MOORE MATTERS
Bathurst experiencing Gospel-focused change PAGE 4 Canberra kids: On fire for Jesus PAGE 6 Tasmania - making disciples at the ends of the earth PAGE 10
MISSION ACROSS AUSTRALIA
Mark Thompson / Principal
Whether under the umbrella of the Anglican church—7 of 21 dioceses in the Anglican Church of Australia (ACA) are led by Moore College graduates—or other networks like the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), those who have studied at Moore are increasingly seeing the whole of Australia as their mission field.
On the one hand, ministry in many of these places looks very different to gospel ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. The financial strain borne by rural Australia has an impact on the churches. There are often very few resources. Sometimes evangelical ministries have to endure a hostile church leadership which puts one obstacle after another in the way of effective gospel outreach. At other times the struggles are more internal as congregation members find it hard to embrace change even when they can see it is necessary.
On the other hand, increasingly there are stories of lives being changed, a fresh new life and joy in local congregations (and not just in those who have seen substantial growth in numbers), and new initiatives being taken as with a new-found confidence churches begin to look outward and not just inward. God is powerfully at work in many places across our nation and it is exciting to see Moore College graduates be a part of that.
In rural Australia, and in the bustling cities of our country, there is a profound sense of dissatisfaction and unease. It’s here in Sydney too. Australians are longing for meaning and
connection, something other than the hardheaded materialism and hedonism that is pumped into our heads from every angle. Increasingly they are disenchanted with the empty promises attached to a doctrinaire revisionism that suggests a new concept of human identity, human sexuality, human relational networks as the answer to our epidemic of anxiety, depression and fear. Our neighbours in the cities and the remote parts of the country need to know that they have been searching for answers and peace and fulfilment in all the wrong places.
The gospel of Jesus crucified, risen and ascended is what is needed in every state and territory that makes up this country. It is
GOD IS POWERFULLY AT WORK IN MANY PLACES ACROSS OUR NATION AND IT IS EXCITING TO SEE MOORE COLLEGE GRADUATES BE A PART OF THAT.
what is needed by every people group in our increasingly diverse and multicultural nation. It is what is needed by those who are oblivious to what is going on around them and those who feel crushed by the burden of a world gone crazy. It is needed by those who have lost everything and by those who are drowning in their own affluence. ‘Come to me’, Jesus said —‘Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls’ (Matt. 11:28–29). And that invitation has no restrictions and is certainly not limited to the cities, even the great city of Sydney.
Each year when our annual College missions are held, students are given the opportunity of
leaving Sydney and going out into other parts of Australia. They go to learn from what God is doing in places other than Sydney. They go to share the gospel and introduce men and women to Jesus. Invariably their vision is exploded. The need is greater than they imagined and God is most definitely at work calling people to himself in the most unexpected places. The challenges are real but so are the opportunities.
I am so glad for the partnerships we have with churches, dioceses and other networks all around Australia. It is an immense privilege to be drawn into what God is doing across our continent. We cannot afford to be parochial, so focussing on what is happening in our little patch that we are unable to see that the fields are white for harvest across the mountains, on the other side of the Hawkesbury, south of Kosciusko, and on the shores of the Indian Ocean. People need to hear the wonderful news of the gospel and be introduced to Jesus in the sparsely populated rural regions and in the frenetically busy and overcrowded urban centres.
Of course we all know this is true. I am hoping, though, that the stories you will find in the pages of this issue of Moore Matters will bring that truth alive in your imaginations. I am praying that it will stir you to give thanks for what God is doing and that through your partnership with Moore College you are involved in this larger mission too. A significant number of the current student body are considering offering themselves for ministry outside of Sydney once they graduate. Please pray for them. Ask God to lead and direct them to where they might make a vital contribution to the growth of Christ’s kingdom in the rest of Australia. Pray for the work that only God can do in the hearts of men and women, wherever they might be, so that they might leave behind their pretended self-sufficiency, or conversely their resignation to
EXPLANATION OF THE COVER
During the 2024 Moore Mission week a team of College students partnered with St James Anglican Church Kununurra and Bush Church Aid to proclaim Christ in the East Kimberley. A young church in a young town, St James established their vision to reach the whole town population (5494 residents) with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please keep praying for the lost in Kununurra, NW Australia, that they will come to know Jesus, and for the saints there to be bold and courageous in sharing him.
despair, and embrace the gospel of sins forgiven, new life begun as a disciple of Jesus, and hope anchored in the goodness and love of God. By God’s Spirit might they hear and accept the invitation, ‘Come to me …’ M M
▴ Top Image: Gathering of St James Anglican church, Kununurra, a Moore Mission 24 partner.
Bottom Image: Townsville, a Moore Mission 24 destination
Mark Thompson Principal
About Moore College
Moore College exists to train men and women to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. Since 1856, more than 5,000 students have graduated from the College and have been sent out by God. Moore College has equipped men and women to serve in over 50 countries across the World.
Moore Matters is the newsletter publication of Moore
Theological College
Principal of Moore College » The Rev Dr Mark Thompson
Editors » Jamie Telfer, Karen Beilharz and Heidi Combs
Art and Design » Lankshear Design
Moore Matters
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Q&A
BATHURST EXPERIENCING GOSPEL-FOCUSED CHANGE
Simon Gillham / Vice Principal, in conversation with The Right Reverend Mark Calder, Bishop of Bathurst and The Rev James Boardman, Minister-in-Training at Bathurst Cathedral.
THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITED CONVERSATION BETWEEN SIMON GILLHAM AND MARK CALDER AND JAMES BOARDMAN, FULL TIME GOSPEL WORKERS IN THE DIOCESE OF BATHURST IN CENTRAL WEST NSW.
Simon Gilham: Mark, you’ve been Bishop of Bathurst for almost five years. What have been some of the joys and challenges of working in this Diocese?
getting excited about it. In one of our churches, people have noticed that the Bible has been taught and opened in a way they haven’t experienced before, and they’re saying, “Why hasn’t anybody told us this?” They’re wrestling with the Bible in a way they haven’t before.
