Essentials

Details

Written by: Andrew Katay

Timothy Keller: His spiritual and intellectual formation
Colin Hansen
Zondervan Reflective, Feb 2023
Reviewed by Andrew Katay

One of the things that Tim Keller used to say was that, in order to be evangelistically fruitful, Christians needed at the same time to be reassuringly familiar and intriguingly different.

I wonder whether biographies might have the same applied to them.

There’s little point in writing a biography of someone who is wholly and completely different, a full and genuine singularity, to whom it is impossible to relate. And at the same time, there’s equally little point in writing a biography of someone who is simply the same as you, wholly recognisable as the person you might have been. What we need in biographies is someone who is reassuringly familiar - sufficiently familiar that I can see myself in them, or perhaps a better version of myself; and at the same time, someone who is different in intriguing, even challenging ways, ways that call me to be better or deeper or fuller than I currently am.

Colin Hansen’s Timothy Keller: His spiritual and intellectual formation is that sort of biography, although at the outset, Hansen is at pains to make sure that his readers understand this is no ordinary biography. Working from Tim Keller’s own self-effacing convictions as his starting point, Hansen says in the preface that “The story of Tim Keller is the story of his spiritual and intellectual influences”, and so this is a biography of those influences.

Structured in four parts, of between 4 and 6 chapters each, the book is a well-researched, lively narrative of the forces that shaped the remarkable ministry of Tim Keller. Keller was, of course, mostly unknown on a broad scale prior to planting Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City in 1989, and even then, it was only his leadership in the aftermath of the Twin Towers terror event in 2001, and even more, the publishing of The Reason for God in 2008, that brought Keller to a wider audience. It is perhaps for this reason that I found the earlier, less well-known parts of Tim’s journey among the most absorbing - his childhood and teenage days, his time at Bucknell college and involvement with the InterVarsity group there, and the profound influence that Kathy Kristy - who would become Kathy Keller - had on him.

As someone myself whose life course was deeply impacted by my university years and the ministry of InterVarsity (called the Evangelical Union at Sydney University), I found these sections particularly relatable. I was reminded of the enormous changes that uni students are going through, and the wonderful opportunity for mission and discipleship that campus ministry represents. Hansen concludes:

“Even when Keller left InterVarsity for the local church, he brought InterVarsity’s instincts with him. He learned that Christians must never compromise on their core values, which he identified as the infallibility of the Bible, the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross, the necessity of the new birth, and the full deity of Jesus ... At the same time InterVarsity taught him to value what Christians hold in common over the doctrines that divide them. That doesn’t mean that what separates Presbyterians from Baptists or Pentecostals is unimportant. “But the core is the core,” he said. “You ought to be collegial and open-minded to other Christians who differ on the secondary issues. I learned that from InterVarsity.”

Of course, for anyone who knows of Keller’s ministry, these values sound very familiar. Helpfully, Hansen is clear that the influences on Keller’s ministry were not merely intellectual. The description of Tim’s engagement with RC Sproul and the Ligonier Center (sic) gives insight into Keller’s deeply experiential focus, right alongside his intellectual rigour. Hansen writes: “When Keller looks back on Ligonier Valley Study Center, however, he doesn’t primarily recall ideas or debates. Rather, he remembers most fondly many dinners shared with the Sprouls in their Stahlstown home.”

Similarly, the depiction of Tim’s time in small-town USA - Hopewell Virginia to be precise - was moving, summarising them in Tim’s words as “the most formative ministry years” of his life.

The second half of the book moved into more familiar territory, for those who have listened to or read much Keller material.

The time at Westminster, and in particular the influence of Ed Clowney (in relation to Biblical Theology) and Harvey Conn (in relation to contextualisation) is recounted well - and the description of some intra-faculty tensions at Westminster adds colour to the story. Similarly, the impact of Jack Miller on Keller is also described, specifically in relation to the way that Tim embedded what we would later call ‘grace renewal dynamics’ at every level of church life, especially preaching. And then the story of Redeemer, reluctantly planted by Tim, and yet which was the bringing together of all of Tim’s experience in both pastoral ministry and seminary. Of course it grew, and fairly quickly gave birth to a worldwide ‘extension arm’ called City to City (I often say that I praise God it was not called ‘Tim Keller International Ministries’, which of course he would never do). And yet, in this section, it is the account of the deathbed conversion of Tim’s younger brother Billy that is the most moving.

