mission in Australia

The future of the Gospel in Australia

/ MurrayCampbell

How many Reformed Evangelicals does it take to change a light bulb?

I’ll let others decide on the answer, but in June this year, a relatively rare (although becoming less rare) sight was spotted in Newtown, Sydney. Reformed Evangelical leaders from across Australia gathered to talk, listen, dream and pray.

Under an invitation from The Gospel Coalition Australia,  a coalition of Gospel minded leaders met for a Summit. That winter’s day was the second year we met, with hearts burdened and captivated.

So what, you might ask? What’s so unusual about that? Well, anyone who has tried will appreciate how hard it is to convince busy Christian leaders to give up time and travel to a strange place for a meeting where finding any tangible outcome is far from certain. It is also tricky to get Christian leaders in the same room where there is trust, theological clarity, and gospel generosity and grace.

The Gospel Coalition Australia is providing such a ballast, not so heavy and not so light. Not for a second, however, did the leaders who gathered think that other Christian groups are not doing essential Gospel ministry and mission. We recognise and praise God for the many different churches and organisations that are built on the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and proclaiming Christ, and seeing people becoming Christians and joining His Church. 

Gospel Unity

At the same time, folk like Rory Shiner and Andrew Heard are noting a peculiar season for Reformed Evangelicals, and making the most of every opportunity is surely wise and good.

Such a Summit probably wouldn’t have taken off 20 years ago. The day in June reflects a beautiful shift among evangelicalism where some of the old tribalism and differences are being replaced with greater Gospel charity and desire to work together. Sure, we disagree on some matters, and there were certainly robust conversations. And yet, what is an Anglican or Baptist,  or Turramurra and Townsville? We are not playing golf or tennis. This is cricket, and in this team we aim to play, work, and serve together.

This kind of visible unity is now found in numerous places. I think of the Reach Australia Conference, where 1400 pastors, planters, and ministry workers converge on the NSW Central Coast from around the nation. Or the growing number of TGCA local chapters that are becoming hubs where Gospel workers across denominations meet, pray and are nourished.  And there are para-church groups like AFES that are Gospel centred hubs of mission on university campuses.

From my small corner of the country, I am seeing there is greater Gospel solidarity across the country, and what’s extraordinary is that it’s happening at a time where our society is becoming increasingly fractured, and where Christian denominations are also splintering.

The Summit resolved to create a statement that reflects what the 40+ women and men in attendance affirmed. After an initial drafting, the statement was sharpened by a small group, returned to the larger group, and is now finally released.

A prayer for Australia 

Here is the statement. Rory Shiner rightly refers to it as a prayer. This is our prayer, that under Almighty God, he will do wonderful things through his gospel for the salvation of many Australians. 

“We acknowledge God works out all things according to the counsel of his will and in his mercy saves his people through the faithful preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

For the glory of God, as a movement of Reformed Evangelicals in Australia, we commit to pray for and work toward a doubling (at least) of the number of gospel-centred Christians in our country over the next fifteen years.

We will pray for and work toward:

  • seeing 5% conversions (as a percentage of annual attendance in our churches and ministries)
  • the gospel going to every socioeconomic, ethnic, and community group within our nation—especially those currently under-reached. 
  • a doubling of the number of men and women with the necessary conviction, character and competency in full-time Christian ministry and missionary service.“

What do you think?

Politicians are well known for leaking. Sometimes, news is so exciting and audacious that it can’t be contained. I reckon this TGCA prayer has become one of the worst-kept not-so-secret secrets of 2025!

The 5% vision and its accompanying points have been the subject of at least 2 episodes on the Pastor’s Heart podcast, REACH Australia is already beating the drum, and both FIEC and the Sydney Anglican Diocese have adopted the goals. All this before we announced the final statement! 

People have been talking about the 5% vision for several months now. Some have come out in strong support, while others are criticising. But now we can all read it for ourselves. 

One of the positives coming from these pre-emptive discussions and announcements, and no doubt, all the conversations that are yet to take place, is that people are talking about reaching Australians with the Gospel. What a great thing to talk about! Even better, what can be more important for our prayers and hearts and imaginations and ministries than wanting people to come to know the Lord Jesus?

