In 1993 I became a Christian in my 11th year of high school. While my Christian friends were encouraging, my non-Christian friends shrugged their shoulders indifferently. Our wider culture at the time was neutral and even positive towards Christianity. Any negative peer pressure was limited to a postmodern ‘it’s great for you, but don’t force your opinion on me.
But in the following decades, our secular culture changed from being positive or indifferent to the Bible to many of its teachings as harmful and bigoted, especially in sexuality and gender.
And this cultural change has led to increased pressure on Christians.
On the one hand, we feel pressured to remain silent about our faith (or at least the aspects of our belief related to sexuality and gender). Suppose we’re too vocal about what we believe. In that case, we can experience all sorts of pushback: raised eyebrows, contempt from colleagues and friends, or even a memo from the HR department about how such beliefs are not welcome in our “inclusive” work environment.
Such pressure can lead us to question the truth and goodness of God’s word. Is the Bible reliable and true in its views on sexuality and gender? Are her views harmful to vulnerable sexual minorities? The story of damage is powerful and permeates our culture, and Christians are not immune to its impact.
And so what Christians today need is what they always need: faithful men and women who can teach the truth of God’s word clearly and confidently (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2). They need men and women who will not shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).
Without such shepherds, the people of God risk destroying their faith on the rocks of modern secular ideologies and teachings: ideologies that (in today’s West) view the Bible as bigoted and evil. Such doctrines can weaken people’s confidence in the goodness and truth of the Bible. Unfortunately, we see this in the younger generation, as some walk away from the faith after swallowing our culture’s story of sexuality and identity.
And so herein lies the challenge: In a world increasingly suspicious and hostile to biblical faith, we need more gospel workers, not less. And we need them to have rock-solid faith in the truth of the Bible.
This is why Moore College is vital to the ongoing mission of God’s people here in Sydney and worldwide.
Our vision is to see God glorified by men and women who live for and proclaim Jesus Christ, grow healthy churches, and reach the lost. And we do this by providing excellent evangelical theological teaching, equipping men and women to rely on God’s word and to teach God’s word regardless of the pressures they face.
Our faculties are sharp thinkers capable of coping with the pressures and challenges of our modern world. But they are also pastoral, helping to shape and mold our graduates into gospel workers who can clearly and convincingly share Bible truth with people in our churches and the wider community.
And our graduates go to Sydney, Australia, and worldwide, taking the truth of the Bible with them everywhere.
The impact of our graduates is measurable.
In the Anglican Church of Australia, many clergy and bishops have graduated from Moore College, as seen in the recent General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia.
You will see our graduates stick to the gospel in regional churches and areas where evangelism is otherwise lacking. Our graduates are also heavily involved in movements such as the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES), the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), and the City Bible Forum (CBF), which are bringing the gospel to many corners of our society. And you will find that our graduates are taking the gospel abroad with organizations such as the Church Missionary Society (CMS), which exports Reformed Evangelical theology to countries where the teaching of God’s word is often compromised.
And so, as the end of this fiscal year approaches, would you please give the Moore College financial year-end call so that we can train many more Bible-believing gospel workers for the harvest?
Without faithful teachers of the Bible, God’s people are at risk of all sorts of dangers, while the lost are less likely to hear the Bible’s gospel.
Please consider donating to Moore College’s EOFY Call to help promote Bible truth in churches, ministries, and nations worldwide.
If you have any questions about our plans here at Moore College, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: [email protected]â€