I think there are two ways that this spiritual and intellectual biography could be improved. First, and the smaller of the two points, Hansen doesn’t really address what was one of the most powerfully animating themes for Tim, which is the idea of a movement of the gospel. After all, as Tim said repeatedly, it takes a movement to reach a city, and part of the deep structure of Tim’s motivation was not just to build a great church, but to see a gospel movement emerge that would build a great city.

Second, it seems to me that Hansen hasn’t been able to present an integrated vision of how these many influences on Tim worked together to produce what Tim called a ‘theological vision’. It may be that Hansen regarded this as beyond the remit of his project; however, I would suggest that providing this synthesis would have made for a more compelling biography. Indeed, Hansen concludes his survey by noting that “Keller’s originality comes in his synthesis, how he pulls the sources together for unexpected insights. Having one hero would be derivative; having one hundred heroes means you’ve drunk deeply by scouring the world for the purest wells”.

This is a great insight, and explains much of Tim’s appeal to so many.

Rev Dr Andrew Katay is Senior Minister at Christ Church Inner West.

Details

Written by: Mike Phillips

The Golden Thread

GWEN ASTEN
The Golden Thread can be purchased at underthesun.net.au
Reviewed by Mike Phillips

From a bleak childhood in the north of England, to a near death experience on mission in Nigeria, The Golden Thread is a moving testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of God.

Gwen (Gwyneth) Asten traces the story of her life, with many memorable vignettes, to encourage her grandchildren, godchildren and other readers about the reality of God. And God’s hand is indeed evident in many ways throughout her life. Dealing with themes of conflicted family relationships, forgiveness, the leading of the Holy Spirit, the study of Scripture, vocation and service to others, the autobiography is interwoven with the thread of God’s faithful love and sovereignty, from which the book takes its title.

Asten’s life begins in northern England in a controlling and emotionally barren family. She has limited exposure to Christian faith, or kindness of any form. What kindness she does experience seems to leave an indelible mark on her, whereas her experiences of Christian faith have little impact. After migrating to Australia, she comes to faith through high school friends, marries against her family’s will after a providential court order, and trains as a doctor.

Her adult life includes significant reflection on cross cultural relationships and lay ministry, serving God in healthcare, forgiveness, parenting and seeking to follow the will of God. Her gift for gratitude and generous service of others shines through, and all the more brightly given the hardships she endures. Indeed, it is a testament to God’s grace that these hardships haven’t led to bitterness or cynicism.

Many Christians have found inspiration in reading accounts of the lives of missionaries, spurring us on trust God more fully. In some ways, Asten’s account of her life fits into this category. Her faith in the Lord, and that of her husband, is powerfully evident in their decision to move to Nigeria in the late 1970s while she was 6 months pregnant. And the powerful mercy of God is evident in his protection of her through childbirth, a near-fatal illness, and coercive intimidation by airport officials. Such faith, that is willing to take risks to serve God, even at personal cost, is comparatively rare today, and yet inspiring.

But God’s power is also evident in how he has transformed the other, more familiar, decisions of her life. This is not fundamentally the story of an otherworldly missionary, but simply a Melbourne grandmother committed to following Jesus. Her deep love for God expresses itself in many more mundane aspects of her life. She marries and sets up a practice as a GP, has kids and grandkids, and is involved in a local church. But in each of these areas, Asten’s life is made remarkable by God’s work in her, moving her to love others. She resists her father’s will and marries a man who shares her commitment to Christ. She establishes her medical practice, and makes a point of employing doctors returning from overseas mission hospitals, to assist them as they upskill and update their practice. While learning to raise her own kids in a manner very different from her own upbringing, she begins to write and share her insights with other new parents. And in her local church, she and her husband initiate a ministry to welcome migrants and international students to Australia. The ministry helps them to adjust to Australian culture, enables them to read and understand the Bible, and has led to around thirty baptisms. In all these ways and more, her story reveals how God’s grace has transformed an emotionally starved child into a grown woman profoundly devoted to serving Him and others.

