Australian Christian Churches

Australian Christian Churches logo

Australian Christian Churches (formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, also known as AOG and ACC) is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world. With weekly attendance of 104,600 and 848 congregations, Australian Christian Churches is the largest Pentecostal denomination in Australia, according to the 2001 National Church Life Survey.

The ACC was formed in 1937 when the Assemblies of God Queensland merged with the Pentecostal Church of Australia under the name Assemblies of God in Australia. In 2007, the denomination adopted Australian Christian Churches as its public name; however, it is still incorporated as the Assemblies of God in Australia. Member churches are autonomous but work together to provide support for each other and cooperate in evangelisation. The denomination is led by Wayne Alcorn, the National President of Australian Christian Churches and the National Executive.

History

Predecessors

Pentecostalism in Australia emerged as a loose movement of churches and evangelists around 1909. Not until 1927 with the founding of the Apostolic Faith Mission of Australasia (AFM) would the Pentecostal Movement take steps at formally organizing. The AFM, whose name was taken from the Apostolic Faith Mission of the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, United States, was centred around the leadership of Sarah Jane Lancaster, founder of Good News Hall church in Melbourne and editor of Good News, and South African Evangelist Frederick Van Eyk. The AFM had affiliated congregations in New Zealand as well as in Australia.

The Apostolic Faith Mission was short lived, however. Doctrinal controversy, disputes over female authority, and accusations of immorality against Van Eyk ultimately led to the splitting of the AFM in the late 20s. In 1928, the AFM’s northern churches formed the Assemblies of God, Queensland, and a year later many other AFM affiliates joined the newly established Pentecostal Church in Australia. What remained of the AFM dissolved after Lancaster's death in 1934.

Assemblies of God Queensland

At a July 4, 1929, conference of the AFM's Queensland pastors, the decision was made to separate from the AFM and form the Assemblies of God Queensland. Besides the controversy over Van Eyk, many Queensland pastors had long been concerned over Lancaster's non-Trinitarian and annihilationist beliefs. They adopted the Assemblies of God name to gain the recognition of the global Pentecostal movement, as Australian Pentecostal churches were dependent upon visiting clergy.

The AGQ would be challenged by the Brisbane revival of American evangelist William Booth-Clibborn, grandson of Salvation Army founder William Booth. He came to Australia in 1930 and stayed two years, beginning an evangelistic work in Brisbane which grew to fill a two thousand seat tent, the Canvas Cathedral. It has been described as "the greatest religious revival Brisbane has seen". While the AGQ initially welcomed the revival, they became competitors when Booth-Clibborn organized the revival campaign into Covenant Christian Church and many of the AGQ's leaders, including its president George Burns, joined Covenant Christian. After 1932, unity talks began between the two groups, and Covenant Christian Church joined the AGQ as Glad Tidings Tabernacle (now Brisbane City Church) in 1940.

Pentecostal Church of Australia

In 1925, the American evangelist A.C. Valdez visited Australia and was invited by Charles Greenwood to preach at his church in the Sunshine suburb of Melbourne, beginning what would become the year-long Sunshine Revival. The growing congregation converted a movie theatre into a 1,000 seat church known as Richmond Temple. The Pentecostal Church of Australia grew out of this revival, and many of Australia's early Pentecostal churches trace their origins to Richmond Temple. Together, Richmond Temple and the Pentecostal Church, Sydney formed the center of the expanding PCA.

After a year of revival, Valdez left to pursue itinerant evangelism, and Kelso Glover became the new pastor of Richmond Temple and leader of the PCA. Glover was baptised in the Holy Spirit at the Azusa Street revival and was one of the rare participants in early American Pentecostalism with an intellectual background. Glover thought the greatest need of the Pentecostal movement in Australia was "preachers, anointed of God and rightly instructed in the Word". To meet this need he began a shortlived Bible institute. He also began The Australian Evangel, a monthly publication distributed to PCA members. Glover resigned in October 1927 and handed the church over to Greenwood.

Other foreign evangelists were to have an effect on the PCA and Australian Pentecostalism. English evangelist Smith Wigglesworth spent five months in Australia in 1927 under the sponsorship of the PCA. Wigglesworth's healing crusade reinforced the importance of faith and the ministry of healing in Australian Pentecostalism. In April 1928, Donald Gee attended the annual convention of the PCA.

