The Pastor's Heart with Dominic Steele

For many pastors, the AGM is something to be survived — not led.A governance headache. A compliance exercise.And for some, the meeting where old tensions resurface and trust quietly erodes.But what if we’ve misunderstood the AGM?What if, instead of just doing compliance, we aimed to build confidence?What if the AGM could be a leadership moment — one that strengthens, not damages, your church?Jo Gibbs (Reach Australia) and Dave Moore (Hunter Bible Church) on how to plan and lead an excellent church AGM.Why good AGM preparation is actually pastoral careHow to move from enduring the AGM to envisioning itWhy “no surprises” is kindness, not bureaucracyWhat faithful impact and financial reporting really look likeAnd what a genuinely Jesus-honouring AGM would feel likeFurther reading: https://reachaustralia.com.au/its-agm-time-again/ http://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/rethinking-the-annual-general-meetingAnglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

Wisdom for pastors seeking to preach and lead well in a post-Christian age.So much of our culture judges events in isolation — a single moment, a single failure, a single decision — detached from what led to it and what flows from it. But history doesn’t work like that. Events emerge from long trajectories, and they reshape the future in ways no one fully controls or intends.We’re joined by Archie Poulos, Head of the Ministry Department at Moore Theological College, to reflect on Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West by Andrew Wilson. Wilson’s argument isn’t that everything changed overnight in 1776, but that the events clustered around that year give us a window into the forces that have shaped the WEIRDER world we now inhabit — Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic, Ex-Christian and Romantic.We explore why reading history as an ecosystem rather than isolated episodes matters, why Romanticism isn’t just a past movement but our present operating system, and how Christian faith — offers a deeper, more hopeful way to understand our moment.Anglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

A roller-coaster week for religious freedom in Australia.In just days, sweeping Australian national legislation moved from deeply alarming to not great, but not terrible — after intense pressure from faith leaders across the country.In this special bonus episode of The Pastor’s Heart, we speak with Michael Stead, Bishop of South Sydney and director of Freedom for Faith, who had a front-row seat as the law was debated, amended, and finally passed late at night in Parliament.What was originally proposed? Why did faith leaders unite in an extraordinary last-minute letter to the Prime Minister?  Which parts of the bill remain concerning — and which dangers were narrowly avoided?We walk through how the law was actually made — and what it now means for preaching, Bible teaching, protest, and free speech in Australia.Read the Faith Leaders letter. https://bit.ly/faith-leaders-letterAnglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

As a new year begins, Australian evangelical student ministry is marking a significant leadership transition.After 23 years of stable and influential leadership, Richard Chin has handed over the leadership of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students to Pete Sorrenson. The handover was symbolically marked at the Big National Conference in Canberra last December, where Richard preached the first half of the conference and Pete the second.We step back to reflect on what the Chin era has meant for Australian evangelicalism. How has campus ministry shaped churches, training colleges and mission agencies over the past four decades? What has changed on university campuses since the turn of the millennium? And what kind of AFES will be needed for the next generation of students?Long-standing campus leaders Tim Thorburn and Andrew Sennett, offer perspectives from both metropolitan and regional university contexts.The discussion moves beyond gratitude and legacy to ask harder, forward-looking questions. If many of the theological and ministry convictions once championed by AFES are now mainstream, what is AFES uniquely for today? Are inherited evangelism models still effective on contemporary campuses? How central should international student ministry be? And does Australia’s increasingly fragmented university landscape require more than one model of campus ministry?https://www.thepastorsheart.net/podcast/a-new-era-for-australian-university-ministryAnglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

How should Christians react to news one of our heroes has engaged in an eight year sinful affair with a married woman?How should churches respond when leaders fall? Why do accountability structures fail? How do we speak of grace without minimising harm? What does faithfulness look like for pastors, churches and ordinary believers in moments like this?Philip Yancey’s confession of an eight-year adulterous affair has shocked the evangelical world. His writing shaped a generation. His failure has caused deep harm.We begin by hearing from a woman (name withheld) who has walked a similar path — the former wife of a senior ministry leader — as she reflects on betrayal, theology under trauma and the long fallout for families.Keith Condie, is from Anglican Deaconess Ministries’ Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute. Veronica Hoyt is Director of the Priscilla and Aquila Centre at Sydney’s Moore Theological College. Chris Edwards is the Anglican, Bishop of North Sydney.Link: Keith and Sarah Condie's marriage course. Correction: It was mistakenly said in this episode that Yancey has Alzheimers.  This was a mistake and should have been Parkinsons.  Apologies.Anglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

Join Megan Stevens, an associate minister with a focus on team dynamics, Michael Davies, a seasoned second-chair leader, and Pete Blanche, an executive with Reach Australia, as they dive into the intricacies of supporting senior leaders in ministry. They discuss the critical role of trust in team health and how a secure identity in Christ can mitigate competition. Insightful tips on handling complaints, fostering a culture of honest feedback, and the unique dynamics spouses bring to leadership roles are also shared, all aimed at enhancing the overall church ecosystem.