Written in 62 short chapters of a few pages each, the story is fast-moving and engaging, with frequent references to apt Bible passages. Some chapters are particularly moving, including those that deal with forgiving her father, reconciling with her mother, and abusive doctors. Other chapters may raise questions and challenge assumptions, including those on hypnosis (including reflection on Acts 10:10 and 22:17) and the Shroud of Turin. Along the way, she grapples with genuine questions and doubts, personal suffering and disability, the reality of evil and conflict, and the consolation of strong friendships and personal prayer with God. In all these ways, she invites curiosity into the reality of God and his imminent presence working for good in the lives of those who trust him.

Her ultimate hope is that readers will see how God has revealed himself, and ‘come to know Him and love Him and follow Him for yourselves’. It’s a commendable aim and a wonderful example of a Christian grandparent seeking to share their faith as a gift – not only for her own descendants, but for many others. While I am neither her grandchild nor godchild, I do know members of the family personally, and I found it a profoundly encouraging and engrossing read, and would recommend it as a wonderful testimony to how God might use our otherwise mundane lives for his glory. It’s also a wonderful example for others who might wish to record their own experience of God to pass on to the next generation.

Mike Phillips is the Vicar of Ormond Anglican Church, and a friend of the Asten family. The Golden Thread can be purchased at underthesun.net.au

Details

Written by: Peter Stone

“It’s Complicated” 
Tim Davey
Green Hill Publishing, April 2025
Reviewed by Peter Stone

This work introduces us to a new acronym: FICDO. Faith-Inspired, Cause-Driven Organisation. Almost all of us are connected to one (or more) of these and some of us are deeply committed to its aims and their achievement. Many will probably be involved in some way with the organisation’s operations and governance. This book is especially focused on those folk.

The author helpfully maps the genetic makeup of these organisations:

• They are almost always complex. So few things are simple or straightforward.
• They have a social contract with supporters, stakeholders and paid staff related to faith and purpose. Often this is not clearly articulated or actively managed.
• They have a business model that is not widely understood. Assumptions are often based on limited knowledge or data. Measurement of impact is challenging at best.
• The interface with faith can be volatile and sometimes affects goal formation, strategy and management. Areas like risk management and the relationship with regulators can be challenging. It is this faith dimension that delineates FICDO’s from other not-for-profit organisations.

I have worked with the executive and boards of dozens of these organisations in the last twenty-five years and found myself nodding in agreement with Tim’s experience and observations as I read the book. These organisations are both wonderful and infuriating at the same time. Their purpose is almost always laudable but usually struggles to translate into operations, policy, strategy and culture. Sometimes this leads to catastrophic failure. Usually it results in constant low-level frustration and systemic conflict between (legitimate) stakeholders who bring expectations that are often irreconcilable.

One of the drivers of this syndrome is the challenge of finding, training and developing leaders in both management and governance who can rise to the task at hand. That task is evolving rapidly as ever more intrusive legislation and regulation demand attention and resources.

Child protection, risk management, financial probity, mandated reporting, privacy, data integrity, industrial relations (to name a few) have grown hungrier and grumpier over the last two decades. Then add social media and artificial intelligence to the mix. They demand more time, expertise and headspace than most of our inherited practices and policies envisaged or imagined. There are no easy or quick answers to this challenge.

However, there is wisdom gleaned from experience and reflection that can be helpful to guide thinking and practice. This book is a valuable contribution to that worthy goal.

It does this by confronting and wrestling with the overarching issue: complexity. Few people are comfortable with complexity and even fewer enjoy working with it. Most of us either want to run from engagement with it, deny its significance or seek simple answers to short-term manifestations. (Just reflect on how the media engages with complex issues for illustrations of these responses). The author Peter Senge helpfully observed that “there is no such place as away for problems to go to.” Henry Cloud defines integrity as “the courage to confront reality.” The beginning of wisdom is squaring up to the reality and impact of complexity. Tim Davey does that comprehensively in the first half of the book.

The second half looks at practical responses to the challenge.

