President’s message.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489 – 1556) was one of the leaders of the Reformation in England, as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1533 to 1556.

Cranmer worked to reform the Church and the lives of Christians by the Scriptures, and to focus attention on the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and the classic Creeds of the church. He was a man of the Bible, a preaching theologian and a superb liturgist, and the father of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

From 1534 he worked with others for the authorisation of an English Bible. With his fellow reformers, Cranmer was eager to promote biblical preaching and specially the doctrine of justification by faith alone through the grace of Christ.

He believed strongly in the power of God through the Scriptures and Sacraments to transform lives, and wanted every Christian to engage in daily prayer and hearing those Scriptures.

He worked to evangelise the nation through the life of the church.

Following the example of Thomas Cranmer, we encourage our leaders and institutions – particularly in the diocese of Melbourne – to uphold Biblical and orthodox teaching and practice and to be mission-minded in reaching our own world with the Good News about Jesus.

We work to encourage clergy and lay people to engage with diocesan and Anglican church structures, Synod, General Synod and Synod committees such as Archbishop in Council, to promote the ministry and mission of the diocese.

We also work to discern, promote and encourage a Biblical, Anglican, contemporary and future-focused vision of Gospel ministry and mission in our local churches and other ministries and throughout the diocese.

We also support Biblical orthodoxy in theology, ethics, and practice.

We want to bring glory to God, in worship, praise, thanksgiving and adoration, and through the lives we live, through our church, and through making God’s grace in Christ Jesus known in our world, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We welcome those who share our priorities and aims to join us and become members of the Society; and we welcome anyone who wants to hear more to attend our events, make use of our website, and join our mailing list.