SG: Praise God! James, you’ve been part of that change Mark is talking about. You’ve been at the Cathedral for a year and a half. What brought you from Sydney to Bathurst?
“ CHURCHES ARE GROWING AND FLOURISHING BECAUSE THE MINISTRY IS NOW A LITTLE MORE RELEVANT TO YOUNGER FAMILIES. A CHURCH IN MILLTHORPE IS RUNNING ITS FIRST SUNDAY SCHOOL IN 30 YEARS.
Mark Calder: It’s been a huge privilege. Most people know that the Diocese had been going through some very hard times. So when I sat down with the Bishop’s election board to chat about the role, they asked me to bring gospelfocused Christ-centred change.
Under God, we’ve seen that happen. When I came, there was virtually no one under 70 in many of our churches. But new ministers have come, and we’ve been able to lower the average age of ministers, who are now serving with their young families.
Churches have doubled and tripled in size. Some have gone from seven to 21. That’s still tripled! Churches are growing and flourishing because the ministry is now a little more relevant to younger families. A church in Millthorpe is running its first Sunday School in 30 years. At the Cathedral where James is, they’ve established an afternoon kids club and a morning playgroup. These sorts of things haven’t been tried successfully for a long time.
People are getting excited. Furthermore, as they begin to understand the gospel, people are
James Boardman: The plan after theological college was that I was going to be a minister in Sydney. Then all of a sudden, this opportunity came up: Mark posted on Facebook about a twoyear training role at the Cathedral funded by the Bush Church Aid Society (BCA). Unlike the
Mark Calder, 1988 Graduate ▸
◂ James Boardman, 2022 graduate
Armidale Diocese, Bathurst doesn’t have roles or funds for ten assistant ministers. So instead, BCA have come in and very generously funded this role to train ministers who then go on to become rectors.
After some prayer, we were convicted that this was the right move. Since we’ve arrived, it’s been a real joy, getting alongside the team and seeing some wonderful growth in the gospel. Coming out of College, I wanted to know how to do a baptism, how to do a funeral, and how to run a parish council. This is giving me the opportunity to do all of that.
SG: Fantastic! The partnership with BCA also connects you with a broader group of churches. Tell us about that.
JB: It’s been phenomenal. BCA has 30,000 supporters across the country, so lots of people are praying for us. I’ve got partner churches at Surfers Paradise, Nowra, Randwick and Cremorne who pray for us regularly. One church raised $750 to buy equipment for our playgroup. Another bought a train set for our playgroup. It’s wonderful to have this broader network, knowing that we’re all on the same mission to make Jesus known.
SG: What have been some of the joys?
JB: The greatest joy has been seeing four people come to faith. We started a Christianity Explored program: three came to faith through that, and we’ve got another two going through our current course.
Also, as Mark said, we established a playgroup last August. That’s now grown to 25 kids. All of them are hearing the gospel, week in, week out, and that’s opened up some phenomenal gospel conversations.
SG: Mark, who can come serve in Bathurst? What kind of people are you looking for?
MC: A range of people with different gifts and abilities at different stages of life. Basically, we want people who love Jesus, who want to make him known, and who’ve had some training in the Bible so that they’re able to help people to understand it.
I keep saying I don’t want people to come and run our churches, spending all their time doing programs and rosters behind computers. One of the people who just started with us said, “I think shepherds should smell like sheep, because they’ve been spending time with them.” That’s exactly the sort of people we want— people who will spend time with people, getting out into the community, coming alongside
people and opening the Bible with them. Many of these people have never had a minister visit them. They certainly haven’t had anyone sitting down and reading the Bible with them before.
As much as possible, though, I want people to be involved full-time. Some parishes say, “Mark, we only need somebody part-time.” I reply, “No, you need someone full-time.” A part-time minister will keep things ticking over. But someone in full-time ministry will be able to make those extra connections, go those extra miles, and immerse themselves in the life of the community. They will end up really making a difference.
A church can’t grow and flourish without a dedicated shepherd. We only have 28 parishes, but we’re a third of the size of New South Wales. The distances are huge. Of those 28 parishes, I still have eleven without clergy. Some of them have been without clergy three, four, five, six years. That’s taking its toll. The lay ministers do a fantastic job, but they’re getting tired, and some of them, by their own admission, are getting old.
I really need people to come to those eleven parishes. We can tailor the situation to fit the needs, gifts, skills and life experience of people who are putting up their hand. So if that’s you, let’s have a conversation and see where that goes. M M
PRAYER
• Thanks for the salvation of new believers, for the growth of ministry oppor tunities and for the teams of people working together for God’s glory across the Bathurst Diocese.
• Thanks for the prayerful support of BCA in the Bathurst Diocese.
• Prayer for the provision of 11 ministers to bring support to parishes across the region.
This interview was recorded in May 2024 and since that time James Boardman has been appointed Minister at Holy Trinity Kelso from 2025.
Watch the full interview
▴ The Right Revd Mark Calder, Bishop of Bathurst with the Boardman Family (James, Charly, Elijah, Joshua and Hannah) and The Revd Paul Sampson, Bush Church Aid NSW/ ACT Regional Officer
CANBERRA KIDS: ON FIRE FOR JESUS
Karen Beilharz / Communications Team
SARAH ROOTES HAS ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR CHILDREN’S MINISTRY.
It’s partly due to her upbringing: she was born in Parkes in central west New South Wales, and raised in what was then a Christian home in Dubbo, the third of four siblings. Although she can’t remember a time when she didn’t know Jesus, she does recall moments of great clarity and understanding—for example, when she was eight and was invited by her church to follow Jesus and secure her eternity.
“That really appealed to the anxious mind I had as a child,” Sarah recalls. “I thought, ‘If I know the future is taken care of, that’s one less thing on my mind.’”