It looks at the centrality of leadership as the foundation. This not just about knowledge or technique. Issues about character, accountability and calling are explored as well as more secular insights into effective leadership.

Importantly leadership is understood as the impact and influence of leaders at all levels, including governance.

He identities five unique capabilities requisite for leadership of FICDO’s.

• Light the way forward
• Hear and harness diverse voices
• Strive for excellence
• Eliminate fear
• Make space for wisdom

Each of these is explored with helpful guidance of how they play out in practice.

He then goes on to describe four unique attributes for FICDO leaders.

• A clear sense of personal identity
• Humility
• Courage
• Faithfulness

Again each is supplemented by practical suggestion and illustrations. Scripture is cited thoughtfully and helpfully.

The place of prayer is highlighted. The next major focus area is governance where Tim explores the specific role of the board in FICDO’s. He cites secular authorities and accepted standards. He goes on to thoughtfully explore how difficult it is to assemble, lead and make best use of a board amid this complexity. Staffing is then examined. Bringing in the right people, moving on the ones who don’t fit, enabling appropriate commitment managing performance and setting expectations are helpfully illustrated.

The outcome of all this will be an organisation’s culture. Tim ranges across how culture is formed, what a great

culture looks like, and specific traps that often ensnare

faith-based organisations. He then gives helpful clues on how to shape an effective culture.

The book closes with some helpful guidance:

• Do not lose sight of why you exist
• Recognise that you cannot eliminate risk
• Don’t mistake efficiency for effectiveness
• Strive to be faithful to the faith
• Be realistic about what can and should be achieved.
• Do not mistake ego for vision
• Accept that this may be messy
• Recognise that this is a different sector
• Support the people who work in the sector
• Do not give up

Amen to all that!

Peter Stone is a member of Merri Creek Anglican Church in Melbourne. He is a graduate of Regent College in Vancouver and has recently retired from twenty years as a consultant in strategy formation and implementation.

Details

Written by: Richard Condie

The Episcopal role is a complex one. When I commenced my current appointment, I drew out a list of “Key Performance Indicators” from the Ordinal by which I could monitor my progress and be accountable. The list has 13 items! Best practice to keep an organisational leader focussed is somewhere between 3 and 5 KPIs. As I say, it is a complex role – that includes not only teaching, preaching, promoting mission and leading the clergy, but also ordaining and licencing, caring for the poor, correcting doctrine and exercising discipline, pastoring the people and saying one’s prayers.

Then there is the “unwritten job description” that is the expectations people have of the role! And all of this takes place in the presence of the Synod who have elected a bishop to lead and who now provide the governance guardrails for that leadership.

In this article I am going to focus mostly on how the bishop leads and then reflect on what that means for synodical governance. I want to suggest four ways in which the bishop exercises his or her leadership in the diocese.

1. Leading through Teaching and Preaching

As a pastor and a guardian of the truth, the bishop is primarily a teacher of God’s word.

Are you persuaded that the holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? And are you determined out of the same holy Scriptures to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach … (BCP Ordinal – emphasis mine)

Teaching the Bible is the primary way that bishops exercise their leadership. “A bishop without a Bible is no bishop at all”. (Peter Adam, in his sermon at my consecration) Of course, the contexts and opportunities for this vary a great a deal. Most lay people only see the bishop once a year or every couple of years, at best, on a Sunday visit.

But in my view bishops ought to take every opportunity to teach the Word that they can. I have been so edified by the bishops who, in their already busy jobs, continue to teach the Bible at conferences, not just for clergy but for lay people. For the last 10 years in Tasmania, we have held an annual gathering called “The Bishop’s Training Event”.

Along with seminars and a keynote speaker on various topics, it has been a wonderful opportunity to teach the Bible to the leaders in our churches each year. And of course, the Synod sermon and Presidential address provide yet another avenue.

I have always been curious why most bishops I have served under have used guest preachers for ordinations, Synods, and Bible studies at clergy conferences. Surely these are natural moments for the bishop to pastor his or her people and lead clergy by teaching the word to them.

