Churches of Christ in Australia
Encyclopedia
The Churches of Christ in Australia is a Christian
movement in Australia. It is part of the Restoration Movement
with historical influences from the United States of America and the United Kingdom
.
The Churches of Christ in Australia are made up of State Conferences which are an association of independent churches who choose to relate at a state and national level. Within this conference structure, individual churches are largely autonomous and operate on a congregational and democratic form of government. Leadership varies in local churches and where there are ministers or pastor they may or may not be formally ordained
. Lay people
usually play an important part in the worship, mission, governance and management of the church.
Key features of the church's worship are the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper
presided over by a lay person and believer's baptism
. The denomination claims to "concentrate on the essential aspects of the Christian faith, allowing for a diversity of understanding with non-essentials." It is active in community services and supporting Christian unity, although this emphasis was stronger historically.
Churches of Christ is one of the smaller denominations by membership figures in Australia, but has a higher attendance ranking. The 2001 Census showed a membership of 61,335. Of the total population of Australia, only 0.3% state religious affiliation with Churches of Christ. This is compared with 69.3% who bear religious affiliation of any Christian denomination. The National Church Life Survey
2001 showed that Churches of Christ had the highest attendance to affiliates percentage. The survey showed a regular estimated attendance of 45,100 (74%). This shows an obvious difference to percentage of identified members regularly attending, when compared to mainstream denominations such as Anglican (5%) and Catholic (15%) churches. Churches of Christ's membership is small, but holding higher attendance.
presided over by a lay person
and a commitment to believer's baptism
.
National cooperative ministries (which are called 'National Agencies') include Global Mission Partners (formerly the Australian Churches of Christ Overseas Mission Board), the Stirling Theological College, the Australian Churches of Christ Indigenous Ministries, the Defence Force Chaplains Committee, Youth Vision Australia and the National Media and Communications Department.
Theological education and formation occurs at the:
Ordination, which is bestowed by the State Conferences, is open to both men and women.
with historical influences from the United States of America and the United Kingdom
.
There is a Federal Historical Society.
).
The Ann Street Church of Christ
was established in 1883 and moved into its present building in Brisbane's CBD in 1898.
and Tasmania
, New South Wales
, South Australia
and the Northern Territory
, Queensland
, Western Australia
, and the Australian Capital Territory
.
The Churches of Christ Provident Fund was established to support paid ministers. Most of its role has been handed over to the non-denominational Christian Super fund.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
movement in Australia. It is part of the Restoration Movement
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
with historical influences from the United States of America and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
The Churches of Christ in Australia are made up of State Conferences which are an association of independent churches who choose to relate at a state and national level. Within this conference structure, individual churches are largely autonomous and operate on a congregational and democratic form of government. Leadership varies in local churches and where there are ministers or pastor they may or may not be formally ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
. Lay people
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
usually play an important part in the worship, mission, governance and management of the church.
Key features of the church's worship are the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
presided over by a lay person and believer's baptism
Believer's baptism
Believer's baptism is the Christian practice of baptism as this is understood by many Protestant churches, particularly those that descend from the Anabaptist tradition...
. The denomination claims to "concentrate on the essential aspects of the Christian faith, allowing for a diversity of understanding with non-essentials." It is active in community services and supporting Christian unity, although this emphasis was stronger historically.
Churches of Christ is one of the smaller denominations by membership figures in Australia, but has a higher attendance ranking. The 2001 Census showed a membership of 61,335. Of the total population of Australia, only 0.3% state religious affiliation with Churches of Christ. This is compared with 69.3% who bear religious affiliation of any Christian denomination. The National Church Life Survey
National Church Life Survey
Australian National Church Life Surveys have been performed every 5 years from 1991 to 2001, to study Church Life in Australia. The NCLS Research partnership administers these surveys...
2001 showed that Churches of Christ had the highest attendance to affiliates percentage. The survey showed a regular estimated attendance of 45,100 (74%). This shows an obvious difference to percentage of identified members regularly attending, when compared to mainstream denominations such as Anglican (5%) and Catholic (15%) churches. Churches of Christ's membership is small, but holding higher attendance.
Worship and devotion
Key features are the weekly celebration of the Lord's SupperEucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
presided over by a lay person
Lay presidency
Lay presidency is a form of celebrating the Lord's Supper whereby the person presiding over the sacrament is not an ordained minister of religion...
and a commitment to believer's baptism
Believer's baptism
Believer's baptism is the Christian practice of baptism as this is understood by many Protestant churches, particularly those that descend from the Anabaptist tradition...