In 1934, the Melbourne Apostolic Church began near Richmond Temple. Originating in Great Britain, the Apostolic Church was distinct from the majority of Pentecostal groups at the time by its belief in the fivefold offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. Most Pentecostals saw prophecy as a function open to the entire Spirit baptised congregation, not as offices given to specific persons. However, the Apostolic Church ordained both apostles and prophets. Within a week of the Apostolic Church's opening, 70 of Richmond Temple's members left and joined the new church. The Temple's elders believed that Greenwood should resign and the Temple join the Apostolic Church. However, a congregational vote sided with Greenwood, and all but one elder joined the Apostolics. After this upset, the PCA, along with the Assemblies of God Queensland, struggled to distance itself from the Apostolic Church's teaching.

1937 merger

By the 1930s, it was recognised by the leaders of both movements that a more harmonious, co-operative and unified relationship was needed. The two bodies were virtually identical doctrinally, culturally, and in their focus on missions and evangelism. Furthermore, the leaders of both movements' had links to the Sunshine Revival.

The two bodies were in some ways different in their polities. Greenwood and Philip Duncan (prominent PCA pastor in Sydney) exercised greater control in their own churches which were large and their influence dominated the other PCA churches. The Queensland churches, on the other hand, were more dispersed and more democratic. Their pastors tended to rotate their tenure, and no single church held preeminence. This tended to make the AGQ more egalitarian.

Led by Enticknap (Queensland), Greenwood (Victoria) and Duncan (New South Wales), the AGQ and PCA held a "United Conference" at the Pentecostal Church in Sydney in 1937. It was decided that the new denomination's name would be the Assemblies of God in Australia. By this time, Greenwood had developed a close relationship with Donald Gee of the Assemblies of God in Great Britain and was willing to drop the PCA label in exchange for association with the global Assemblies of God movement.

For a national constitution, the conference drew from the two existing constitutions as wells as from the constitution of the Assemblies of God USA. The new fellowship would be based on "voluntary cooperation, on terms of equality" and would be governed by biennial national conferences. Every state was granted autonomy in its own affairs as was each registered assembly. Charles Greenwood was elected the first chairman.

World War II

From its formation through World War II, the AOG experienced a period of stagnation. At the time of the merger, there were 38 churches and 1,482 members. Over eight years it grew by four churches, but membership decreased to 1,250. In 1939, the AOG declared British Israelism to be a heresy, eventually leading to the formation of the Christian Revival Crusade.

In its early history, the AOG was a peace church having officially adopted a position of pacifism. Article 23 of the AOG constitution declared "we cannot conscientiously participate in war and armed resistance which involves the actual destruction of human life, since this is contrary to . . . the inspired Word of God". However as WWII progressed, there was less consensus on the issue of Christian participation in military service. In the end, the matter was left to "individual conscience".

1950s and 60s

In 1948, Commonwealth Bible College (now known as Alphacrucis) was founded to train men and women for ministry. James Wallace, an Assemblies of God minister from Great Britain, was appointed principle of the college in 1951 and was then elected AOG chairman in 1955, holding the post until 1959. During his tenure, the college developed a central role in the fellowship and saw an increased number of pastors, church planters, and missionaries trained. This period saw the AOG double in size from 50 churches in 1951 to almost 100 in 1969. Part of this growth was due to immigration, and ethnic congregations, including Slavic and Italian, assemblies, were established.

There was also increased missionary activity, almost all of which was focused on the mission field of Papua New Guinea. This approach was successful and led to the 1973 turning over of all mission property and authority to local churches and the establishment of the self-governing Assemblies of God of Papua New Guinea which by 1998 rivaled the size of the Australian fellowship.

With growth came the need to manage it and the national church's power increased. In 1963, the position of chairman was made a full time one, and the constitution was reformed to make the AG's polity closer to that of the AG USA. At the national conference of 1969, state presbyteries (governing bodies) were given more responsibility, the denomination asserted more control over ordination, and the title of chairman was changed to general superintendent.