My clergy and my synod might be a little sick of my voice, but I consider them my primary “congregation” and annually plan my teaching and preaching to them accordingly.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that our God is a speaking God who leads his people by his Word. How our Synods are enriched by strong teaching of the Word that then gets reused throughout the meeting. Bishops as undershepherds of the Great Shepherd should “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2)

2. Leading through Culture Setting

The management consultant Peter Drucker is reputed to have said “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Culture, “the way we do things around here”, is more powerful than all the goals and strategies we might set, to shape an organisation. Promoting a constructive mission culture is one way that the bishop can exercise significant leadership.

Telling people what they can expect, what values matter, and what makes us tick is vital and must be backed by action. If we want diocesan cultures that are open and transparent, that value good communication and take gospel risks, then bishops should say so and then do it. Bishops who return their calls, answer their emails, respond to need, and encourage gospel risk-taking in parishes can create a positive, light-filled culture.

In our Synod and across the diocese we talk a lot about our Vision – to be a church for Tasmania, Making disciples of Jesus. We mention it whenever we speak, so that the culture and expectation of disciple making is at the forefront of our minds. We speak about our values of transformation, boldness, perseverance, joy, and generosity. Our Synod and Council business revolves around our Vision, Values and Strategy. We set expectations for parish priorities and then report our progress back to the Synod for accountability.

After 10 years in the saddle, the culture has changed. There is more evangelism than ever before, our clergy are taking gospel risks, we are constantly learning and growing, we expect each other to show up and communicate, we are bolder, more persevering, joyful and generous than we have been. None of this is accidental.

Synods of course have a culture of their own. I have been in some hostile ones where the deep divisions among people and theologies must have caused the bishops presiding over them much grief. I am so delighted that the culture of the Synod in Tasmania is one that embraces difference but is united in the things that matter. What makes a good Synod culture? When people are engaged.

When minds are stretched. When hearts are moved. When there is laughter (and maybe a few tears). When there is unity and joy. When there is purpose. These are the marks of a healthy Synod culture.

3. Leading through Appointments

One of the guiding principles of CMS is that “under God, all will depend on the type of people sent out”, and we can certainly attest to the truth of that in the Anglican Church more widely. In some ways, the power of appointments is one of the strongest leadership “levers” that a bishop has to pull. Who they choose to ordain, licence, and appoint to parishes and other roles including Synod is a significant way to exercise influence and leadership.

Will you be faithful in ordaining, sending, or laying hands upon others? (BCP Ordinal)

Over the last decade we have worked hard on appointing the right team to achieve our vision. We are most interested in developing a strong local leadership pipeline; taking every opportunity to get to know the young people of our diocese and speak at their camps and congregations about opportunities to serve.

Casting a vision for ordination and vocational ministry is key to the bishop’s leadership. I am always asking my clergy who the people are that they are raising up for leadership, who are the “people worth watching” to consider vocational ministry. Each year I have held a dinner for young leaders to encourage them to consider ministry. Three of the young people who attended those dinners are now ordinands for the Diocese.

The bishop gets to influence the culture and direction of the diocese in the appointments to parishes as well. The bishop gets the final say who gets licenced to a parish. Getting the right team of clergy in place certainly sets the direction.

Of course there are other appointments that are critical. In our context the bishop appoints members to the three Anglican school boards, the Board of Anglicare and a number of other bodies including Synod appointments.     Raising up, training and deploying excellent gospel minded people to these roles ensures that the diocese is led to more and more effectiveness.

4. Leading in Vision and Strategy

I have left this until last, not because I think it is unimportant, but because I think the other three areas above have a greater effectiveness for the bishop’s leadership, and I realise not everyone loves a strategic plan. It is not in the ordinal, nor is strategic planning a New Testament requirement for church leadership.

However, planning and aiming for something focussed and having shared language around those aspirations can keep us on track.

Reflecting on the scriptures, listening to the desires of others, assessing what we are good at and where we are weak, discerning the external culture and challenges, dreaming where we want to be in a certain period, and then planning how we will get there, is the basic job. I think the bishop has a critical role in leading and guiding this process and then communicating it widely.

Of course, the bigger and more complex the diocese, the more difficult a job this is, but having something in place does help us with communicating what is important to us, what expectations there are on each other, and how we will be accountable. We measure what matters to us, and a good strategic plan will help us measure the right things and pay attention to them.