Her passion for children’s ministry is also partly due to her mother, who not only taught her the Bible, but who also modelled service, teaching in their church’s kids’ ministry. And it’s partly due to a female church ministry worker,
“ HER PASSION FOR CHILDREN’S MINISTRY IS ALSO PARTLY DUE TO HER MOTHER, WHO NOT ONLY TAUGHT HER THE BIBLE, BUT WHO ALSO MODELLED SERVICE, TEACHING IN THEIR CHURCH’S KIDS’ MINISTRY. ”
who also provided a formative example in her creativity of programs and genuine care for the children and youth.
But it wasn’t until Sarah came to Canberra that she began to understand what God’s grace meant for how she lived and what she ought to do with her life. She studied sports management at the University of Canberra and she became involved with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) group on campus: “There was a moment in Uni where I had to choose whether to keep following Jesus or go my own way. I decided to go all in with Jesus and say no to the other way of life.”
Even though Sarah loved sport, she ended up caring more about what was going on in her AFES group and at her new church, Crossroads. At Crossroads, she was struck by the way they approached kids’ ministry: the church wanted kids to not just learn Bible stories, but to encounter the God of the Bible. “I fell in love with the idea that we could teach biblical theology creatively and age appropriately to people so that they can have confidence in who Jesus is and what he’s done for them,” Sarah explains.
She was involved with AFES group leadership, leading a church Bible study group, teaching kids on Sundays and being trained to read the Bible with people when she was asked to consider ministry apprenticeship: “I always had had a deep love for kids and seeing kids learn the Bible, and had grown so much myself through others reading the Bible with me so that when someone tapped me on the shoulder, I was like, ‘Oh yeah. If God could use me that way, I’d be
However, to honour her parents, Sarah spent a year after
SARAH ROOTES, 2021 GRADUATE
graduation, working and using the degree that they had helped pay for. The following year in 2014, she began her ministry apprenticeship, splitting her time between training students at the Australian National University (ANU) and teaching and coordinating the Sunday kids’ ministry at Crossroads.
At the end of two years, Sarah wasn’t quite ready to upend her life for theological college. Instead, she accepted a children’s ministry job at another church in Canberra. That gave her extra time to become more persuaded that theological education was the right next step. “It’s not that I didn’t trust theological education,” Sarah says. “I just couldn’t quite see how it would benefit. After all, I’d been doing the job all right over the past two years.”
In the end, she recognised her need for a solid theological foundation, and came to see how theological study would help her ministry. In 2018, she moved to Sydney to enrol in the Bachelor of Divinity at Moore College.
College brought its own challenges. In her first year, Sarah was moved out of residence at Deaconness House as it was in need of repairs— repairs that extended well into her second year. In her third and fourth years, COVID and Sydney lockdowns caused major disruptions to study and community life. These stresses and hitting rock bottom also uncovered Sarah’s anxiety disorder, a condition that she hadn’t quite accepted.
Still, she says, it was really great to be learning about God during this time: “The study and the essays I was writing were just so helpful: I’d be reflecting on an aspect of the Christian life, a certain aspect of God’s character or the work of Christ, and marvelling at all God has given us. At the same time, I had space to work through personal stuff. I came out the other side with a much more realistic view of the way my mind works, as well as a really strong foundation and understanding of the Bible that informed that.”
That foundation has helped Sarah well in her current role as Assistant Pastor, Kids and Youth, back at Crossroads, her former church. There, she serves alongside the youth pastor and another children’s pastor, ministering to the kids and youth of the 800-strong members who attend Crossroads’ four services, and recruiting, training and overseeing leaders.
“My program writing is much more filled out now,” Sarah declares. “I used to be, ‘All right: here’s the passage. Teach it this way.’ But now I know how to piece together a program that has more continuity and that operates as a unit, instead of as a series of lessons. The ones I wrote before College are missing that depth and
grounding I only have now because of College.
“Pastorally, College has helped me in that I know myself better, and I know who I am in God with greater confidence. I’m thinking about myself less when caring for the youth. Now that I’m three years out and much more settled, this is helping me train my leaders and direct them in discipling the youth or kids underneath them well. My goal is that kids grow up knowing that they’re part of God’s family and inspiring them to want to serve him from a young age—so that by the time they leave school, they’re on fire for Jesus.” M M
PRAYER
• Thank God for the ministry workers who share their faith with kids each day and who have a lasting impact on the lives of those kids as they demonstrate what it means to live for Christ.
• Thank God for the ministry of Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES), and for young Christians and new Christians who blossom under their discipleship.
• Pray that the kids of Canberra will grow to know their place in God’s family.
On fire for J esus
▴ Photos above
active in her role as Assistant Pastor, Kids and Youth at Crossroads Church Canberra and Sarah at College.
Sarah Rootes
LOCKLEYS
CAMPBELLTOWN
ADELAIDE MOUNT BARKER
ADELAIDE PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES TO GROW
Paul Harrington / Senior Network Pastor, The Trinity Network of Churches
Holy Trinity Church is the pioneer church of Adelaide. After WWII, it experienced rapid growth and reached capacity at its site in the centre of town. In the 1990s, the leadership and members were asking God to enable us to be as effective as possible in seeing the gospel go out to our city and State. Would it involve developing larger facilities that removed the artificial growth ‘ceiling’, or should we consider planting churches in the suburbs of Adelaide?
We thought the most effective way to reach our city would be to start planting churches on a circumference 20-25 minutes drive from the
city. In 2001, under God, we planted a church, sending 75 people and a pastor to start a new congregation about 25 minutes drive from the CBD. It created space for the city church to grow, and the new congregation grew quickly. Fast forward to 2024, and, praise God, we are now a network of 14 churches scattered around Adelaide and regional South Australia. Five of these have been sent out by the City church. The other eight have been plants of church plants (granddaughter churches). It’s been a period of sustained growth, with many coming into the kingdom as the gospel has been proclaimed. Our prayerful desire has remained constant. We are keen to glorify God and see His gospel extended to everyone in our city and State. We are asking God to go before us and enable the Trinity Network to double in size over the next ten years through the planting of evangelistically healthy new churches.
