Moore College

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

A regular diet of Scripture

A regular diet of Scripture

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Although it shouldn’t surprise us, hearing the word of God regularly can be surprisingly helpful as we navigate life, mid-2021 included. The frustration of another lockdown, separation from loved ones, the monotonous grind of working life, the fracturing of relationships, the sluggishness and mediocrity we feel as we struggle through online work, online school and online church – there is so much in life that can bring us down and take us away from the wonder, awe and majesty of knowing our great God and Saviour.

To my shame, surprise has been my recent experience. But we know from the Bible that God doesn’t shy away from difficulty, he doesn’t run away from mess, he isn’t inconsistent and he doesn’t abandon us even when we clearly, obviously deserve it. No, God is very, very good, and he proves it repeatedly. And I take it that one of the reasons God chose to speak to us primarily through his word in written form, was so that we can learn it, and just like the way we learn the words to a favourite song, we can always have it on our hearts and in our minds and therefore be reminded of the goodness of God. The Scriptures help us to keep our eyes fixed on the promises of God, his faithfulness to those promises, his displays of lovingkindness towards his people, and the Amen that can be found to all of this as we see Jesus, the Christ.

I have been reminded of this afresh as I have been leading two Moore Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) ‘Introduction to the Bible’ classes over the last six weeks. Not only am I encouraged by the eagerness of people in the class to drink deeply from the Scriptures, but I was also pushed to repent from my own apathy and the lethargy with which I sometimes approached listening to the voice of God.

The first class started as a friend from church spoke with me about getting a group of men together to look at the big themes of the Bible and sharpen our understanding of God’s promises and how they have been revealed to us. This was a beautiful initiative, and I was surprised at the diversity of people that were keen to learn, and hungry to consume Scripture. Some are using this as training for other ministries – one is wanting to grow in his love and knowledge of God and sits with his English and Mandarin PTC notes to self-translate; a pastor from a Tamil church joins every week to see how he can teach similar things to his community in the future; and a few working professionals have joined to be able to better lead their families in walking obediently under the Lordship of Jesus.

Parallel to this class is a group on Zoom which has been running since the initial Covid lockdown in 2020. This group has changed in dynamic over time, but again what struck me most was the eagerness with which the members run towards Scripture, and the significant visible impact that a relationship with Jesus has had on their confidence, resilience and joy despite difficult circumstances. This group has people from around Australia, as well as parts of India and the UK. They came together because of a Facebook invite last year asking people to hear what God’s word has to say about Covid. That then led to a Bible study series in Amos, then the ‘I am’ statements in John’s Gospel, then Joel, then 1 Corinthians 12-15, then some thematic studies and now to an overview of the Bible using the PTC material. As we have made our way through the studies, and traced the promises of God and patterns of humanity through the history of God’s interaction with his people, it has been truly amazing to see the implications drawn and how they bring so much comfort to our current situation.

I know God is so good in giving me more than I could ask for or even imagine. In teaching these two groups he has refreshed my soul as he has reminded me of just how good he is. As I reflect on my privileged position to be alive at this epoch in history, knowing what I know because of the work of Jesus, I can’t help but relate to the words penned by the apostle Peter:

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things (1 Peter 1:10-12).

This article was originally published with the Australian Church Record.
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Moore College recognised as a University College

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Moore Theological College has today (01/07/21) been registered in the new University College category by the Australian government Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). In the TEQSA media release, TEQSA Chief Commissioner Professor Peter Coaldrake explained the significance of the University College category:

“[T]he new University College category […] recognises high-quality institutions and provides them with new opportunities to develop course offerings that meet the future needs of students, employers, industry and communities. The updated standards also include augmented research requirements for universities.”

“TEQSA […] congratulates NIDA, AFTRS and Moore Theological College for being the first three providers to be registered in the new University College category.”

“Each of these providers demonstrated to TEQSA that they offer high-quality higher education and meet the standards for registration as University Colleges.”

Further, Simon Finn, the CEO of Independent Higher Education Australia (IHEA), said it is a “recognition of 150 years of delivering high quality teaching and research in Divinity and Theology. Achieving University College status is a great outcome for Moore as they are one of only three foundation entrants to the newly designed University College category.”