This prayer isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It comes from an awareness of growing gospel collegiability about reformed evangelicals and a conviction that we need to press on to reach Australians with the Gospel. 

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel said in his recent address to the Sydney Anglican Synod,

“The 5% number arises from a national conversation that has been initiated by The Gospel Coalition Australia across like-minded denominations. It is not a way of telling God what to do, it is a way of making every local church ask, what may we do?”

 Gospel Urgency

Amen Kanishka! Evangelism and the Great Commission is surely what we are about as churches. Everyone’s an evangelist. We live in an age of conversion: competing ideas and passions are trying to win over people all the time. We are not living in a neutral space where there is no convictions and calls to repentance and faith. Whether it is prominent religions, sects or cults, or one of the various iterations of secular humanism, we live in a marketplace of ideas where groups sell their vision for the good life. Is it a market or a temple? Is it the Agora in Ephesus or Artemis? all the above! 

There are signs that in Australia, we are witnessing a rise in neopaganism and exotic spiritualities, Islam and Hinduism are growing (mostly through immigration), and there is a quiet opening of the door toward Christianity. As much as secular humanism us promised utopia without God, reality struck a blow; we can’t live without God. We need God. We are desperately praying there is a God.

The prayerful goal for 5% annual conversion growth in our churches may feel overwhelming for some; I get it. To others, it may appear modest,  but even modest goals will buck the trend in Australia. Over 15 years, 5% growth will mean a doubling in the size of our churches. That’s exciting.

 This prayer, with its Gospel goals, is as much about reminding us of the urgency of mission. Without faith in the risen Lord Jesus, God’s image bearers remain dead in their sin and facing a wrathful God. The vision sets our priorities and does so in a way that reminds us we’re not doing this alone. There may be meaningful ways in which we can support and encourage one another.

In the New Testament, we find early glimpses of how churches may serve the broader body of Christ:

  1. Providing financial gifts and support
  2. Praying
  3. Sharing trained Gospel workers
  4. Sharing theological writings (Paul expected his letters to be shared among churches. Peter refers to Paul’s writings and affirmed their divine origin and usefulness)

There is something thoroughly Christian about Christians recognising one another and seeing each other as fellow workers rather than competitors at either end of a tennis court. 

During the Summit, there was recognition of our reformed evangelical shortcomings, and there was a desire to do better. Overall, the tone of the day, which is reflected in the prayer, is one of humble confidence in God and his Gospel and stimulating conversations together.

Gospel Confidence 

We’d love to encourage others to pray this prayer. Maybe your church or group would like adopt it. We are praying this prayer because we know God is Sovereign, we are convinced  Jesus loves his church and we know the Gospel is powerful to save everyone who believes. 

Jesus promised, ‘I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it’.  We believe him. No single local church or denomination or ministry or preacher can reach every part of the Great Southland. Maybe there are ways we spur one another on in evangelism.

There are always dangers and challenges facing our churches, and most of these come from within, not outside.  We probably can’t control or influence what a State Government might do and decide around religious freedom, but we can work to ensure our churches remain true to sound doctrine and focused on the Great Commission. We will need to teach and push against strands like Christian nationalism and old school deathly liberalism. We also need to guard our hearts against materialism and gnosticism. And be enthralled by the Gospel, and hearts captured to see our church doubling over the next 15 years. Many won’t and many will, and some will grow much more. But let’s not aim for nothing and pray for nothing.

There may not be a quiet revival in Australia, but the spiritual temperature has changed a little bit. More people are asking questions, and more people are no longer satisfied with the hopelessness offered up by life without God. People are remembering that God has placed eternity in the heart.

What are we waiting for? Would you like to join us in this prayer? Let’s get on with the Lord’s work and see what great things he can do.

The heading comes from a survey conducted by TGCA earlier this year, where we invited Christians from around the country to share their ideas and dreams.

Here is the link to Rory Shiner’s TGCA encouragement to Australian Churches to join in this prayer together – https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/a-prayer-for-australia/

Where is our mission confidence?

/ MurrayCampbell

Last week, I enjoyed Xiao Long Bao with the family in a restaurant just behind Bourke Street in Melbourne City. On our way back to the car, we walked past two billboards casting their messages onto the famous Swanston and Flinders Street intersection. 

