Category Archives: Movement lifecycle

Ichak Adizes: Corporate Lifecycles

Ichak Acizes is the master at understanding the lifecycle of organisations. Plenty of implications for the lifecycle of movements. His presentation style needs some work. “Corporate Lifecycles: How and Why Corporations Grow and Die and What to Do About It” (Ichak Adizes)

World without limits

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 [...]

The day J.I. Packer walked out

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 [...]

Church history repeats itself

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire From the BUV policy on Ordination: “Persons who engage in homosexual practice will not be ordained.“ I’m confused. The leadership of the denomination and it’s theological college do not have a problem with Baptist clergy or theological professors who are advocates [...]

Defending the gospel of grace and truth

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

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

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 [...]

You foolish Lilydalians

Matt Glover, freelance cartoonist and pastor, is an advocate for same-sex unions. His church, Lilydale Baptist, is in turmoil. They’ve only just found out via this gay website or maybe this one? A church meeting to deal with the issue was cancelled a few days ago. A newspaper report states confidently that Pastor Matt has [...]

A monument to lost causes and missed opportunities

When Saffie the Wonderdog and I take our morning walk, we head out along the creek at the bottom of our street that leads to Blackburn Lake. Along the way there’s a gum tree whose fortunes we have been following for the last few years. The tree fell on hard times. Literally. It began with [...]

No one excluded except the real Jesus

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 [...]