.
Ministry and mission
The church is active in community services and the ecumenical movement.National cooperative ministries (which are called 'National Agencies') include Global Mission Partners (formerly the Australian Churches of Christ Overseas Mission Board), the Stirling Theological College, the Australian Churches of Christ Indigenous Ministries, the Defence Force Chaplains Committee, Youth Vision Australia and the National Media and Communications Department.
Theology and values
The denomination claims to "concentrate on the essential aspects of the Christian faith, allowing for a diversity of understanding with non-essentials."Theological education and formation occurs at the:
- Churches of Christ Theological CollegeChurches of Christ Theological CollegeStirling Theological College is the national ministry and theological teaching college for the Conference of Churches of Christ in Australia. It was established in 1907 in Carlton, Victoria by HG Harward as the College of the Bible. Between 1910 and 1988 the college was located in Glen Iris...
(CCTC), located in MelbourneMelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
is the group's national theological college. Its courses are accredited by the Melbourne College of DivinityMelbourne College of DivinityThe Melbourne College of Divinity is a theological education organisation located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The MCD is an ecumenical consortium of a number of theological colleges from a number of denominations...
. CCTC was formerly known as the College of the Bible, and was located at Glen Iris before the Monash Freeway was constructed over where it stood. The college celebrated its centenary in 2007. - Australian College of MinistriesAustralian College of MinistriesAustralian College of Ministries , is one of Australia’s largest Christian leadership and discipleship colleges, offering an extensive range of accredited vocational, undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications through flexible delivery modes.ACOM is recognized amongst its peers,...
is a joint venture between New South Wales and Queensland Churches of Christ Conferences, and provides training in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and in England. Its courses are taught as part of the Sydney College of DivinitySydney College of DivinityThe Sydney College of Divinity is a consortium of Christian seminaries and Bible colleges based in Sydney, New South Wales. The College is structured as a federation of member institutions, each of which retains its autonomy and respective theological traditions...
, with accreditation provided through state education departments.
Ordination, which is bestowed by the State Conferences, is open to both men and women.
History and heritage
It is part of the Restoration MovementRestoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
with historical influences from the United States of America and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
There is a Federal Historical Society.
Queensland
A small group met in Albion, Brisbane in 1871, however it was not until 1 August 1882 that C.M. Fischer and T Geraghty established the first Church of Christ in Queensland at the Zillman Waterholes (now Zillmere, QueenslandZillmere, Queensland
Zillmere is a suburb 14 km north of the Brisbane central business district in Queensland, Australia.-History:The Turrbal Aborigines occupied the region north of Brisbane River, including the area covered by Zillmere....
).
The Ann Street Church of Christ
Ann Street Church of Christ
Ann Street Church of Christ is a Christian church in the CBD of Brisbane, Australia that holds public worship services each Sunday morning.Its website details a range of activities for people of all ages including student outings, community barbecues, women's meetings, music and family...
was established in 1883 and moved into its present building in Brisbane's CBD in 1898.
Structure
The State Conferences are: VictoriaVictoria (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....
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
The Churches of Christ Provident Fund was established to support paid ministers. Most of its role has been handed over to the non-denominational Christian Super fund.
Affiliations
- National Council of Churches in AustraliaNational Council of Churches in AustraliaThe National Council of Churches in Australia is an ecumenical organisation bringing together a number of Australia's Christian Churches in dialogue and practical cooperation.It works in collaboration with state ecumenical councils around Australia...
- Melbourne College of DivinityMelbourne College of DivinityThe Melbourne College of Divinity is a theological education organisation located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The MCD is an ecumenical consortium of a number of theological colleges from a number of denominations...
- Sydney College of DivinitySydney College of DivinityThe Sydney College of Divinity is a consortium of Christian seminaries and Bible colleges based in Sydney, New South Wales. The College is structured as a federation of member institutions, each of which retains its autonomy and respective theological traditions...
- World Convention of Churches of ChristWorld Convention of Churches of ChristThe World Convention of Churches of Christ is a Christian world communion that links an international family of churches known by a range of names including Christian Churches, Churches of Christ and Christian Church . The first Global Gathering of the World Convention was held in Washington, D.C....