The first billboard was hilarious; it advertised Melbourne’s Fringe Festival by emulating Paris’ Olympic Opening Ceremony with a Last Supper mock-up. Melbourne’s creatives apparently have the comedic and artistic flair of the inside of a vacuum: ‘Let stupidity repeat itself’! (no I’m not offended, except by the boorishness).

The second billboard stands outside St Paul’s Cathedral. This gothic lookalike sits on the busiest intersection in Melbourne’s CBD. It is a favourite spot for news reporters, city workers, protesters, and more. In every direction a tram is clicketing with passengers heading to the MCG or to theatre shows and the symphony. 

With this kind of amazing frontage, which is probably unbeatable anywhere else in all of Melbourne, what message would you like to convey to the 100,000s people who pass by every day? Your Church has an opportunity to say something interesting, provocative, or encouraging to Melbournians on their way to work and home at the end of the day, what button should we press?

I’m not a climate sceptic, so don’t dump that label on me, but is it really the best message we can send to the city? St Paul’s isn’t alone in this. In fact, it has become the norm for churches to talk about and be known for social concerns. This isn’t new. The term ‘wowsers’ entered the Aussie vernacular because of Christian concerns over alcohol and related social problems. Of course, Churches since the earliest days have cared for the vulnerable. Praise God!

At the same time, Churches understood and prioritised Gospel proclamation, making disciples of Christ and growing churches. Today it sometimes feels that this task is either getting lost, or in too many cases, is no longer believed to be necessary 

In other words, we are losing the vertical priority of the Gospel in favour of the horizontal. By vertical, I’m referring to the Bible’s idea that God is above all in holiness, authority and glory, and that sin is foremost a rejection of God’s rules and purposes. The primary issue facing people today is that we are separated from God on account of sin and are sitting under his rightful judgment. Hence, the greatest need we have is God’s forgiveness and reconciliation that is freely given through Jesus Christ.

By horizontal, I’m talking about relationships between people, hence social issues and creation care.  

This shift from evangelism to social action didn’t happen overnight, but it has become a huge problem and one we need to talk about. The reasons for preferring the horizontal over the vertical are fairly obvious. Social issues are more tangible than talk about heaven. We can see family discord and poverty. We can hear about the terrible plight brought on by gambling and alcohol. We are regularly reminded of environmental issues facing the globe. The horizontal appears more pressing because in one sense it’s more obvious than talking about the wrath of God and needing God’s mercy and the cross of Jesus. 

Social concerns are also more agreeable to the broader community. The city loves churches that provide foodbanks, clothing, and shelter. It’s a win!

People from all walks of life appreciate when churches do the heavy lifting for social needs. Such activities and messages are way less offensive than the bits of Christianity that involve preaching and talking about sin and hell and the cross and resurrection. Promoting the horizontal is palatable whereas focusing on the vertical is vulgar. 

It’s not that the horizontal is unimportant. Loving our neighbours belongs to loving God.  I think both the Mosaic Law and Jesus were pretty clear: we are not loving God if we are not loving our neighbours. There is something odd if we think that preaching a sermon is suffice and that somehow it’s okay to neglect my neighbour’s broken fence or ignore a child’s cries for help. The resurrection of Christ proves that the whole person matters. But let’s not fool ourselves into thinking we are faithful to God’s mission if we are not prioritising the proclamation of the Gospel to make disciples of Christ and grow his church. Indeed, we’re not fully loving people if we’re not speaking the Gospel into their lives. Don’t buy into delusional hubris that thinks we hit a 6 when the media praises a diocesan decision or the local council gives you another grant. 

We don’t choose between the vertical and horizontal. Did Jesus? No. But neither did He allow pressing issues to hijack his mission in the world, 

 “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” (Mark 1:38)

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:27-28)

In fact, by minimising the Gospel priority of the vertical, we distort the horizontal and the mission becomes less effective. It’s the Melbourne mirage; let’s do what the community wants so that we become more ‘successful’. We think we’re kicking goals. To state the obvious, why would people join your church or become a follower of Jesus if our offerings are little more than a cheap version of what the Government can give us?