VICTOR HARBOR
PAUL AND SUE HARRINGTON, 1988 COHORT
Trinity Network in South Australia ▴
We are so thankful for our partnership with Moore Theological College
Holy Trinity has been the beneficiary of a rich legacy from Moore Theological College (MTC). Many past rectors and staff trained at MTC which has been a significant factor in retaining a strong evangelical ministry in a non-evangelical diocese and city. Reg Piper (Rector of Holy Trinity from 1980-93) and his wife Dorothy discipled my wife Sue and myself when we became Christians and encouraged us to train at MTC in the mid-1980s. Our time at College profoundly shaped our thinking about the Bible, ministry and leadership. When we left College at the end of 1987, Reg Piper invited me to join the staff team. Again, he and Dorothy taught us an enormous amount about how to teach God’s word faithfully and to love and care for His people. Reg passed the ‘baton’ on to me in 1993 when I succeeded him as Rector.
because the gospel work here in Adelaide has been growing and the opportunities are multiplying, there is still a desperate need for more vocational gospel workers to join us in the ministry to this gospel-poor part of our nation.
Yet I think MTC’s greatest impact has been the way it clearly articulates God’s heart and mission for our world. We have a God who “…desires all people everywhere to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). This was imprinted on my heart and mind when Sue and I returned to Adelaide and Holy Trinity in 1988.
On a personal note
When I told my unbelieving parents that Sue and I were heading to Bible College for four years to be equipped to minister the gospel, I remember my father asking me this question: “The Bible is less than 2,000 pages. How are you possibly going to keep yourself busy for four years studying that?” I remember thinking at the time, “I’m not sure?!?”
Sue and I had only been Christians for a few years before we got to College. The four years at College flew by, and we had our thinking and lives transformed by God’s word and the lecturers who invested in us, not just through their teaching but by their Godly example. There was no shortage of things to learn.
Sue and I look back on our time at College with great thankfulness. The firm grounding and encouragement we received have been foundational in enabling us to press on in gospel work here in Adelaide for the last 35 years. M M
“ CURRENTLY, WE HAVE AROUND 13 MTC GRADUATES ACROSS OUR NETWORK (AND THERE ARE MANY OTHERS IN ADELAIDE AND SA). ”
But the support and encouragement we have received from MTC is much more extensive. Currently, we have around 13 MTC graduates across our Network (and there are many others in Adelaide and SA). This has only come about because MTC has a culture that encourages students to consider the gospel needs across our nation and the world. The College has always welcomed us and encouraged students to consider serving in Adelaide/SA.
This gospel generosity has been felt in many other ways. MTC Principals and staff strongly encouraged us to see the need for a local college in Adelaide that could train and equip vocational gospel workers for our mission field. This led us as a Network to support strengthening the Bible College of South Australia (BCSA). More than half of our Network gospel workers are ‘homegrown’ graduates of BCSA. And yet,
PRAYER
• Give thanks for God’s people who, over 30 years ago, sought God as they planned for the future growth of his church in Adelaide and SA.
• Give thanks for the growth of evangelistically healthy new churches across Adelaide.
• Prayer for continuing provision of vocational gospel workers in a gospel-poor part of Australia.
▴ Network Northern Combined Sunday, Adelaide
Stephen Carnaby 2009 Graduate
“ THE DIOCESE IS IN AN EXCITING AND CHALLENGING TIME WHERE 46% OF LEADERS SEE THEIR CHURCH IN A PERIOD OF REVITALISATION (DOUBLE THE NATIONAL FIGURE)
– MAKING DISCIPLES
PARISH AND AGENCY LEADERS WORKING TOGETHER, MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS AND SEEING LOTS OF SIGNS OF NEW LIFE.
Tasmania is a beautiful, remote island state with a population of about 550,000 people. Half are centred around Hobart, which is quite progressive and like a small version of a mainland capital. The rest of the population is more conservative and live in smaller towns around the state. Lots of people move to Tasmania for the great lifestyle, especially since the economy improved 15 years ago. About 7-8 per cent of population are actively involved in a church, with under 1 per cent of those in an Anglican church.
In 2000, John Harrower, a former CMS missionary and leader of a growing Melbourne evangelical church, was elected bishop. He introduced a mission mindset to the diocese. 16 years later, Richard Condie took on the role of bishop and has since led the diocese in the development of its current diocesan vision.
The vision sets the expectation that every parish will have active disciple making pathways to bring people from no faith to being born again; an active ministry to young people and families; transformative worship aimed at strengthening disciples; a transparent culture of safety for all; avenues of intentional prayer; a commitment to world mission; leadership from well-trained biblically orthodox clergy; and parishes partnering with schools, hospital, prison chaplaincies, and agencies like Anglicare, CMS and BCA.
In addition, our diocese is focused on
young people through our Leaders in Training (LiT) Camps; train more people through ministry traineeships and online theological study; and connect over 1,000 children and young people through church and school ministries.
The diocese is in an exciting and challenging time. Since 2000, the clergy working in the diocese is almost entirely new, with Bishop Condie appointing many new young ministers. 46 per cent of leaders see their church in a period of revitalisation, which is double the national figure. Leaders are working hard to bring life to struggling church communities, with many churches experiencing their first gospel-focused Bible teaching ministry in many decades. There is much to do in terms of discipling church members and addressing historical problems.
In 2025, two neighbouring parishes will host a Moore Mission. These parishes are prime examples of the sort of gospel opportunities available.
South-East Parish
South-East Parish covers the bottom corner of Tasmania, from the outskirts of Hobart to rural Port Arthur. Seven very small churches dotted through different towns were amalgamated in the 2000s and then reduced to three sites.
After building up the main church at Sorell, in 2017, a new church was planted in the Southern Beaches area, which previously had no active church. A church planter was raised up through the parish, and after undergoing theological training, with the support of BCA
and City to City, a core of 15 church members started the new church to reach the 8,000 residents.
Six years and a lot of beach baptisms later, Dave Horne, an assistant minister in the parish, now oversees a vibrant congregation of about 50 people, seeking to reach people through the surf lifesaving club and local school, and working to revitalise other church centres.