Godly Complementarianism - with Paul GrimmondLiving Godly Lives Together - as men and women, young and old, husbands and wives?All Christians are called to live like Christ. But in Titus 2, the apostle Paul speaks about godliness in strikingly specific ways — addressing older and younger, men and women. Why does he do that? Are age and sex merely cultural categories, or gifts from God that shape the challenges we face in following Jesus?In this ‘best of episode’ of The Pastor’s Heart, over the Australian Summer break, we are joined by Paul Grimmond, Senior Lecturer at Moore Theological College.We dig into Titus 2, the most contested passages of the New Testament, and ask how truth and godliness belong together, how Scripture should be read in its own terms, and what this means for discipleship, marriage, ministry and pastoral care today.Anglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

In this discussion, Sam Chan, an evangelist skilled in workplace and church messaging, teams up with Andrew Barry, a senior minister with a focus on diverse ministry, and Adrian Russell, who specializes in pastoral preaching. They explore how to craft engaging Christmas talks for varied audiences. The panel shares insights on balancing joy and gravity, addressing tragedy, and using memorable illustrations. They also discuss tailoring messages for different events, emphasizing authentic connection with the audience and the essence of Christmas as true peace.

Archbishop Kanishka on the terror attack at Bondi - Kanishka Raffel, Martin Morgan and Ben Pakula Sydney’s Anglican Archbishop Kanishka Raffel calls on Sydney to embrace our Jewish neighbours in love, friendship and support and to reject antisemitism, violence and hatred. Archbishop Raffel says this is the way of Jesus.Minister of Bondi Anglican Martin Morgan says they sheltered people in the church last night, who were terrified,  running for their lives. In a The Pastor’s Heart special, Archbishop Raffel is joined by minister of Bondi Anglican Church Martin Morgan and Messianic Jew Ben Pakula (also an Anglican Minister) in praying for those family and friends and the Bondi community, impacted by the gunman opening fire - leaving 16 dead including a 10 year old girl.http://thepastorsheart.net/podcast/love-in-the-face-of-terror-raffel-morgan-pakula Suggested Prayers :- Prayers prepared by St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney for those affected by the shooting at Bondi Beach, 14/12/25For the bereaved and injuredHeavenly Father, God of all comfort, deal graciously with those who grieve in this time of deep sadness. We pray especially for family and friends of those who have been shot. Grant them strength and peace in the days ahead. We pray with a spirit of compassion and grace for the Jewish and broader Bondi community, as they come to terms with their grief and shock. We ask you, Gracious Lord, to heal and restore all those who are still recovering in hospital. Be with them and their families as they travel the road to recovery. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.For the first respondersHeavenly Father, whose blessed Son was acquainted with grief and carried our sorrows: Thank you for those who, courageously following in his steps, willingly entered into the trauma of recent events on our behalf – civilians responders, the police, ambulance officers and other emergency medical personnel. We pray also for the police responsible for investigating the circumstances around these crimes. In your tender mercy, grant diligence and protection in their tasks, and rest to their bodies, healing to their minds, and peace to their hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.For the community around Bondi BeachOur dear Heavenly Father, hear our prayers for the men, women and children, who live and work in or near Bondi Beach and the surrounding areas. We present the needs of residents, shopkeepers, restaurateurs, staff, customers, and visitors to the area. You know them. You know every hair on their heads. We call on you to protect and heal. Allow a healthy process as people respond to these harrowing acts of violence. Thank you, Lord, for the courage and kindness of the people who helped each other on Sunday. May that spirit of kindness continue through your empowering, Lord. As people face anxiety, trauma, and grief, provide comfort, resilience, peace, and safety. Grant wisdom to community leaders and help us know you are a good, gracious God. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.For the wider community of Sydney AnglicansGod most high, we asAnglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show

Tears, Questions and Hope - When a senior pastor takes their own life? Keith Condie & Trinette StanleyIn the last few months two senior evangelical leaders have taken their own lives. The Archbishop’s letter said ‘It is with deep sadness that I write to inform you of the death of a colleague and friend … who took his own life on Tuesday and our hearts are heavy at this time as we come before God with our tears, questions and  … hope in the promise of resurrection.’We react with a range of questions: Should I have known? Could I have done more? What do I say to the church? What do I say to the world, but most importantly where is God? Keith Condie, from Anglican Deaconess Ministry’s Mental Health and Pastoral Care Institute and Trinette Stanley, Mental Health Educator with Anglicare are our guests. Anglican AidTo find out more about supporting Anglican Aid. The Church Cohttp://www.thechurchco.com is a website and app platform built specifically for churches.  Advertise on The Pastor's HeartTo advertise on The Pastor's Heart go to thepastorsheart.net/sponsorSupport the show