Read statements from Archbishops and scan agendas for denominational meetings. Listen to Easter and Christmas sermons, what’s the message? How often does your Church talk about and encourage evangelism? How much of your church’s budget is given to spreading the Gospel and starting churches? When your denomination meets annually, is preaching Christ and calling people to repentance and saving faith in Jesus Christ on the top of the agenda? Does it even appear? 

The recent Lausanne gathering in Seoul, South Korea is a case in point.  I was invited to attend but due to other commitments was unable. This gathering of 5000 Christian sisters and brothers from around the world to discuss and pray about world evangelisation must have been an incredible experience. The privilege of listening to and learning from brothers and sisters from every corner of the earth would be a joy of a lifetime, a foretaste of heaven.

Each Lausanne Conference produces a paper to reflect, articulate, and explore the nature of reaching the nations with the gospel. For some time there have been some concerns, or at least questions raised, that evangelism and verbal proclamation of the gospel seem to be losing its central place amidst other important issues facing the world today.

There is much to commend in the Seoul Statement. I love the section calling on Christians to holiness. The Seoul Statement includes sections on technology and on human sexuality and gender. There is much to praise God for in these statements. The affirmation of biblical anthropology is a key issue in the 21st Century, where rejecting the Bible’s teaching about men and women leads to a rejection of the Gospel. These things are all really helpful and important. However…

Ed Stetzer is among notable voices who are, however, expressing mild concern that the vertical is being lost. Lost is perhaps too strong a word, but Gospel proclamation seems smaller because of the way horizontal issues are being framed and focused upon. He writes,

“Lausanne: The Need to Prioritize Evangelism…in a time of aggressive religious pluralism (when evangelism receives such significant pushback), evangelism (“declaring”) needs greater focus, particularly in a time of evangelistic decline….“The full name of the Lausanne Movement is the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization. A stronger statement on the priority of evangelism would help the Seoul Statement. These statements will influence a generation, far more than the congress itself, so let’s make it stronger and not leave #L4Congress without the world knowing that we know mission drift happens—and is already happening in many places in evangelicalism. Let’s help an entire generation know that we are deeply committed to holding evangelism central to the mission.”       

I share Ed’s concerns.

Again, Christians shouldn’t choose between the vertical and horizontal. This is not an either/or situation, but neither is it quite a both/and situation. There is an ontological and time priority to the vertical (preaching the gospel and making disciples).  Think of it this way, when an oncologist diagnoses a patient, they will treat and care for presenting symptoms and tackle secondary causes, but they will also delve into the root cause. Sin is foremost against God. The Christian mission is about articulating the Gospel of what God has accomplished for us in Christ through his death and resurrection, which brings Divine forgiveness and reconciles us to the living God. This subsequently reconciles us to one another. This incredible coming together in peaceful relations then results in drawing further praise to God (cf Ephesians 2). 

The problem is, that too many churches are either giving up on evangelism or no longer see evangelism as essential or it’s getting lost in the myriad of needs. I recall a missions seminar I attended in my denomination where the speaker focused solely on social action. When he was asked about evangelism, it was simply not on his radar.  

When has evangelism ever been cool? When has explaining sin and salvation ever been popular on the community charts? When has evangelism ever been easy? And yet without evangelism, churches decline, Christians lose hope, and people go to hell. 

Melbournians can be forgiven for thinking that our problems are primarily horizontal ones and God appears little more than in the shadows. Indeed, some churches explain away the vertical dimensions of sin with such Bultmann-like force that we are left wondering whether God is little more than a sociological or psychological category to justify human longings. Stripping God of his Divine power and denuding the Gospel of its vertical imperative is the ultimate humansplaining. 

As Tom Holland recently suggested to Christians, “*Keep Christianity Weird… Don’t accommodate to the ideological mainstream, instead major on the supernatural…”

To be clear, I am not suggesting that St Paul’s Cathedral isn’t doing or not believing in evangelism, but their messaging is symptomatic of a disappearing Gospel confidence to provoke people in the best of ways, and to comfort them in eternal ways. The irony is, while the St Paul’s billboard communicates a positive image to one part of society, it’s saying something radically different for those who disagree with zero carbon. And will anyone who agrees with the billboard’s message be warmed to Christianity and think, you know what, I need to get with God? The message wasn’t necessarily wrong, but it’s not the church’s mission.