East Coast Parish
East Coast parish extends from Buckland, 20 minutes north of Sorell, to Bicheno, two hours north of Sorell. It’s a beautiful area filled with lots of shacks and social disadvantage.
In early 2021, Moore College graduate Ben Allen and his family took up the challenge of bringing the gospel to two small seaside towns of about 1,000 people each. They started a primary school club and then a lower high school youth group. They’ve since seen around 15 per cent of the city of Triabunna’s children and young people attend and hear about Jesus.
Church services have been slow to transform, but over the past ten months, the work has borne fruit, with God graciously saving four adults. The church is praying for a couple of Christian families to move to the town and join the mission.
Dave and Ben are planning the 2025 Moore Mission, and are looking forward to meeting the team of students who will partner with their churches for a week. It will be a great opportunity for the team to see what ministry is like outside the major Australian capital cities.
Moore Mission will take place just before the Hope25 national Anglican season of evangelism, from Easter to Pentecost. Our prayer is that many Australians will hear and respond to the gospel. In Tasmania, every Anglican church and ministry will be praying, training and preparing for that season of evangelism. At the annual Ministry Leaders Conference in September, ministers will be working on their plans with the help of Phil Wheeler, Director of Evangelism and New Churches in the diocese of Sydney. The aim is that 2025 will not just be a season of evangelism, but a time that transforms the culture of Tasmanian churches so that evangelism becomes part of their permanent DNA. M M
PRAYER
Please pray for the Diocese of Tasmania:
• For church members to grow in maturity.
• For the preparations for the season of evangelism.
• For open hearts to hear and respond to the gospel.
• For church plants in early stages of development in Hobart and Launceston.
• For churches hoping for God to bring them to life.
• For ministry leaders—that God would equip and sustain them.
• For young Christians—that many would be raised up to serve God with their whole lives.
If you would like to find out more about serving God in Tasmania, please contact Stephen Carnaby, Director of Ministry Development (dmd@anglicantas.org.au; 0417 343710). There are roles available for assistant ministers, rectors, chaplains and church planters. Stephen Carnaby graduated from Moore College in 2009, Dave Horne in 1996 and Ben Allen in 2017.
NW AUSTRALIA WAIT, … YOU’VE GOT GRASS ??!!
The Revd Darrell Parker / Bishop of North West Australia
ALL OF US REGULARLY LOOK OVER THE FENCE AND ARE TEMPTED TO THINK THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE. WHETHER IT BE COMPARING THE JOB WE ARE IN WITH OTHER ROLES, THE SUBURB OR TOWN WE LIVE IN, PERHAPS THE CHURCH WE GO TO, OR (HEAVEN FORBID) EVEN THE SPOUSE WE ARE MARRIED TO. WHEN THINGS ARE TOUGH AND DIFFICULT, IT’S A NATURAL TEMPTATION TO LOOK AROUND AND COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THINGS WOULD BE BETTER (GREENER), IF WE WERE ON THE ‘OTHER SIDE OF THAT FENCE’.
Those who serve in full time vocational ministry aren’t spared this temptation to compare and to perhaps think things might be a bit easier somewhere else. When it comes to comparing how ‘green the grass is’ in leading a pastoral ministry in the North West of Western Australia and say, in a place like Sydney, funnily enough real grass is not a useful means of comparison. There are many ministry contexts in the North West where real grass can only be imagined. How ‘green’ the grass is is a nonsense question when there’s no grass in the first place. Indeed, lawn mowers are, at best, optional over here in many places.
Not surprisingly, on the most fundamental level, there’s absolutely no difference between ministry in the North West and ministry anywhere else. God is still God and people are still people. Essentially, the work and challenges are the same – to take the wonderfully good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to human beings lost in sin and death, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour in calling people to repent and believe. Every ministry location requires this to be done, no less and no more, in a contextually sensible, prayerfully dependent, and winsome way. However, the context of ministry in the North West is so radically different, that it means ministry is also radically different. Those who lead ministries here, are in many ways, little different to missionaries serving cross culturally in foreign countries. No, they don’t need a passport to be on location, but they may as well be in another country. Ask any native-born West Australian, and they’ll tell you Western Australia is its own empire. Ministry here is very different because the context is very different. Firstly, there’s the summer heat. Put simply, it’s hot. What would be considered an extreme heatwave in the east is nothing but normal in the Pilbara and Kimberley, or even further south in the MidWest. Our southern most point (almost) of
Darrell Parker, 1997 graduate
Geraldton averaged 44 degrees for several weeks in February this year, with a top of 49.3. And yet, those living further north reckon Geraldton is cold. Then there’s the other physical things – like the red or orange dust that penetrates absolutely everything, the lack of rain for vast periods of the year, or even the odd cyclone. Visiting your neighbouring church or fellow gospel worker, attending a Deanery Meeting, running a service in an out centre of your parish, getting to Synod, or going on holiday – these will nearly always mean long hours in the car, or paying for expensive flights. Having said that though, living in the ‘backyard’ of some of our nations most spectacular and most visited landscapes does have its advantages, and the sunsets over the ocean are magic. Yet, these differences are just the small things.
The biggest differences occur socially. Our towns often depend heavily on just one or two industries for their financial health, most particularly mining, agriculture, and port facilities. This means decisions of industry can massively impact your church overnight. One pastor told me that two years ago a BHP decision caused their congregation to lose 90% of their Parish Council and their only two Kid’s Ministry helpers instantaneously. It’s difficult to build ministry momentum in circumstances like that. You are always beginning again and it can feel very disheartening. Then there is the fact so many people are Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) workers living in highly secure and difficult to access gated communities. Even many of the Christian FIFO Workers don’t get to Church regularly owing to their rotating rosters and long working hours. Some even opt to not invest in their local church at all and instead livestream their home church remotely. These people don’t tend to become long term residents or productive church members. They are there to simply make money and then return to home base, wherever that may be.
