Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia
Encyclopedia
Religious denomination
A religious denomination is a subgroup within a religion that operates under a common name, tradition, and identity.The term describes various Christian denominations...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is a small Australian Presbyterian denomination numbering less than 200 persons with its largest congregation in the area of Geelong, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. The first church, in Geelong, was started in 1858. It links itself historically with those in the Covenanter
Covenanter
The Covenanters were a Scottish Presbyterian movement that played an important part in the history of Scotland, and to a lesser extent in that of England and Ireland, during the 17th century...
movement in Scotland who did not accept the settlement of Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
in that country in 1690, and has sister denominational relations
Reformed Presbyterian Church (denominational group)
The Reformed Presbyterian Church is a group of denominations following a form of Protestant Christianity related to Presbyterianism. Reformed Presbyterian congregations are found in several countries, including Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, France, United States of America,...
with the Reformed Presbyterian Churches of North America
Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America , a Christian church, is a small Presbyterian denomination with churches throughout the United States, in southeastern Canada, and in a small part of Japan. Its beliefs place it in the conservative wing of the Reformed family of Protestant churches...
, Ireland
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a Presbyterian denomination in Ireland.-History:The denomination's roots date back to the 17th-century Plantation of Ulster by Scots Presbyterian settlers...
, and Scotland
Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland is a Christian denomination. It is the original church of the Reformed Presbyterian tradition . The RPCS formed in 1690 when its members declined to be part of the establishment of the Church of Scotland...
. Fraternal relations exist with the very similar Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia
Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia
The Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia is a Presbyterian denomination which was formed in Sydney on 10 October 1846 by three ministers and a ruling elder...
.
Background
A number of Reformed Presbyterians had migrated from Scotland or Ireland to Australia. A number who did not join other branches of the Presbyterian Church were against occasional hearingOccasional hearing
Occasional hearing is the practice of attending worship services or preaching by ministers of denominations other than one's own. Historically, this practice has been resisted and, in some cases, even matter of church discipline amongst churches that study confessional integrity...
, and they wanted a minister of their own. They wrote to the parent church requesting this. The Rev. A. M. Moore eventually answered. He was ordained in Belfast 18 August 1857, and arrived in Melbourne in late December 1857, to commence the work in Geelong which he served until his death in 1897. Geelong was the only congregation for many years, the most notable minister after Moore being H.K.Mack who served 1909-46. Congregations were begun in McKinnon, Victoria
McKinnon, Victoria
McKinnon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
(1933 begun/1946 organised, Rev. W. R. McEwen), Frankston, Victoria
Frankston, Victoria
Frankston is a suburb within the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area in Victoria, Australia. It is located 40 km southeast of the state capital Melbourne at the southernmost edge of Greater Melbourne, near the beginnings of the Mornington Peninsula...
(1971/1977), and Sunbury, Victoria
Sunbury, Victoria
Sunbury is a regional city, located north-west of Melbourne's central business district, in the state of Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hume. At the 2006 Census, Sunbury had a population of 31,000...
(1979/1981, closed 2006).
In 1959, the Rev. A. Barkley, RP minister in Geelong, became the founding principal of the Reformed Theological College
Reformed Theological College
The Reformed Theological College is the theological college supported by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia...
.
In 1974, the Australian Presbytery petitioned the parent body, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland, and was made a separate denomination at 2:45pm BST, 12 June, 1974. Earlier positions asserting the descending obligation of the Solemn League and Covenant and forbidding exercise of the elective franchise given the failure of the constitution of Australia to acknowledge Christ are no longer obligatory.
Today
The Geelong congregation, currently pastored by Rev. Andrew Stewart and Rev. Graeme Hart, is still growing, with a congregation well over 100.The Frankston congregation, after closing in 1989, was revived around 2004 as a preaching station of the McKinnon congregation. In 2008 it became a separate congregation, currently pastored by Rev. Ed Blackwood.
The McKinnon congregation is currently pastored by the Rev. Alastair McEwen.
Sister denominations
Sister denominations are listed on the Reformed Presbyterian Church (denominational group)Reformed Presbyterian Church (denominational group)
The Reformed Presbyterian Church is a group of denominations following a form of Protestant Christianity related to Presbyterianism. Reformed Presbyterian congregations are found in several countries, including Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, France, United States of America,...
page.
Theological Seminaries
- Reformed Theological CollegeReformed Theological CollegeThe Reformed Theological College is the theological college supported by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia, the Reformed Churches of New Zealand and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia...
(in conjunction with the Christian Reformed Church of Australia and the Reformed Churches of New ZealandReformed Churches of New ZealandReformed Churches of New Zealand is a Reformed Christian denomination in New Zealand. The denomination is constituted of 18 member churches, the first seven of which were formed in 1953. Total membership as of 2007 stands at 3,332.-Form of doctrine:...
)