Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia
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| Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia | |
 The Banner of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia |
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| Classification | Protestant |
|---|---|
| Orientation | Calvinism |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Origin | 1858 |
| Branched from | Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland |
| Associations | Reformed Presbyterian Church |
| Geographical Area | Victoria, Australia |
| Statistics | |
| Congregations | 3[1] |
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia is a Calvinist denomination in Australia. It is a very small Australian Presbyterian denomination based in the area of Melbourne, Victoria. The first church, in Geelong, Victoria, was started in 1858. It links itself historically with the Covenanter movement in Scotland that was the 17th century continuation of Presbyterianism, and has sister denominational relations with the Reformed Presbyterian Churches of North America, Ireland, and Scotland. It is dedicated to upholding the continued relevance of the Gospel and the Bible in today's society.
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[edit] Background
Many Reformed Presbyterians had migrated from Scotland to Australia, and, as they were against occasional hearing, they wanted a minister of their own. They wrote to the church in Scotland requesting this, and the Rev. A. M. Moore eventually answered, arriving in Melbourne in late December 1857, and starting the work in Geelong in 1858. As time went on, the work expanded. Congregations were begun in McKinnon, Victoria (1933 begun/1946 organised, Rev. W. R. McEwen), Frankston, Victoria (1971/1977), and Sunbury, Victoria (1979/1981, closed 2006).
In 1959, the Rev. A. Barkley, minister in Geelong, became the founding principal of the Reformed Theological College.
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, 12th June, 1974.
[edit] Today
The Geelong congregation, currently pastored by Rev. Andrew Stewart and Rev. Graeme Hart, is still growing.
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.
[edit] Beliefs
- See also: Reformed Presbyterian Church
[edit] Organisations & Relations
[edit] Sister denominations
Sister denominations are listed on the Reformed Presbyterian Church (denominational group) page.
[edit] Theological Seminaries
- Reformed Theological College (in conjunction with the Christian Reformed Church of Australia and the Reformed Churches of New Zealand)
