It’s only a matter of time before Australia embraces same sex marriage, with the support and advocacy of progressive Australian clergy. So what’s next? We all know it won’t stop at same-sex unions. So who’s up for group marriage? For weeks, Sydneysiders and Melburnians who believe menages-a-trois and other polyamorous relationships can be just as [...]
Category Archives: Progressive Christianity
The day J.I. Packer walked out
10 December, 2011 – 12:09 AM
In June of 2002, the synod of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster (Vancouver, Canada) voted to authorise a service to bless same-sex unions. J.I. Packer was among the synod members who walked out in protest. Why did I walk out with the others? Because this decision, taken in its context, falsifies the gospel of [...]
Defending the gospel of grace and truth
8 December, 2011 – 6:00 AM
Gary Lockyer was the senior pastor at Lilydale Baptist (1988-2002). This is an full version of his comment posted today providing background to the turmoil at his former church. Steve, I was the Senior Pastor of the Lilydale Baptist Church for 14 years. It had already grown out of its ancient (1881?) but very small [...]
Yes we can
6 December, 2011 – 4:40 AM
On Saturday the ruling Labor conference committed the Party to a policy of support for same-sex marriage. The move was supported by a rainbow coalition of activists including member of the clergy. History teaches us that this is not the end of a long battle, just a pause before the next push begins. What was [...]
How denominations fall
5 December, 2011 – 3:39 AM
The governing Australian Labor Party will introduce a private members bill to legalise marriage between same sex couples. The move is largely symbolic. The bill will most probably be defeated—this time. Meanwhile some Australian denominations are tripping over themselves on this issue. A number of pastors and leaders within my own denomination, the Baptist Union [...]
No one excluded except the real Jesus
30 July, 2011 – 12:38 AM
It’s a serious thing to sack a seventy year old priest. The Catholic church has a shortage of them. Yet it strikes me as strange that someone who doesn’t believe in the Trinity, the virgin birth—who doesn’t believe Jesus ever existed—should want to be a priest, or should even expect to remain a priest. Father [...]
Bell’s hell
18 April, 2011 – 8:05 PM
A great deal of what is being published by writers in the religious tradition is a scandal and is actually turning people away from the church. The liberal writers who are continually accommodating and whittling down the truth of the Gospel are responsible. I cannot understand how a man can appear in print claiming to [...]
Bell on Hell
11 March, 2011 – 7:12 AM
Rob Bell has been “stirring the possum” regarding the doctrine of hell, ahead of the release of his book on the topic. Last time I checked it was #14 on Amazon’s best seller list. Rob’s a good communicator and controversy sells. Questioning hell is not a new thing for western theologians and church leaders to [...]
The shifting sands of Western mission
9 December, 2010 – 1:34 PM
It comes as no surprise that Western evangelicals are redefining mission for the “postmodern context.” We’re moving from spreading Christianity to living it. From “hard-core proselytizing” (al Qaeda in Christian wineskins) to social justice and humanitarian work. Missionaries have become “vacationaries,” going abroad short-term to serve others, rather than share the gospel. Mission means “we [...]
How Missionaries Lost Their Chariots of Fire
2 December, 2010 – 11:42 PM
Western Christianity has been on a century long journey to redefine what “mission” is. Earlier this year, Brad Greenberg reflected in an article for the WSJ on the changing nature of Christian mission since Edinburgh 1910. Here are a few edited points and quotes from the article. I’ll have more to say later. The 1910 [...]
