Moore College

Equipping men and women to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ

Elisabeth Arnett retires as Executive Assistant to the Principal

Elisabeth Arnett retires as Executive Assistant to the Principal

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Many people who have visited or contacted Moore College will know Mrs Elisabeth Arnett. Elisabeth has served the College for nineteen years as the Executive Assistant to the Principal. In all that time she has been an adornment to the College, a magnificent example of grace and service, warm friendliness and thoroughgoing professionalism.

Nothing has ever been too much trouble for Elisabeth. Her devotion to the Lord Jesus and so her genuine commitment to the mission of the College in making him known, has meant she has regularly done far more than could ever have been expected. Her friendly manner, has put people at ease. Her remarkable discretion has given people confidence to share with her the things that really matter to them. She is trusted and deeply appreciated. She always made people feel welcome at Moore College.

Elisabeth is retiring today after a remarkable period of faithful service to the College, to its last two principals, and to the cause of Christ and his gospel.

The College Governing Board recently passed this minute of appreciation:

The Governing Board of Moore Theological College gives thanks to God for the contribution of Mrs Elisabeth Arnett as Executive Assistant to the Principal over the past 19 years. We thank Elisabeth for her faithfulness, her invaluable assistance to the Principal and the Board, her generous and gracious manner, and her commitment to the mission of the College. We pray for God’s richest blessing upon Elisabeth and Trevor in her retirement and look forward to opportunities for more informal fellowship in the future.

Please join us in our thanksgiving to God for Elisabeth and her ministry.

The new EA to the Principal by Ms Paula Darwin. Please pray for her too as she takes on this significant role in the College.
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Simon Manchester moves on from JCPI

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Preaching Christ remains at the heart of the gospel mission. Moore College is committed to equipping those God sends to us to do that in a way that effectively connects the Bible and those who hear.

The John Chapman Preaching Initiative (JCPI), covering in-college preaching programs, preaching conferences and innovative preaching clinics, exists to facilitate this aim of developing young preachers and helping those already engaged in the task to improve what they do.

For the past two and a half years, JCPI has been strengthened by the involvement of the Rev. Simon Manchester. Simon’s fine preaching gifts and his long experience in pastoral ministry have enabled him to encourage others in biblical preaching that expounds the text and applies it directly to our lives as a disciples of Christ. We are grateful for the contribution Simon has been able to make.

In recent months, there has been an increased demand for Simon to participate in other preaching conferences that are reaching very diverse groups of people here in Australia and overseas. Simon is excited about these possibilities and believes both that this is a ministry that has arisen because of a specific need and that he is a person God might use to meet that need. However, in order to engage in that work, and the other things the Lord has given him to do since leaving full-time parish ministry, Simon will step back from being a Senior Mentor with the JCPI.

We want to enable Simon to make the most of the opportunity of this new conference ministry for the sake of a wider circle of Christian churches and ministries. Releasing Simon from his involvement as a Senior Mentor with the JCPI is one practical way we can do that. Of course, Simon remains a firm friend of the College and we commit ourselves to continue to pray for him (and for his wife Kathy) as he moves into this next stage of what has already been a very fruitful ministry. He has indicated that if any student would like help with a sermon or talk, then they should still feel free to contact him.
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Moore College Gives Thanks For The Life Of Dr. B. Ward Powers

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Moore College gives thanks for the life of Dr. B. Ward Powers who died on 7th May 2022.

Dr. Powers graduated from Moore College in 1959 and joined the Moore College staff as the Secretary for External Studies in 1964. During the next four years, he oversaw the development of the PTC into a three-year correspondence course for church members. After studying for his doctorate through the University of London, he joined the staff of Sydney Missionary and Bible College, where he served with distinction from 1978 until 1989.

His writing often presented unique perspectives on the wide range of topics he covered, as evidenced by his The Principles and Practice of Religious Accounting and Taxation (1965), The Significance of the Sacraments in the Early Church (1970), The Progressive Publication of Matthew (1977) and Divorce: The Bible and the Law (1978).

Perhaps his most widely known and appreciated book remains his Learn to Read the Greek New Testament (1980), in which he brought linguistic principles to bear on the teaching of New Testament Greek.

Ward’s long-standing commitment to theological education and the faithful teaching of the Bible, not to mention his highly significant contribution to the development of Moore College’s correspondence course, are all gifts for which we give great thanks to God.
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Moore College appoints Tom Habib as New Testament lecturer

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The Governing Board of the College has approved the Principal’s nomination of the Rev. Thomas Habib as a full-time member of the Moore College Faculty from the end of this year.

Tom is completing his PhD research and expects to submit his thesis on moral characterisation in the Gospel of John in August.

Prior to embarking on that research, Tom was the assistant minister at Yagoona & Condell Park Anglican church.  He is married to Jessica, and they have three children, Peter, Jemimah and Annabelle, aged 7, 5 and 3.

