No. 20/2014

Dear Members of the Diocesan Family

New Bishop of the Northern Territory:

The Sixth Bishop of the Northern Territory is The Reverend Dr Greg Anderson. Please pray for Greg as he prepares to take up his new ministry.  Greg was made a deacon and priested in the Diocese of the Northern Territory.  We assure Greg and Annette and the family of our prayers at this time of transition.

The Reverend Jo de Leeuw and The Reverend Cameron Wills:

On Saturday, 14 June Jo was ordained priest and on Sunday 15 June Cameron was made a deacon.  Both services were great acts of worship.  Please continue to pray for Jo and Cameron, their families and loved ones as they continue to serve our Lord. 

The Reverend Canon Bill Woodland:

At the end of the ordination at Ravenshoe, I announced that I had made Bill Canon Emeritus.  Bill continues to provide a loving and caring ministry on the Tablelands

Induction of The Reverend Rod Gooden:

Rod will be inducted as the Rector of St. John's Cairns on Monday evening 21 July at 6pm.  Please pray for Rod has he takes annual leave and prepares to move to St John's. The liturgical colour is red.

Induction of the The Reverend Kenneth Lay:

Kenneth will be inducted at St David's Mossman on Wednesday 3 September 2014 at 6pm.  The liturgical colour is red. 

Charters Towers:

I have appointed The Reverend Tom Pamflett as the locum of St. Paul's for about three months.  We welcome Tom to the Diocese and to the Parish.  Tom is a retired priest who has ministered in the Dioceses of Ballarat, Gippsland and Melbourne. 

The next few days:

This evening The Venerable Cameron Venables will be consecrated Bishop and will serve in the Western Region of the Diocese of Brisbane.  We assure Cameron, Kate and family of our love and prayers.

I will be taking a couple of days off before travelling to Adelaide.

On Saturday 28th the diocesan bishops along with twelve lay and twelve clergy will elect the new Primate. 

I ask that you pray for Archbishop Aspinall as he presides at General Synod (29 June to 4 July) and then steps down as Primate. 

In my opinion, Archbishop Phillip has been an excellent Primate and served the Australian Church well.

Mini Regional Consultations:

Eleven sessions were held and over 310 people attended.  I thought the attendance was outstanding.  I am aware that people turned out to suit my timetable.  So a very big thank you to everyone who attended.

There was much interest and a wide range of questions.  As I have said, I will include a summary of the questions in my Presidential Address at Synod. 

Thank you also to those who provided meals and morning and afternoon teas.  They proved to be a great time of fellowship.  We rejoice that we have turned the corner financially.  Yes the road ahead is bumpy, but we are travelling in the right direction. 

Synod and Clergy Conference:

I look forward to catching up with many of you at Synod.  I am basing my Presidential Address on understanding how parishes function. 

The Clergy Conference commences on Monday 14 July, concluding on Thursday morning 17 July.  The guest speaker is The Reverend Howard Langmead.  If you have not returned your Registration form, please do so as soon as possible to my PA Julie.

Shine Womens' Conference:

This conference, with the theme, "In His Name" will be held from 7 to 9 August in Townsville at the RSL Stadium.  There are various categories of registration and you can book on line at info@shineconference.net. The Reverend Elaine Jeston can provide you with further information and assistance.  If you book on line please let Elaine know.  Her contact details are: 4779 6370  or 0408 796 370.

Anglican Overseas Aid:

Pray with us

Join us in prayer every Monday morning in July:

Dear Lord,

In following your example, we ask that women and children would be treated with dignity and respect in all communities.

We are especially mindful of those who are concerned about their personal safety.  Thank you for those who are providing strong and courageous leadership, who speak with a prophetic voice.

Please strengthen and comfort those affected by violence and abuse in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, and sustain those who work to empower women to protect the vulnerable through the Safe Persons Network.

For the destitute we ask for a sustaining hope and new opportunities.  May you console all those who experience isolation and exploitation.  Bless the work of CS in the slums of Kolkata.

May we not take for granted our own good fortune. 

Lead us as we share what we have in your service. 

in Jesus' Name    Amen.

Other prayer points:

*  Pray for our overseas partners and their transforming work.

*  Pray that AOA and other mission agencies raise sufficient money to support their ministry for those in need.

World Refugee Day:

Last Friday (20 June) was World Refugee Day.  I know there are many days competing for our attention.  The statistics are staggering.   There are over 50 million refugees, over twice the population of our nation.  This is the largest number of refugees since the end of the Second World War.  Australia is a lucky country and it saddens me to see people being treated as a political football, rather than in a humane way. I urge each one of us to do what we can.  Please pray for those working with the refugees and seeking to bring dignity and care to those who are homeless and often persecuted.  The theme for this year is "one family torn apart is one too many".  Very true. 

World Environment Day:

This day was the 5th June.  One of the areas of the Diocese that is suffering from global warming is the Torres Strait.  The water levels are rising.  Islands are threatened.  Please pray for those who are addressing this issue.  I have found this website very helpful:  tsirc.qld.gov.au.  There are other websites as well that are very informative. 

The drought:

This drought continues to bite hard.  Please pray for the people on the land who are feeding their stock by hand daily, as well as making sure they have water.  One property might be in severe drought while a neighbouring property has received rain. 

Wishing you every blessing.

Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend William (Bill) Ray

Bishop of North Queensland