‘Facing the Future: Bishops imagine a different church’, edited by Stephen Hale and Andrew Curnow, is a fascinating collection of articles by 22 bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia shaped around three areas; ‘Facing our current reality; Faces of a new future; and Facing the future’. 

“Facing the Future reflects the theological diversity and geography of this vast country, as well as different understandings about the episcopal role. The bishops who were invited to contribute were asked to be honest, to share their sense of perspective about where they currently are, and their sense of the way forward.

The book does not set out to be a rigorous piece of academic writing, but it does seek to give a significant number involved in the leadership of our church a voice that will give a clear indication of some options of the way forward.

Too often we have tended to make Christiantiy distinctive by separating ourselves from the world, rather than engaging in it. It is all too tempting to become an island in a sea of plurality.
Andrew Curnow

It has been said, rightly, that the church does not have a mission in God’s world. Rather God’s mission has a church in the world. That is to say, God is the God who sends.
Phillip Aspinall

I believe that at present the Spirit is blowing to urge and inspire us to radically change from being ‘Come To’ churches to become ‘Go To’ churches.
Stephen Hale

It is my view that the green shoots of a new passion for mission are emerging. That makes our current era an exciting time to be part of the Anglican Church of Australia.
Geoff Smith”

I was invited to reflect on our Tasmanian experience over the past decade and you will find the chapter which I submitted at ‘A new openness to change’ here.

My draft outline is here. The book details here.