Leading with Synod and Council

The bishop’s leading meets its governance framework in the Synod and between them with the Diocesan Council (or Bishop-in-Council or Standing Committee). Where this works well the Synod graciously receives the leadership of the bishop and enables that leadership through providing governance guardrails. The guardrails include providing a legislative framework to allow the bishop’s leadership to be applied in an orderly way, and the provision of resources through diocesan budgets.

Of course, “guardrails” implies direction and sometimes they should push back on the bishop’s plans, if the group decides that they don’t want to follow. That would not be a failure, but the right operation of these frameworks.

The Synod is the appropriate body to adopt and endorse the strategic direction of the diocese. I rely on my Diocesan Council to provide me counsel and guidance on the strategic priorities as we plan. They are sounding board and trusted advisors from a range of perspectives that make my leadership more focussed and more effective. And then the Synod gives a solid mandate when they endorse the direction.

I was so grateful that when we took the difficult decision a few years ago to sell church properties to raise funds for our redress liabilities, I had the backing and the endorsement of parishes in Tasmania via the Synod. It added integrity and confidence to a difficult period of leadership. To stand in front of the media and in contested public meetings, with the Synod behind me, was a great gift.

While anyone is free to put a matter on the Synod’s agenda, we have tried to use Synod proactively, shaping its business around the contours of our strategic plan and embodying aspects of it in our gathering. Reporting back to Synod each year creates a rhythm of accountability that keeps the diocese honest about whether what we said we would do is actually being done.

I think it best to see the relationship between the Synod, the Council and the Bishop as a mission partnership. The bishop leads; Synod governs; Council steers between gatherings. Each needs the others to do its work well, so that together we might fulfil the Great Commission to make disciples of Jesus.

Richard Condie has been the Bishop of Tasmania since 2016.

Details

Written by: Breeana Mills

Interviewed by Breeana Mills

DO YOU WANT TO START BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND SHARING SOMETHING OF YOUR LEADERSHIP JOURNEY?

I'm Ric Thorpe, Archbishop of Melbourne. I’ve been in the role for a few months now. My spiritual journey really began in childhood. My parents took me to church, and I had a lot of head knowledge about faith, but I wasn't following Jesus. I also attended a boarding school with compulsory chapel, so I had plenty of information about Christianity, but it didn’t really affect my life.

At university, someone invited me to church. She turned out to be the leader of the Christian Union and was very evangelistic. I went along to a service aimed at new students. I must have heard the gospel many times before, but that day I truly saw it and understood it. From there, I threw myself into university Christian life.

All the things I had heard in church and chapel as a child fell into place. I grew quickly as a Christian. After university I spent a year working with the evangelist J. John. In February 1988 we came to Australia running school and university missions for about eight weeks across Sydney, Wollongong, Perth and Bunbury. It was my first time here, and something of Australia lodged in my heart.

After that I went into marketing with Unilever for a few years. During that time, I attended Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London and was part of Nicky and Pippa Gumbel’s home group. He encouraged me to start a new group, so church planting ideas began very early for me. We started multiplying mid-sized groups of about 30 people.

One of the most influential parts of that season was meeting weekly with my vicar, Sandy Miller. We met for an hour each week for 13 years. That investment shaped me enormously and I remain deeply grateful.

Eventually I went to theological college at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and married Louie early on in our time there. After three years we returned to HTB, with a very clear sense that God was leading us back there. I served a curacy there that lasted nine years. My main role became running the church while Nicky and Sandy travelled leading Alpha conferences.

In 2005 we were invited to lead a church plant in the East End of London with a planting team from HTB. We kept the traditional service going and started a new contemporary service. Both began to grow. Then we added an evening service. After that we helped revitalise struggling churches in East London, sending teams of 10, 20, and eventually 30 people.

Later the Bishop of London appointed me as the Bishop of Islington, with responsibility for church planting across London. About 70% of my time was spent nationally, helping bishops recruit, train, and deploy church planters. Early on, we founded the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication, which supports leaders and bishops starting new congregations.

I was also involved in church planting learning communities and was invited to help with one here in Australia. One of the teams was from the Diocese of Melbourne. It’s interesting how God lays foundations over time.

