newsletter Greetings in Christ, I thank the members of Anglicans Together for this opportunity to serve as President. Anglicans Together has built up a significant profile in the Diocese of Sydney, and even beyond. It has raised many good and important issues in the life of the church and continues to present views on the many challenges facing the future of the church. Together we work for a more inclusive, diverse and grace-filled church that is engaged with world in which we live. I have chosen the title ‘Ora et Labora’ for my column because it says something about what is important for me in my Christian journey. This Latin phrase means ‘Pray and Work’ and is a summation of the Benedictine Rule. It also reminds me of the need for a balance in life between the ‘physical’ and the ‘spiritual’; between ‘doing’ and ‘contemplating’, and between ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling’. So this column is about both being prayerful and becoming more engaged with what God is calling us to do and be. Davies encourages us to be Bishop of Newcastle and Dr Sarah A NEW ARCHBISHOP AND transformed by the gospel so that Macneil Bishop of Grafton. Dr OTHER NEW DIRECTIONS through our behaviour people may Macneil will be the first female see its truth lived out in both word diocesan bishop in Australia, and her This has been a time of change and action. election is a sign of inclusion, equity in a number of areas in the life of and the changing face of the church; the church including the We are fortunate, our new and for which many of us rejoice. In leadership of the Diocese of Archbishop knows this diocese other developments, we welcome the Sydney. We welcome our new and city well and he comes with a appointment of The Reverend Chris Archbishop, Dr Glenn Davies, and wealth of experience in parish Edwards as Regional Bishop of look forward to working with him ministry, theological education, North Sydney. We will pray for on Christ’s mission in the Diocese. and pastoral oversight as a Greg, Sarah and Chris as they take regional bishop. It has also been From both his Presidential up their new responsibilities in 2014. encouraging to hear him speak on Address at Synod and his a number of occasions of the need We are also seeing the ongoing engagement with clergy at recent for greater transparency, diversity work of the Royal Commission into meetings, he has expressed a desire and grace in our activities both Institutional Responses to Child to see a church that is more engaged externally with the wider Sexual Abuse and its beginning to with the community, especially in its community and internally with question a number of Anglican efforts to present the gospel as an each other. These are encouraging leaders on the handling of child expression of the reality of the love attitudes. protection matters in the church over of Christ for all. This is no easy task the past sixty years. This is a hard in our times both because of the In other developments over the but necessary process that will internal divisions of the church as past couple of months, Bishop Greg hopefully enable victims to find well as a rising external hostility Thompson has been elected the new healing and support, and likewise toward it. Nevertheless, Archbishop encourage the church to repent, learn have been, and remain, negative and renew itself because of its aspects of church life. EPISCOPAL failings toward the wider community It is for these reasons, among APPOINTMENTS in the past. others, that there has been a decline in church participation over the past SYNOD sixty years from around 50% of the 247663$ % $!"! Sue Hooke and Lyn Bannerman population to fewer than 10% now. %!$!#%! 01 have provided an excellent report on Here in Sydney, around 2% of the the recent Diocesan Synod. It was, population regularly participate in by comparison with others, a fairly the life of the Anglican Church – tame affair; which is probably a which is little different from the good thing. national average. That means 98% Synods in recent years have too of the population are not connected often become more a reflection of with us – even though around 60% the dysfunctional nature of the of the population identify themselves church rather than as a means for as Christian and 17% as Anglican! good governance. I note that the We have some serious work to do, Church of England is currently perhaps even seeking to reconcile looking at changing the operation of with our own community. its General Synod in this regard, Over the next year I am going to because recent behaviour reflects an consider the sustainability of the # image of a church that is at war with church in Australia. There are a lot itself. Recent debates have been of things to explore; from our described as being conducted in a historical roots to our ecclesiology ‘rude and unchristian way’. Of and structure, our approach to course, it is never defensible to argue education, welfare and community that a synod is a secular assembly engagement, and on to matters of and that the expectations of Christian governance, management and respect and love do not apply. transparency. Yet, so much of this comes down ISSUES FOR THE CHURCH to a matter of trust – or perhaps a lack of it. 2653$ In 1983 Dr Kenneth Dempsey The Reverend Andrew Sempell ""! %)#$!" published a book titled Conflict and President, Anglicans Together &$$% (% $!"! Decline, which described the !#%) )1 problems of a Methodist church in a small country town during the 1960s. It was a prophetic piece of THE AUSTRALIAN writing that revealed the problems of CHRISTIAN BOOK OF THE a congregation at war with itself YEAR - 2013 WINNER during a time of rapid social change. The dynamics of the relationships Forged with flames: between ‘insiders and outsiders’, the A true story of courage power games of both clergy and and survival laity, financial mismanagement, and Ann Fogarty & Anne Crawford the tensions arising from harking Wild Dingo Press #'#$ back to ‘the good old days’ versus Where is God when it hurts? ! the desire to be relevant to society; This is the story of Ann’s ordeal by all served to create an atmosphere of fire. It is a distinctively Australian mistrust, conflict and disconnection saga. It tells of Ann’s epic trial in " # $ from the wider community. This is a Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria, when %& parable for the church in our own the 1983 Ash Wednesday left her ' ! ( $ times. with life-threatening burns to eighty- $ five percent of her body. The issues of sectarianism, Ann’s story is compelling, fundamentalism, tribalism, unforgettable and inspiring. ) judgementalism, narrowness, * $ arrogance, abuse and + *+ , , defensiveness (to name but a few) But lo! There breaks a yet more glorious day? I cannot recall hearing these words of Bishop William Walsham How in a Sydney Synod. How they resonated at the first Synod presided over by Archbishop Glenn. The inclusiveness of this hymn is not always appreciated as we usually sing an abbreviated version. While we acknowledge soldiers, faithful true and bold, we omit verses including the Apostles glorious company, the Evangelists and the Martyrs. It is indeed very inclusive. I would like to believe For All the Saints was chosen with the purpose of signalling a change of direction. At time of writing no sale has been announced. I made a suggestion to The Archbishop’s address is on A NEW DIOCESAN MISSION reallocate funding on a short term the website* and I commend it to FROM 2015 ANNOUNCED basis to enable this proposal to you. After further consultation, and a proceed immediately, but the To quote briefly: survey of the Diocese, plans are to majority of Synod was not so My vision for the next five years is to see come back to Synod in 2014. While minded. It is a concern that good the name of Jesus exalted in the city of the Archbishop’s message stated that ideas cannot be supported Greater Sydney and beyond, and to see immediately. his body, which is the church, gaining “In the next stage of our life greater honour and respect among the together as a Diocese, our mission Archbishop Davies can only work communities in which we live (Ephesians needs to be refreshed and effectively if our Diocese has 3:10, 21). For this to happen we must be sharpened”, there is no freshness efficient administrative people who are energised and and sharpness in the draft Mission. arrangements. While many transformed by the gospel, such that our No clarity of goals or focus of improvements have been made since lives reflect not merely the rhetoric, but strategies. The survey was directed the very big loss, more work is still the reality, of the love of Christ. to the faithful in the tent. There is no required. Let our love for one another and our indication that those who have left love for God, grounded in Christ’s love their parishes in droves over the last Much time was spent debating for us, be the magnet that draws few decades are being asked ‘why the details of a draft governance unbelievers to the Saviour so that they did you go?’ or ‘what would bring policy, brought to Synod by Dr too may be enfolded into the fellowship you back?’ Our Diocese has Laurie Scandrett, CEO, to apply to of the church, which is his body and his invested heavily in re-building its all organisations and Anglican temple. We love him because he first Schools Corporation.