Fresh Legs

This year will bring some fresh legs onto the Essentials editorial team. You may have noticed that a disproportionate number of the contributions to Essentials come from Western Australia (which is the price you pay when the editor lives in Perth!) In order better to tap into the EFAC networks in other states, we are glad to be welcoming two new editors: Gavin Perkins, Rector of St Judes, Bowral, NSW, and Mark Juers, Assistant Minister at St Hilary’s Network, Kew, Victoria. I hope and expect that these two will help us hear from new contributors and bring more national breadth to the journal. I am very much looking forward to what they will bring to this journal in 2019 and beyond.
Of course, as I always do, I encourage readers to contact me about making contributions to Essentials, wherever you live. It gives me great pleasure to have articles, book reviews, Bible Studies and Cabooses from city and bush, east and west, north and south, and off the mainland too.


And so in this issue we hear Stephen Hale’s news of EFAC International’s rebirth as EFAC Global and the meeting of the reconstituted Global Council in Nairobi. Landing then in Sydney, Kara Hartley writes of the measures the Diocese of Sydney have taken to raise awareness, and levels of education and preparedness when it comes to the terrible blight of domestic violence, as it finds its way into churches, and the homes of Christians. A long haul from there to Geraldton, from where Eugenie Harris gives us a snapshot of life and ministry in the north of WA. Our feature essay this issue picks up a phrase from Article 1 of the 39 Articles, and delves into what lies behind our conviction that God is ‘without parts’. In our Bible Study, political junkie and Perth rector Marc Dale meditates on how Jesus’ Nazareth sermon pointed far beyond any political revolution, and how good that is. Reviews of books on ministry and leadership, evolution, environmental action and mutual care populate our back pages, and the Caboose questions whether some books on ministry burn-out undo themselves in the end. I hope you find plenty to think on here.
Ben Underwood - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.