Eventually the opportunity to be considered for Archbishop of Melbourne came up. It wasn’t initially our first option, but over time other doors closed. As we prayed and discerned, it became clear that this was where God was calling us.

And now we’re here.

NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE, WHAT DO YOU SENSE GOD IS CALLING THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF MELBOURNE INTO IN THE NEXT SEASON?

I’d answer that in two ways.

First, we’re beginning a listening process across the diocese called “Listening in Lent.” We're asking churches, church members, and even people outside the church a series of questions about the next season. The hope is that this will produce a grassroots sense of calling across the diocese.

Alongside that, I sense God calling us to focus on several priorities in this first season. These emerged both from my own convictions and from conversations during the discernment process. There are five priorities.

1. Prayer

There is already a lot of prayer happening, but how can we catalyse even more across the diocese?

2. Healthy churches on mission

We want churches to flourish and fulfil their calling in God’s mission.

3. Church planting

Melbourne is a rapidly growing city likely to double in size over the next 25 years. We need to plant new churches to reach new communities. The same principles can also help revitalise struggling congregations.

4. Developing leaders

We will need many new leaders, not only for churches but for the wider city. At the end of our services we send people out ‘to love and serve the Lord’. We should be equipping them to lead well in every sphere of life.

5. Anglican schools

Anglican schools play an important role in shaping young people and contributing to the life and culture of a city. I would love to see us strengthen those connections and the Christian foundations that have shaped them.

My hope is that over the next year these two tracks, the listening process and these priorities, will converge into a clear vision and strategic framework.

ACROSS YOUR YEARS OF MINISTRY, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM CONTEXTS WHERE CHURCHES HAVE GROWN OR BEEN RENEWED THAT YOU WANT TO BRING INTO MELBOURNE?

One key lesson is confidence in the gospel.

I’ve had the privilege of serving in contexts where churches were growing. While growth isn’t universal across the global church, it does happen. Often those churches share a few characteristics.

First, they take evangelism and the mission of God seriously.

Second, they have a deep commitment to intercessory prayer. We pray in our liturgies, but in other traditions, Pentecostal, African and Latin American churches, you often see an extraordinary passion for prayer. I believe we have much to learn from them.

Third, they pay attention to welcome and hospitality.

Visitors are not treated as temporary guests but as potential future members. That simple mindset changes how churches welcome people.

Fourth, they ask good questions about growth and barriers. The Church Growth Movement raised helpful questions about why churches plateau and what prevents them from moving beyond certain stages. It’s not that bigger is always better. But if a church stops growing, it’s worth asking why. Are there barriers preventing the mission from expanding or multiplying?

Renewal often begins with honest questions like that.

IN TERMS OF YOUR HOPES ACROSS AUSTRALIA— AND EVEN ACROSS DENOMINATIONS—HOW DO YOU ENVISION FOSTERING UNITY AND COLLABORATION BOTH WITHIN THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA AND WITH OTHER DENOMINATIONS?

That’s an important question. The approach is slightly different depending on the context, because even within the Anglican Church there is a wide breadth of views, and sometimes we find it difficult to identify common ground.

If you look at what Christians actually believe, a great deal is shared. The challenge is that when we focus on our differences, they become very prominent. But when we focus on the mission of God and on Jesus, we often discover greater opportunities for unity, even while recognising that some differences remain.

Rather than beginning by asking, “Why won’t this work?”, we might instead ask, “How could this be helpful?” If we start from that posture, I think it opens more possibilities for unity.

Unity matters because it mattered to Jesus. In John 17, Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers. These are foundational truths that Christians across traditions affirm.

That doesn’t mean things aren’t complicated, they are, but those are good places to start.

Within our own denomination, I would love to see a posture that says: despite disagreements, we are on mission together. Each of us may pursue that mission in slightly different ways, but if we are proclaiming Christ, his Lordship, and his Salvation, then we are heading in the same direction.

The second thing is recognising that we don’t all need to do things the same way. In fact, diversity in practice often means we can reach more people. Difference is not necessarily a bad thing.