At the previous Lausanne meeting, held in South Africa, John Piper put it like this, “We care about all suffering now, especially eternal suffering”.

If your Church or denomination has a problem with that statement, then your church or denomination has a problem


			

	


			
				


	

							
Avoiding the St Edward Hospital Syndrome
						

			 / MurrayCampbell						 / 1 Comment
								

			


		

		
I was preaching through 2 Corinthians 2:12-17 last Sunday at Mentone Baptist. It is a word of exhortation given by Paul to the Church in Corinth. The imagery doesn’t only denote the big picture purpose of Paul’s ministry, but one for all who are participating in Christ’s redemptive work and who are now being led by and used of God. In other words, this is yet another description of God’s intention for his Church in the world


During my sermon prep, I was reminded of an episode from Yes Minister. I love watching reruns of Yes Minister. This 1980s British comedy combines the best of British humour with a view of political rumbles that is at times eerily close to reality.


yesminister.jpg




A Hospital without doctors and patients


In the episode called, ‘The compassionate society’, Jim Hacker, the Minister for Administrative Affairs, learns about a new hospital that had opened in London, St Edward’s hospital. It is a large 1000 bed hospital that had had been opened for a year. Hundreds of staff had been employed and were working in the facility, but there were no doctors, no nurses, and no patients. Hacker is puzzled by this strange omission and so he questions his advisors. “How can the Government spending millions on pounds on a hospital that has no patients, no doctors or nurses?” 


The reasoning is both absurd and logical. Sir Humphrey Appleby explains that hospitals require all manner of staff in order to function; For example, a hospital needs accountants, otherwise who would administer the finances and pay the employees and hospital costs?  Secretaries are necessary to facilitate communication between departments and with outside contractors and Governmental authorities. A hospital also needs maintenance staff and cleaners, and managers to every oversee each department, and so the rationalising continues.


Upon hearing this ridiculous state of affairs, Jim Hacker is beside himself, decrying the obvious missing point, “but there are no patients”. 


Indeed, what is the point of having a hospital that doesn’t care for the sick?


The Minister finally decides to visit St Edward Hospital and to assess the situation for himself. He is led on a tour by the hospital’s CEO. She explains to him that St Edward is one of the best run hospitals in the UK and that they were recently nominated for the ‘Florence Nightingale’ award for best hygiene! 


As he is shown around a surgical theatre which is filled with all the latest and best medical equipment, Mr Hacker turns to the CEO and asks, 


“Doesn’t it disturb you that it’s not being used?” 


She replies, “Oh no. prolongs the life of the equipment and cuts down costs.”




A Church without Gospel proclamation


A Church can exist, having people and a budget and running programs, but if we are not preaching the Gospel and calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, we are like St Edward hospital, void of the purpose for which God has called us. A Church can be busy doing stuff and being content in that, and yet failing to administer the work that God has set us aside to join. It’s not that all the other work is unimportant, but they designed to support and promote the primary work of a Church.


14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17)


Paul regularly reminds the Churches that he’s writing to that participation in God’s mission is no easy task. Indeed, he exclaims in v.15, “Who is equal to such a task”. He doesn’t however confuse difficulty with ambiguity. 


God has given His Church a mission. This mission is clear and yet difficult. It is beautiful and yet sometimes poorly regarded. It is triumphal and yet necessitates costly sacrifice. It is the aroma of life to some and the stench of death to others.


The Christ who now leads a triumphant procession was first led in another procession, one that ended in a cross. God here views his own people as captives, which denotes an expectation of suffering but also of belonging, that Christ’s servants who are to obey his commissioning. As we follow as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession God uses us [the Church] to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him. This spreading is described in vv12-13 as preaching the Gospel of Christ. The true knowledge of God and knowing God comes through the Gospel of Christ who has been raised from the dead. Thus, the proclamation of this good news is the ministry of the church.


A challenge for our churches is that in a season where they are so many challenges and demands and opportunities, we want to avoid the St Edward Hospital syndrome, and the only way to do that is to keep trusting and obeying God to lead us and to use us in his Gospel mission, as he has revealed in his perfect word.