Dr Thompson remarked,

‘I am excited at the prospect of Tom joining the Moore College faculty at the end of the year. Tom will be an excellent addition to the New Testament team. He is a pastor with exceptional academic skills who knows and understands the College well. His commitment to equipping a new generation of gospel workers to teach the Bible effectively has been amply demonstrated in Sydney and in Cambridge during his time of study there’.

Please thank God with us for the provision of Tom and pray for his transition from full-time study to this important ministry.
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Jesus is what truly matters

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I hope that as you combed through the Moore Matters Autumn 2022 publication, you have begun to see the ways in which Moore College continues to influence the world through theological education. From the rich melting pot of ethnicities right here in Sydney, to the various overseas ministries that our graduates are involved in, your generosity in supporting the training and equipping of men and women is both strategic and significant. Every one of you, through your financial generosity, fervent and consistent prayers, and advocacy for the work of the College, are valuable partners in this ministry that aims to see God glorified through providing excellent evangelical theological education.

In recent times, I have been reflecting on 2 Thessalonians, and the urgency of the spread of the gospel, given our current context. Unlike the folk religion of the day, which is focused on secondary things, Scripture is very clear about what is of first importance. We are sitting between the work of Jesus on the cross and in his resurrection, and his imminent Second Coming. when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels (cf. 2 Thess 1:7) to judge the living and the dead. Considering the truth of the times in which we live, the gospel is paramount because what truly matters is our relationship with Jesus! The world is in darkness, and so we ought to be focused on preaching the gospel of salvation, and praying for the very same, for there is an end date and the Lord Jesus will return at any moment. This sentiment of urgency is helpfully articulated by Charles Spurgeon,

If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.[1]

Our contemporary society is arguably as far from knowing or acknowledging God as it has been in a long time. Only recently, public 2021 Australian Community Survey[2] results show that in Australia alone, a large proportion of people don’t even know someone who goes to church, let alone believe that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical person. This is precisely the reason we prayerfully plan to continue expanding our student body, bringing people from all over the world to engage in evangelical theological education and formation to be sent out to the far reaches of the globe.

Take our brother Trace Akankunda, for example, who was born in a Christian family in Uganda. He was introduced to Jesus by passionate peers, who invited him to Bible study groups and patiently walked alongside him, helping him to understand the significance of Jesus. After moving to Adelaide to pursue postgraduate research in science, he was further nurtured by Trinity Church, where he was also challenged to appreciate the need for gospel workers and to consider pursuing vocational ministry.

Of his experience of his first year on campus studying the Bachelor of Divinity, he says:

“I have been challenged to grow in character, conviction, and competence for ministry. I have enjoyed learning God’s word in community and building godly relationships that I will hopefully carry into ministry beyond college. I have also had the opportunity to get involved in church ministry and see how good biblical teaching translates into practical ministry.”

Under God, Trace hopes to return home and partner with gospel workers in Uganda, to proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or consider Ruvini Katugaha, one of our online Diploma of Biblical Theology students from Kandy, Sri Lanka. She was born to a family with a Christian mother but did not really come into a personal relationship with Christ until she was in her mid-20s, studying law in Hong Kong. When she finally found an English-speaking church where she felt connected, one of the pastors there was a Moore College alumnus. It was only natural, then, to consider Moore College as the place to equip herself for the ministries God had placed in her path.

Ruvini is passionate about serving the Lord in the space of evangelism. Now back in Sri Lanka, she has started two Bible studies, one of which is distinctly aimed at non-believers who are interested in answering questions from the Bible. She is hoping to keep evangelising as many people in Sri Lanka as will listen, and wants to publish books in Christian Apologetics in her mother tongue, Sinhala.

We are also excited about our new cohort of undergraduate students who are starting with us on campus in 2022. One of these students is David Wong, who grew up in a Christian family in Hong Kong, always being taught the Bible and encouraged in his relationship with God. Once David came to Australia, he was heartened in his Christian conviction and maturity through FOCUS Campus Bible Study (CBS) ministries at the University of NSW. After his traineeship with CBS, he was convinced of the need to serve God in a full-time ministry capacity, and is excited to study at College after having been told by his trainers that it is the obvious next step in his training and development. David wants to serve Cantonese speaking people, whether that be in Sydney or back in Hong Kong.

These are just three examples of students who are from other countries and are investing in theological training for the sake of preaching the gospel wherever our Lord may lead them. Please continue to pray for all our students, that they will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (cf. Col 1:9). Especially pray for the cohort of students this year, that they will develop good patterns of study and integrate well into this wonderful community of Christian brothers and sisters.

Will you please also prayerfully consider giving to the Scholarship Fund, the International Student Fund and the Overseas DBT Scholarship? These funds will help us to invest in our students, ensuring that financial limitations do not inhibit them from being thoroughly equipped to serve Jesus in whatever context they find themselves ministering. We want to ensure that every student who is enrolled in College can financially afford studying with us. This is especially the case for our international brothers and sisters who do not have the generous benefit of government assistance.

 

[1] ‘The Wailing of Risca’, preached in the Exeter Hall, 9 December 1960.

[2] This is research conducted by the National Church Life Survey research group. More information at NCLS Research – Home (2021ncls.org.au).
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