Gospel workers in the North West must, by deep conviction, believe gospel ministry is never wasted, and always achieves God’s purpose, because it often seems to bring little fruit relative to the effort put in. Our churches are often medium sized to small, and large proportions of the congregation flow in, and then flow out. For gospel workers seeking to make a name for themselves in being the next celebrity pastor, or to be the next to be asked to write a book on how to build a big church, this is not the place you want to be. Ministry here requires genuine resilience, perseverance, real humility, honest prayerful dependence, and a deep conviction
that every one person matters. All these qualities are only present as gifts of God’s Spirit. It’s because our context is so challenging that our fellowship together in ministry is deeply rich. Competition or comparison between churches and their leaders is simply non existent when they are so geographically far apart. Our ministry families really have to look after one another – and they really do. Our times together are so good because they are rare, much anticipated, and sincerely longed for.
So, is the grass ‘greener’ over here? No, not really, but nor is it ‘greener’ over on the east coast. Even when there’s no grass at all, serving God in proclaiming Jesus in this quite incredible part of God’s world is a truly wonderful way to invest in eternity. When you’re serving our Lord Jesus, surely the colour of the grass doesn’t matter. M M
PRAYER
• Give thanks for the ministry workers doing God’s work in remote settings.
• Give thanks for the connections between those in ministry and the encouragement found as God’s church meets together.
• Prayer for ongoing protection and sustaining those in ministry as they contend with isolation and the transitory nature of the towns they are serving in.
◂ Page 12 image: Broome Anglican Church afternoon baptism service on 9 June 2024 (at a nearby beach)
▴ Above, top image Kununurra Church camp 2024 – St James Anglican Church camp in Wuggubun, an Aboriginal Christian community, (45 minutes away from Kununurra).
▴ Above, bottom image Men’s Breakfast organised by Moore College’s 2024 Kununurra Mission – St James Anglican Church rectory backyard, Kununurra
IN THE 22 YEARS SINCE I FINISHED FULLTIME STUDY AT MOORE COLLEGE I’VE SPENT 18 IN SYDNEY AND JUST OVER 4 IN NORTH WEST AUSTRALIA. SO, I’M STILL NEW TO MINISTRY IN REMOTE PARTS OF AUSTRALIA. ALISON AND I LIVE IN EXMOUTH, WHICH IS HALFWAY BETWEEN PERTH AND BROOME, 550KM FROM THE NEAREST MCDONALDS AND 840KM FROM A BUNNINGS. WE ALSO HAVE A BRANCH CHURCH AT ONSLOW WHICH IS A 400KM DRIVE ONE WAY.
In stark contrast to Sydney we have massive distances with very few people. Jumping in the car and driving 400-900km for church or a meeting is relatively common (and then making the return journey a day or two later). And it’s hot in summer, rarely maxing out below 37 degrees and regularly above 40. So, heat and distance make life less efficient. Someone said that the big resource companies work on people being about 80% normal efficiency in the North West, and that feels about right. Lots of things just take longer and require more effort, whether that’s receiving mail or catching up with people.
As one of two protestant churches in town there is greater theological diversity within our congregation. Compared to a city where people tend to gravitate toward a church that is closely aligned with their ‘theological grid’,
EXMOUTH –840KMS FROM BUNNINGS
Simon Roberts / Senior Minister, Exmouth Anglican Community Church
we all come from varied church backgrounds. I find I’m going back to basics, revisiting books I read at MTC and brushing up on foundational debates in church history, more than at any other time in ministry.
Much of Australia is very hardened to the gospel, and certainly in Exmouth we feel that resistance and disinterest. We are a holiday and ‘lifestyle’ town where people come to enjoy heaven on earth, fishing, swimming with whale sharks and humpbacks and enjoying an endless summer. Jesus just doesn’t feature on many people’s radar. And even the locals come and go, so when new people have joined our church they have inevitably left town a year or two later. But God is doing great things among his people everywhere. Even our small and struggling church has “been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood” (1 Pet 1:2). And in addition to our church family in Exmouth we enjoy deep and rich partnership with our fellow workers in the rest of North West Australia.
Strangely enough, despite the physical distances between us I probably see more of my ministry colleagues than I did in Sydney. It’s a great encouragement and delight to see the faithful service of each ministry family in our diocese. M M
SIMON AND ALISON ROBERTS, 2003 & 2010 COHORT
REFLECTIONS ON MINISTRY IN NW AUSTRALIA
Leonie Morrison Broome Anglican Church, Graduate 2020
“We love serving in the NW as we are constantly meeting people from different places and it’s a privilege to see them grow in their knowledge and love of Christ.”
“We find the isolation of the NW to be difficult at times. Most of our family and friends are located in Sydney and the physical separation hits harder when tough ministry scenarios arise.”
Rebecca Faricy St James Anglican Church Kununurra, PTC Graduate 2019
“I love that my church has become my family in a very real way.”
“It can be hard to escape and switch off.”
Rector Daniel Faricy St James Anglican Church Kununurra, Graduate 2013 & 2018
“One of the things I love about ministry in the NW is being part of a diocese where the workers encourage and support each other as we proclaim the gospel - even though there is great physical distance between us.”
“Remote NW is hard because the locations have a transient population, which means we’re always saying goodbye to church members who are moving away.”
Rector Roger Kyngdon St Stephen’s Anglican Church Newman, Graduate 2014
“Life in small towns in the North West is lived in community. Meeting people where they are gives a variety of gospel opportunities. Connections and friendship with other Anglican ministers around the diocese is key to ministry in the North West. For support and for encouragement in ministry.”
“The constant turnover of congregations can be heartbreaking as people come and go and friendships end. And yet this is also a blessing from God. As people sit in our churches and listen to the word of God we pray that they will grow in their faith and trust in God. When in time they leave we pray that they will take what they have learned and apply it in their new situations, where they can encourage and support people there. It is a great reminder of how God can and will use us for his benefit and glory.”
