On Saturday 24 May 2025, the Anglican Church Diocese of Melbourne reached an historic inflection point, voting to elect Bishop Ric Thorpe as the next Archbishop of Melbourne.
Author Archives: meganpdt
Young, Black and Female: the Face of World Christianity by Tamie Davis
In 2005, missiologist Stephen Bevans observed that the average Christian in the world was female, and likely to be found in an African village or a Brazilian favela. A shorthand description of the same reality is that World Christianity is “young, black and female”. So, what’s behind that moniker and why does it matter?
2025 Election: The View from the Lounge by Lyn Kidson
During the coverage there was a lot of talk about values. The Liberal pundits on the ABC election panel kept saying that the Liberal party had to go back and reconsider their values. Similarly, in his victory speech Anthony Albanese said, “today the Australian people have voted for Australian values” and that Australians had voted for “fairness, aspiration, and opportunity for all” and for “strength in adversity and kindness to those in need.”
Pope Leo XIV: what can we expect? By Neil Ormerod
Papal elections often produce surprises. John Paul II was a surprise, coming after the sudden death of the ever-smiling John Paul I; Benedict XVI was less a surprise. Francis was a total surprise and a delight for many of us. Now we have a new pope, Leo XIV, the first American pope, a member of the Augustinian order, who has worked for a substantial part of his ministry in Peru and has dual American and Peruvian citizenship. What can we expect?
What the Election Result Means by Chris Shaw
The dust is still settling from last Saturday’s historic election, and it will take some weeks to do so completely. But enough of it has already done so that we can start to take a look at our new landscape and what it might mean going forward.
No Comment (Section)
WADR Online will not have comments sections on our articles. This is a deliberate decision. In full disclosure, comments were accidentally enabled when we launched, but this was never intentional, and no comments have been published. We are in agreement with the many reputable news and commentary sites that have removed them.
How to Post on Social Media about Politics as Christians, by Lyn M. Kidson and Johnathan G. Hughes
Social media is a great way to keep in touch and talk about stuff that matters as well as being funny and frivolous. Although we have failed at times (forgive us), we would like to invite you to join with us in being a presence on social media that is gracious, loving, and thoughtful. To that end, here are our joint top ten tips.
Vale Pope Francis, by Neil Ormerod
We are grateful to be able to bring you this special guest article upon the death of Pope Francis, from an Australian Catholic. Picture: Marcela from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons It was a bit of a shock when Benedict XVI announced his retirement from the papacy. No popeContinue reading “Vale Pope Francis, by Neil Ormerod”
On the Death of Pope Francis: a Protestant Reflects, by Michael Jensen
The WADR Project team offer our heartfelt condolences to Catholic Christians on the death of Pope Francis, and our prayers for the upcoming Conclave. This article initially appeared on Michael Jensen’s own substack. Picture is of Australian artist Shen Jiawei with his painting of Pope Francis, Gabriella Clare Marino, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via WikimediaContinue reading “On the Death of Pope Francis: a Protestant Reflects, by Michael Jensen”
Christian Leaders’ Thoughts on the Federal Election
In preparation for the WADR episode on the federal election, the team asked several Christian leaders:
“What should Christians consider in casting a vote this year in the Australian federal election?”