A third posture is asking, rather than criticising others, “How can we be the best we can be?” What does faithfulness and fruitfulness look like in our own context?

I often think of Richard Foster’s book Streams of Living Water, which describes the different streams within the Christian tradition and the gifts each brings. For example:

• The evangelical stream brings a deep love for Scripture and a commitment to proclaiming the gospel and making disciples.
• The charismatic stream emphasises the work of the Holy Spirit and the living presence of Jesus.
• The contemplative tradition offers depth in prayer and reflection—something many younger people today are increasingly drawn to.
• The sacramental tradition speaks powerfully through mystery and the outward signs of inward grace. Many younger people are rediscovering a hunger for that.
• The social justice and transformation streams, often strong in the Catholic tradition, remind us of the church’s calling to serve and transform society.

Each of these traditions has something important to offer the wider church. Rather than competing, we should be learning from one another.

If within our denomination we can keep pointing toward Jesus, remain focused on prayer, and invite one another into the mission of God, that would be a wonderful thing.

I would love to see every part of the church playing its role in that mission.

When it comes to other denominations, we often end up collaborating mainly with people who are most like us. That’s a good start, but I think we can go further.

One thing I would personally love to see is greater shared prayer across denominations for our state and for our city. That’s something I hope to participate in and encourage. We don’t have to start with complicated structures or programs. We can start by loving one another, encouraging one another, and praying together for the city.

And from that place, it may be that new opportunities emerge, ways we can serve and reach our city together for Jesus.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE WILL MOST EXPERIENCE THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS OR SO?

That’s an interesting question. My answer would simply be: Jesus. It might sound like a simple answer, but it really is the most important one.

I don’t feel my role is to be remembered as someone particularly significant. Rather, I would hope to be someone who, often behind the scenes, helps enable good things to happen. I’d love to help catalyse health and growth within the diocese. It’s already a wonderful diocese, and I want to join in with what God is already doing and wanting to do.

If in ten years’ time the diocese is more confident in its mission, more rooted in discipleship, and more deeply connected to Jesus, that would be wonderful. The Diocese of Melbourne’s strapline speaks about making the Word of God fully known, and I would love to see that flourish even more.

And beyond the diocese, I would love to contribute positively to relationships with other dioceses and churches across Australia. There are some extraordinary people doing wonderful work. If I can simply be part of that wider movement and faithfully play my role, that would be a great privilege.

The Most Reverend Dr Ric Thorpe is the Archbishop of Melbourne, elected in May 2025 and installed at St Paul’s Cathedral later that year. A leading Anglican voice in church planting, he previously served as the Bishop of Islington in the Diocese of London, a national role focused on helping the Church of England develop new worshipping communities and revitalise existing churches. Ric founded and led the Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication (CCX) for a decade and continues as a trustee. He has a doctorate in church planting and has trained many leaders at St Mellitus College, London. Earlier in his ministry, he and his wife Louie led a church revitalisation from Holy Trinity Brompton into St Paul’s Shadwell, which went on to support several further plants in East London. Educated at Stowe School and the University of Birmingham, Ric first worked in marketing with Unilever before training for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He is married to Louie, with whom he has three children. He loves the sea, wide horizons, and sailing whenever he can. As Archbishop of Melbourne, he is committed to listening well, discerning God’s leading, and strengthening the shared life and mission of the Diocese.

Breeana Mills is Canon for Church Planting, Anglican Diocese of Melbourne.

Details

Written by: Stephen Hale

EPISCOPALLY LED AND SYNODICALLY GOVERNED

One distinctive of Anglican polity is that we are 'episcopally led and synodically governed'. Most mainline protestant denominations will have one of these but not both. Most of us have been to many Synods and have probably wondered what this all means. Synod is so many things - dull, important, fun, challenging, complex and from time to time incredibly important. It has been described as a lawyers picnic!

In this edition we have two very helpful articles which seek to unpack what this means for us as Anglicans both historically and currently. One from a bishop and the other appropriately is by a lawyer! Andy Judd writes about the people who make Synod work by marshalling votes and participation. Greg Hammond explores the journey of the Diocese of Sydney has been on to clarify the governance relationship between the Archbishop and the Diocese and the many entities that are connected to them.