishop congratulated Moore College and Anglicare on 170 years of ministry.
He quoted statistics which showed that there are more than 450 students at Moore College, 153 of them women. 19 of the students are from overseas including Northern Ireland, Singapore, and Germany.
In statistics for Anglicare, the Archbishop said the 170th year of ministry incudes
- 45 per cent of parishes with four or more touchpoints with Anglicare;
- 62 parishes hosting the Mobile Community Pantry, which provided 28,000 low-cost bags of groceries and fresh food to 22,000 customers in 2025;
- 46 per cent of pantry customers who went on to attend another church-run activity;
- 177 chaplains employed in residential aged care, seniors communities, hospital, prison and emergency settings.
These were not merely statistics, he said, but represented hurting, needy, troubled and precious people who matter to God.
The Archbishop also highlighted religious freedom and his statements against anti-semitism – both issues that will be coming up later in the Synod.
His address ended with testimonies of four lives transformed by the gospel, including the story of a truck driver in his 50s who visited an Anglican church in Western Sydney.
“He was struck by the authentic and relational way in which church members led in public prayer, and the way the Bible spoke to real life. He joined a course and found God’s grace towards him in Jesus refreshing and compelling. He is now assured in his faith and sings with joy.”
Setting the tone for the Synod to follow, the Archbishop said “Why am I telling you these stories? Because they are beautiful. Because they are just a glimpse of what God is doing among us.”