“ THE COLLEGE LIBRARY IS A SPACE WHERE SCHOLARS CAN CONVERSE, MAKE DISCOVERIES, COME TOGETHER AND SHARE KNOWLEDGE. ”
A LIBRARY IS ABOUT SHARED DISCOVERY
Gabrielle Fury / Head Librarian, Donald Robinson Library Co-authored by Heidi Combs / Communications Manager
So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Acts 8:30-31 ESV
In the earliest times of the early church Christ’s followers understood both the importance of learning and studying God’s word and the importance of doing that in community. The Donald Robinson Library is a place and a space which seeks to encourage both these things. The College Library is a space where scholars can converse about different theology and opinions and make discoveries; coming together in an environment that promotes the sharing of knowledge.
Welcoming not just students but Faculty, staff, ministers, alumni and visiting researchers, the College Library is a welcoming, open, light filled space. The Donald Robinson Library has been a central piece of Moore Theological College since the College’s inception and it has grown to be an incredible theological Library with an ever-growing collection that numbers
over 300,000 books, and over 300 subscriptions to journals.
I feel extremely privileged to lead the College Library Staff team as we seek to establish a community space where people find opportunities for casual academic discussions in a respectful environment.
Our goal is to seek to preserve what has gone before, so that what has been published continues to be available, allowing future students to delve into past trends and study patterns.
The Library team aims to support the Faculty and students of Moore, to serve their academic endeavours, and help satisfy the call that God has put in their hearts as they grow in their preparedness for ministry.
With a background in Law, a move into Librarianship saw me naturally gravitating to academic libraries. I have recently joined Moore after receiving insight into the workings of tertiary institution Libraries garnered at UNSW, ACU and most recently at Morling College.
I love working here. Like every workplace there are different challenges and our needs and goals for the library continue to evolve. People at Moore want to respect what has gone before and build on that for the future. We really want to make sure we are serving our community – the Faculty, students, ministers, alumni and researchers.
Can I invite you to find out more about the Library by dropping into 1 King Street, Newtown or exploring the Donald Robinson Library website which is packed with study and research guides, entry portals to our Rare Book Collection and news on new arrivals. I hope you enjoy reading a short piece from one of our many diaries of men and women who have trod these roads before us; Nathaniel Jones was an early Principal of the College. M M
FROM THE LIBRARY
Gabrielle Fury with the ▸ College Library Team
NATHANIEL JONES’ RURAL MINISTRY
NATHANIEL JONES (1861-1911), BEST KNOWN FOR BEING MOORE COLLEGE’S SIXTH PRINCIPAL, CAME TO AUSTRALIA FOR HIS HEALTH AND STARTED OUT IN PARISH MINISTRY.
Advised by his doctors to get away from the polluted air of Leeds, he sailed to Australia in 1887, and was appointed to the parish of Tarnagulla, a small town west of Bendigo, in 1888. Jones’ diary, held in the College archives, gives insight into the daily life of a rural minister who was determined to preach the gospel. It took several months to acquire a horse, so Jones had to travel between the four towns either on foot or borrowed transportation.
Jones encountered some resistance among his parishioners to the evangelical initiatives he introduced. A mission service in 1888 met with a lukewarm response: ‘I asked who felt inclined to stay behind but all hurried out except [8 people] … May God bless his own word.’1 A few weeks later – ‘I announced a meeting of believers for deepening the spiritual life. Looks expressive of “what next?”’2
The choice of hymn book was a cause of some disagreement. Jones introduced ‘Sacred Songs and Solos’ compiled by Ira D. Sankey, the music leader of Dwight L. Moody’s revivals. One
of Jones’ congregants said he planned to go to the Presbyterian church instead, ‘as ours was to be turned into a Salvation [Army] Barracks!’3 Jones remained committed to his work. Later in 1888 he writes, ‘I would rather have 2 converted in choir than a dozen unconverted. That my idea of gospel preaching [is] so putting the truth that people will either be converted, or made too uncomfortable to sit under it.’4 His evangelistic efforts were directed to everyone he encountered, even a bushranger who held him up and demanded his horse. ‘After parley (i.e. negotiation) told him I was minister – “What, Mr J.?” “Well, are you saved? Do you know it?”’.5
His efforts bore fruit – a mission service in 1889 resulted in about 30 responses to an appeal for conversion. He also organised special Sunday School services, materials from the Religious Tract Society, and training for lay readers. Jones’ love and concern for the people of his parish is evident throughout his writings.
M M
Explore the Ark of the Donald Robinson Library here:
1
2
Diary 1888-1890, p. 41.
3 Jones, Diary 1888-1890, p. 37.
4 Jones, Diary 1888-1890, p. 42.
5 Jones, Diary 1888-1890, p. 49.
▴ Wall Plaque in John Chapman House remembers Nathaniel Jones as a ‘gifted teacher, an inspiring preacher and a quiet holy man of God’.
“ … MY IDEA OF GOSPEL PREACHING [IS] SO PUTTING THE TRUTH THAT PEOPLE WILL EITHER BE CONVERTED, OR MADE TOO UNCOMFORTABLE TO SIT UNDER IT. ”
Jones, Nathaniel Diary 1888-1890, Papers of Nathaniel Jones, Series 041-1-2, Samuel Marsden Archives, p. 38.
Jones,
“ GOD HAD BEEN AT WORK IN CALEB AND KIRSTY’S LIVES FOR A LONG TIME.
MOREE TO SYDNEY TO WEE WAA GRADUATES ON THE MOVE
By Karen Beilharz / Communications Team
WHEN GOD CALLED CALEB AND KIRSTY TORRANCE INTO VOCATIONAL MINISTRY, KIRSTY FELT LIKE A RUG HAD BEEN PULLED OUT FROM UNDER HER FEET.
Even though she had been praying that God would help her to not get comfortable, and even though Caleb had been thinking that he would like to do less of his day job and more of ministry, the prospect of upending their lives in the country and moving to the big city of Sydney made her sad.
“To be honest, I was very upset,” says Kirsty. “But I was so sure God was actually answering our prayers. He gave me an amazing sense of peace.”
