The question went something like this: What’s going on with the two recent elections for Archbishop. A regional or assistant Bishop is not even a candidate in his own Diocese, and yet he gets elected as bishop of anotherwhere he has never even served in ministry. What’s going on?

Let’s start by decoding things. Melbourne’s new Archbishop, Ric Thorpe was “installed,” on November 30 and preached a great sermon. The Other Cheek could not find a transcript of the sermon anywhere, so we did our own https://theothercheek.com.au/melbournes-new-archbishop-speaks-up-i-will-proclaim-the-good-news-of-jesus-christ-crucified-and-risen-as-long-as-god-gives-me-breath/ T is still well worth a read.

Two weeks ago, the Adelaide Anglicans announced they had filled their vacancy for Archbishop by electing Dr Bradly Billings, who is currently an Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne, looking after the Oodthenong area, which covers the northern and western growth areas of Greater Melbourne, and includes Geelong.

My questioner had in mind an article on The Other Cheek, which revealed the candidates for the election won by Ric Thorpe, https://theothercheek.com.au/revealed-four-candidates-in-archbishop-of-melbourne-election .
Was it surprising that Bradly Billings had not been on the list of candidates for Melbourne? And let’s take a moment to point out that he is a very good fit for Adelaide.

The answer lies in the field of candidates for Melbourne. “The field is extraordinarily homogeneous for such a prominent appointment in the national church and a diocese of Melbourne’s long-standing breadth,” a former Melbourne priest told The Other Cheek. “All three [local] are of the same generation of Melbourne clergy and unambiguously evangelical.” And Ric Thorpe, not a local, but from London, is a strong evangelical too.

The answer must be that Melbourne’s Board of Nominators, who came up with the candidates, wanted to put forward an evangelical. This makes sense as the proportion of Melbourne Anglicans who are evangelicals has been steadily increasing, to about 60 per cent by some estimates. A new archbishop needs a two-thirds vote to get elected by the Synod – so the evangelicals almost had the numbers on their own.

Electing an archbishop with an emphasis on church planting and evangelism is a sensible reaction to Melbourne’s record of shrinking to 13,000 attenders each Sunday, down from 20,000 ten years ago. And there appears to be a real eagerness to get about the business of planting. The Melbourne diocese has announced a plan to see 30 new churches planted, and 30 churches revitalised by 2030. Canon of Church Planting, Rev Bree Mills, is gathering people to take part in this bold vision.

The Anglican flavour of Adelaide is different, with evangelicals in the minority. Although there is a healthy amount of church planting, it mostly has occurred in the “semi-detached” Trinity network, which now has 14 churches across Adelaide and reaching into the neighbouring Diocese of the Murray. By contrast, the City on a Hill Churches, a planting movement native to Melbourne, while national in scope and similar in theology to Trinity Network, are working in connection with the Melbourne diocese. In an early example of revitalisation, in October City on a Hill adopted a church plant in Craigieburn and doubled its congregation according to a report in The Melbourne Anglican.

The Other Cheek has reported the decline in attendance of the “official” Adelaide Diocese, while if the Trinity Network were to be included, evangelicals are in the majority.

Billings emphasised his ability to work in a mixed diocese like Adelaide and his hope in the gospel in his remarks following his election.

“The hope we have in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ gives me confidence and faith for the future, despite the many challenges we face as Anglicans and as disciples of Christ,” Dr Billings said.

“I firmly believe the Christian faith and tradition continues to be good news for all people, and that making the gospel known in words and in actions is the shared task of all believers.”

“I am comfortable with, and respectful of, the full diversity of Anglicanism,” he said. “I seek to model ministry that is genuinely shared, and to cultivate quality relationships grounded in mutual trust, respect, and humility. I see myself as a partner in ministry with those with whom I live, work, and share my vocation.”