The last physical telephone exchanges in Australia closed somewhere between 1989 and 1990. Originally calls were connected by humans who sat at desks receiving calls and plugged cords into sockets. Their job was to connect you with the right person. The people who did that were called switchboard operators or (better, in my humble opinion) telephonists. They are, of course, no more.
This year will be my last as the chair of The Gospel Coalition Australia council (though I’ll stay on as a council member). It’s been a privilege to serve in this role. Our team has achieved much that I am super proud of and thankful to God for: run an excellent website, hosted online workshops, bought together a leaders summit, run conferences, and met regularly to pray for the advance of the gospel in Australia. Some of the best stuff we do, I reckon, has been in the role of switchboard operator or telephonist. Indeed, that work is at the heart of what TGCA does. It’s why I’m a supporter and why (if you keep reading) I’m going to ask you to be one too. Let me explain.
TGCA exists to
commend and contend for the gospel in Australia, fostering connections to advance its reach in our country.
All four of the main verbs in that sentence are worth time and effort. But the third one—fostering connections—is at the heart of all we do.
Commend
We exist, first, to commend the gospel. We have the good news of Jesus Christ—his perfect life, his death for sinners, his resurrection to new life, his current rule over all creation, and his promise to return. Through him we have forgiveness of sins, hope for the future, and salvation from the coming judgement. It would be a cold person who could receive that good news without also wanting to commend it to others.
Contend
The gospel also needs to be contended for. In Philippians 1:27, Paul speaks of “contending as one for the faith of the gospel”. The gospel is not only good news for those who receive it, it is also contested news. It is regularly distorted, undermined, misplaced, or de-centred. We need to contend for it—and contending is a work best done together.
Fostering Connections
Commending and contending are crucial; but they are also general. That is, most evangelical organisations are working in some way to commend and contend for the gospel. What is the role of TGCA in particular?
I think our distinctive contribution is in the next two verbs: we foster connections to advance the reach of the gospel. Through the website, the council, our regional networks, conferences and workshops we are doing that “telephonist” work. We are working to connect people, ministries and resources in life-giving ways. We don’t plant churches, train students, send missionaries, or raise up pastors. There are other organisations in Australia that do this work so well. We exist to foster the connections that help to make all of this happen.
To Advance the Gospel’s Reach
What do we want to see? The gospel extend its reach into every nook and cranny of Australia. How does that happen? When Christians commend the gospel and contend for the faith of the gospel as one. What is TGCA’s distinctive role in that work? To foster the connections that will help to advance the gospel’s reach.
Partner with Us
It is because of this that I want to invite you to partner financially with us. Our goal this September is to raise $40 000. I’d love you to consider being part of this with us. Help us to build and maintain an effective Reformed evangelical telephone exchange. Help us to be good telephonists. If you do, you’ll be helping to foster connections in ways that really do serve to advance the reach of the gospel in our country.