Indeed, God had been at work in Caleb and Kirsty’s lives for a long time. They were both raised in Christian families—Caleb in Western Sydney and Kirsty in Moree in country New South Wales. Both their families genuinely know and love Jesus, and their parents taught their kids about him and about God’s plan for the world.
From a young age, Caleb’s church encouraged him to participate in ministry, initially getting him involved with crèche and Sunday School. He served alongside his family on Christian camps, leading and sharing the gospel with kids. Upon completing his studies in Armidale in agricultural science, he moved to Moree for work, and soon became involved with a ministry to indigenous kids.
Kirsty, on the other hand, grew up in Moree, she attended boarding school in Armidale and university in Sydney, and then returned to Moree again after a brief stint of working in Sydney. The couple met at the church Kirsty had grown up in, and soon married.
Fast forward one year: Kirsty was working as a copywriter at a local radio station, Caleb
was an agronomist, advising farmers, and they had just bought a house. Life was pretty sweet and settled.
But Caleb felt God’s call to ministry. “I realised that working full-time was taking up a lot of my time, and that I wanted to be doing more ministry than I was able to do,” he says. The couple had been praying for a while about the way forward, and whether it was worth Caleb taking a different job that would free up his time.
Then two conversations changed everything.
First, a minister from a nearby town contacted them and asked if they were interested in doing a ministry apprenticeship at his church.
Kirsty Torrance, 2022 Graduate
APPEAL
(They were not.) Then a few days later, the local bishop, who happened to be preaching at their church, asked them, “Have you ever thought about going into vocational ministry?”
That was enough for the Torrances to start considering the idea more seriously. Several weeks later, after praying some more and having conversations with various key people, who were supportive and enthusiastic, the Torrances packed up their belongings and moved to Sydney to begin their time at Moore Theological College. Moore West in Parramatta became their new home and community.
Life at College during the next four years had its ups and downs. Caleb had to adjust from mostly working outdoors on farms to sitting still behind a desk, listening to lectures on history, philosophy and theology for long periods of time. In addition, during the second semester of the couple’s first year, when Kirsty was also studying for the Advanced Diploma of Bible, Mission and Ministry, Sydney’s COVID lockdowns meant that all learning had to switch to online.
Even so, the Torrances have found their time at College invaluable for the next stage in their lives and ministry. For Caleb, Moore College has helped him to become a better Bible teacher, and it’s given him a greater understanding of who he is before God and how much he still doesn’t know. In addition, even though he feels like he has more questions now than when he started, studying at Moore has helped him think through things from first principles, and it’s grown his confidence to answer other people’s questions.
“I’ve realised that God is so much bigger and more wonderful than I could ever imagine,”
he says. “It’s also been humbling to see how small I am in relation to him. And yet he chooses to use us for his glory.”
For Kirsty, God has been teaching her to trust him: “In the past, I wanted to know exactly what lay ahead for me. But the whole way along, I haven’t really been worried about where we’re going to end up.”
In 2025, the Torrances—now with little Lucy and little Sally in tow—will be heading back to the country—this time, to the town of Wee
Waa (population: 2000), which is located 1.5 hours south of Moree. Caleb will be taking up a position in the Diocese of Armidale as curate in charge of Wee Waa Anglican under the supervision of Bernard Gabbott, Vicar of Narrabri and Moore College graduate.
When asked what they were most looking forward to about country life, both Caleb and Kirsty responded with enthusiasm.
“The community feel of the country is a lot more obvious and in-your-face than being in the city,” says Caleb. “At a city church, you have to go out of your way to interact with church people throughout the week. Whereas when we were living in Moree, a number of people from church were clients I worked with. You’d go to Coles and see three or four people there.”
Kirsty agrees: “The thing I love about country churches is the way people serve: because they’re often smaller, there’s more need. So it’s not always the best musicians up the front, but they’re the ones who can play an instrument, and each week, they’re playing faithfully because they love Jesus and want to serve the church. There will be mistakes here and there, and little grins from the musicians. But it’s not about perfection; it’s about serving the Lord.”
“One of the big opportunities of ministry in small towns is that people tend to still have some affinity to and respect for the church,” adds Caleb. “So there’s still a level of respect for the local minister that provides a lot of opportunities. I also think people are perhaps a bit more open than they might be in the city.” M M We invite you to partner with us in the work of Moore
College — seeing God glorified by men and women living for and proclaiming Jesus Christ, growing healthy churches and reaching the lost.
Your prayerful and financial support of men and women coming from and going back out into the regions is so valuable. You can donate today to support those who are considering shifting to Sydney in order to live and learn in a community focussed on Jesus, getting equipped to return to the less resourced regional areas of Australia.
Please pray for the regions of our nation, giving thanks for the salvation of new believers, the growth of ministry opportunities and the various ministry teams across Australia who labour together for the glory of God.
Caleb Torrance, 2025 Graduate
MY MOORE GIFT
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…proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Isaiah 12:4a
MOORE MISSIONS 2025
Each year Moore College sends teams of students, Faculty and Chaplains out from College to partner with churches to run missions that proclaim Jesus. It is exciting to announce the locations for the 2025 Moore Missions to be held from Sunday 6 April to Sunday 13 April. Teams will be partnering with churches in:
Sydney
• Anglicare Chaplaincy, Norwest
• Cornerstone Anglican Church, Box Hill
• Lakemba Anglican Church
• Northmead Anglican Church
• Austinmer Anglican Church
• St Paul’s Castle Hill
• St Andrews Anglican Cathedral, Sydney
• Dundas Telopea Anglican Church
• New Life Anglican Church, Oran Park
• St Paul’s Anglican Church, Canterbury
Wider Australia
• Cudgegong Valley (Bathurst Diocese)
• Oxley Vale (Armidale Diocese)
• Cross & Crown, Gold Coast (FIEC)
• Southeast Hobart (Tasmania Diocese)
A number of articles in this edition of Moore Matters explore the joys and the challenges of gospel work in these regions.
Overseas
• India with the India Gospel League
