We believe in the relationship with God through Jesus Christ
Our life and work are inspired by our relationship with God, the Holy Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Being made in the image of God, we flourish in relationships of love. We find our fulfilment in community flowing from the Community of God.
We affirm that God is seeking to draw all people and all creation into a deeper relationship with God. The birth, life, teaching, death, resurrection, and ongoing presence of Jesus are God’s profound expressions of love and reconciliation. We learn about and grow in this by reading and studying the Christian scriptures.
We work to proclaim God’s love by word and action; inviting people to explore ways of connecting more fully with God through worship and prayer, and by participating in God’s mission.
We believe in reconciliation with First Nations People
Newcastle Anglican acknowledges the traditional custodianship of the First Nations of the land on which the Diocese ministers—the Awabakal, Biripi, Darkinyung, Geawegal, Kamilaroi, Worimi, Garrigal and Wonnarua peoples—land that stretches from the Hawkesbury River to Lake Cathie, from the coast to beyond the Burning Mountain.
We are committed to the work of reconciliation and building strong relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Facing the past and shaping a healthy future
It is our deep desire that everyone is safe within the community and within the church.
We lament the harm that children experienced within the life of the Diocese and our failure to respond when they came forward to speak of their experiences.
We are working to rebuild community trust so we are known for helping people and are a safe refuge for those seeking to deepen their faith and find blessing in their lives. Our hope and prayer are that Newcastle Anglican will be seen to be making a valuable contribution to the region and the people we serve.
Affirming the ministry of women and men
Newcastle Anglican affirms the sacramental and preaching ministry of women and men; rejoicing that women and men are called by God to ministry as laity, deacons, priests and bishops.
Our response to LGBTQIA+ people
The Diocesan Synod in 2018 expressed an apology for the way LGBTQIA+ people had been treated.
In 2019, the Diocesan Synod voted to affirm the blessing of same-sex relationships in a 60:40 vote. In 2020, the Appellate Tribunal of the Anglican Church of Australia confirmed that such blessings were possible within the church law applying within the Diocese of Newcastle.
The way to use our resources
We have financial and physical resources because of the generosity of people in the present and the past. All that we have comes from God and belongs to God.
Church land and buildings, including church buildings, are used for the purposes of Christian mission and ministry in keeping with the Anglican tradition.
Comprehensive Anglicanism
The bishops, clergy and laity of the Diocese are working to see a comprehensive expression of Anglicanism develop within Newcastle Anglican. We wish to see everyone flourish by the grace made known to us by God through Jesus Christ.
The touchstones for us are The Fundamental Declaration, The Five Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion, and the authorised forms of Anglican Worship.
The Fundamental Declarations are found in sections 1–3 of the Constitution of the Anglican Church of Australia.
- The Anglican Church of Australia, being a part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ, holds the Christian Faith as professed by the Church of Christ from primitive times and in particular as set forth in the creeds known as the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed.
- This Church receives all the canonical scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as being the ultimate rule and standard of faith given by inspiration of God and containing all things necessary for salvation.
- This Church will ever obey the commands of Christ, teach His doctrine, administer His sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, follow and uphold His discipline and preserve the three orders of bishops, priests and deacons in the sacred ministry.
The Five Marks of Mission are an important statement on mission. They express the Anglican Communion’s common commitment to, and understanding of, God’s holistic and integral mission.
The mission of the Church is the mission of Christ.
- To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
- To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
- To respond to human need by loving service
- To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation
- To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth
In worship, we encounter God, express our theology and find our identity being formed.
Anglicans worship using patterns, forms, words and actions which are shaped by centuries of practice and are well recognised from parish to parish.
The forms of worship authorised for use in this Diocese are
- A Prayer Book for Australia (1995)
- An Australian Prayer Book (1978)
- Book of Common Prayer (1662)e.