We are greatly encouraged by this announcement. We are grateful for the recognition that the College is providing an excellent theological education in line with its mission statement. We are excited about the opportunities this might open up for even more effective work in the future.

The College Principal, Dr Mark Thompson, remarked

“The higher education landscape in Australia is changing and there is an appropriate concern to maintain and increase the quality of the education experience for students. Moore College is committed to serving our students with an excellent theological education which equips them well for Christian ministry in a wide variety of contexts. Today’s announcement from TEQSA is an encouragement to keep doing that and to do it even better. We have every reason to thank God for this development.”

He also remarked, “A great deal of effort from a range of people has gone into the application process. We are especially grateful for the time and energy put in by our Registrar, Ms Rhonda Barry. Without her it simply would not have been possible.”

Moore’s classification as a University College takes effect from today and the associated registration is for seven years.
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Moore College stands firmly against domestic violence

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Coercion and violence is never acceptable in family life. God created families to be contexts of mutual love, respect and nurture.

The recent release of the Anglican Church of Australia’s report into domestic abuse and family violence in church communities makes clear that in church families, every bit as much as in the wider community, God’s intention for marriage and family life is blighted by human sinfulness.

Our concern must always be first and foremost for the victims of this tragic betrayal. We cannot say too strongly or too often that domestic violence is entirely incompatible with the teaching of the Bible. The attempt to justify any form of violence or coercion by appeal to the Bible is in fact a scandalous twisting of the Bible’s teaching which dishonours the God whose word this is.

There is much we must do to protect the vulnerable and strengthen family life and I pray this report might be a stepping stone towards that not just in Anglican churches but in all churches and all communities.

The Rev Canon Dr Mark D Thompson, Principal
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Dr Colin Bale becomes Emeritus!

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At the end of this semester, Dr Colin Bale will retire from the Moore College faculty. Dr Bale was appointed to the faculty in 1999 and has served as head of the Church History department, Academic Dean, and Vice Principal. During some of that time he worked on his PhD at Sydney University in the area of Australian history, and more particularly the lessons to be learned from the gravestone inscriptions of those who fell in the First World War.

Dr Bale has made a remarkable contribution to the life and health of Moore College. In recognition of this, the Governing Board of the College has unanimously agreed to appoint him as an Emeritus Faculty member upon his retirement. With this appointment, he will join the likes of Dr Paul Barnett, Dr Peter Jensen, Dr Peter O’Brien, Dr David Peterson, and Dr Barry Webb. His continued connection with the College is eagerly anticipated by students and faculty alike.

Principal Dr Mark Thompson remarked,

“Colin has been a supportive colleague, a wonderful friend, a brilliant Vice Principal, but through it all a magnificent example of grace, humility and the steady confidence of one who knows and walks closely with the Lord Jesus. I have always valued his advice and will miss greatly his daily presence among us. I am thrilled he will continued to be connected to the College as an Emeritus Faculty member.”

At his official farewell with students at chapel today, so many people had so much to say about the impact that Dr Bale has had on their lives, and his impact on the College community more generally.

Jane Tooher, who was a student with Dr Bale and has worked alongside him as a colleague for 12 years on faculty, commented: “When I asked 2 men from our college year their thoughts about Colin and anything they thought I should include in this speech, this is what one said: ‘The three words that come to me are steady, warm and wise.'”

She made mention of Dr Bale’s love, respect and fondness for his wife Gillian (pictured below), his love for his children and delighting in spending time with them, humility, excellent sense of humour, his gentleness and grace in dealing with others, and so much more.

Jesse Morrison, senior student at College, asked students for a word to describe Dr Bale. They came up with “Father figure, grandfather, story-time, moustache, cheeky and sassy.” Jesse himself also remarked that “[Dr Bale] is unmistakably on fire for the gospel.”

College alumnus and friend of Dr Bale, Caitlin Orr, also had nothing but positive things to say about him. She remarked, “[Dr Bale is] not only a teacher, but a pastor at heart… [he] cares deeply for the people God has placed under [him].”

Dr Bale commented that “he [has] had a hoot being at College.” He also echoed the sentiments he heard at the 30-year alumni reunion, saying that it was a great joy to be part of College, where he too learned to think theologically in every situation, and make everything all about Jesus.

Please join us in thanking God for, and praying for Dr Bale.
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