1970-1980: Charismatic movement and aftermath

The impact of the charismatic movement was far reaching in the AOG. It was initially celebrated by classical Pentecostals as a sign that Pentecostalism was influencing traditional churches; however, there were also concerns over the influence the charismatic movement was exerting within the AOG. Pastors of the New Zealand Assemblies of God (AGNZ) would lead the way. Because of its openness to the Latter Rain Movement of the 1950s, the AGNZ was quick to accept the charismatic renewal than the more conservative Australian movement. New Zealand pastors such as Robert Midgley, Frank Houston, and Phil Pringle would significantly influence Australian Pentecostalism, and all ultimately moved their ministries to Australia.

Opposition to the renewal mainly arose over traditional Pentecostal views of mainline churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, and how those views were being called into question. These churches had historically been mistrusted by Pentecostals, but now many inside these churches were claiming the same experiences that Pentecostals enjoyed without rejecting those churches. Some AOG ministers responded with "new openness to ecumenical relationships", but others warned against "linking hands with modernists and liberals". Tensions escalated and in January 1973 an official statement was published challenging the charismatic practices of prostration (being "slain in the Spirit"), dancing, and the belief that Christians could be demon possessed (everyone in the AOG agreed that non-Christians could indeed be demon possessed).

These tensions fed into the debate over local church autonomy, with charismatic pastors fearing the ability of a conservative denominational leadership forcing its on views on a local congregation. At the 1977 national conference, it seemed that a split within the movement was inevitable. There was no split; however, it was clear that the charismatic faction had gained the support of the movement. Realizing he had lost support, Ralph Read resigned as general superintendent, and Andrew Evans, a supporter the charismatic movement, was elected to replace him. Evans would lead the AOG for 20 years during a tenure that saw the denomination grow from less than 10,000 to over 115,000 members.

Another legacy of Evans' leadership was a decentralization. The autonomy of local churches was now only limited by the AOG's doctrinal statement—which was broad enough to allow for diversity. Church growth techniques also became popular during this period. Prominent pastors such as Frank Houston also began to advocate strong pastoral leadership of the local church—as opposed to the congregationalism traditionally preferred by Pentecostals.

Recent history

In May 1997, Pastor Brian Houston was elected the National President of the Assemblies of God in Australia. In April 2007, at the Assemblies of God in Australia National Conference, the public name of the movement was changed to Australian Christian Churches, still incorporated as Assemblies of God in Australia. The denomination currently has over 1,100 churches and 210,000 members across Australia.

Leadership

Besides local churches, Australian Christian Churches has two levels of governance—state and national.

National

The governing board of Australian Christian Churches is the National Executive. The National Executive comprises the National President, National Vice President, National Secretary and several Executive Members. While all Executive members work together to run the movement, most also run their own local churches. Members are elected, generally at the National Conference.

The National President is the figurehead of the movement, leading and directing the vision. The office is currently held by Wayne Alcorn. The National Vice President works alongside the National President as a figurehead. The National Vice President can be seen as second in charge, looking after and dealing with issues if the National President is unable. The National Secretary oversees the operations of the National Office as well as developing and facilitating policy for the National Executive. This is the most active role of the National Executive. Executive Members work alongside the National President, National Vice President and National Secretary to run the movement. Executive Members are Pastors of large influence, who often run larger churches. Often Executive Members are also State Presidents in their respective states.

The National President of Australian Christian Churches is the title given to the leader of the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God (AOG). Australian Christian Churches represents 1,100 churches and 190,000 Christians across Australia. Previously the leader of Australian Christian Churches was known as Superintendent. Former National President Brian Houston changed the name of the position when he was elected as leader in May 1997.

Appointment

The National President of Australian Christian Churches is elected at the biennial National Australian Christian Churches conference.

Role and responsibilities

The National President does not deal much with the day-to-day running of the movement but is seen as more of a figurehead. The National President works with the National Vice President and National Secretary, as well as the Executive Members and State Presidents of the movement.

List of National Presidents

#	Name	Appointment	Secession	Time in
1	Charles Greenwood	1937	1941	4 years
2	Henry Wiggins	1941	1943	2 years
-	Charles Greenwood	1943	1945	2 years
3	Philip Duncan	1945	1950	5 years
4	Edward Irish	1950	1951	1 year
5	Alec Davidson	1951	1955	4 years
6	James Walace	1955	1959	4 years
-	Alec Davidson	1959	1969	10 years
7	Ralph Read	1969	1977	8 years
8	Andrew Evans	1977	1997	20 years
9	Brian Houston	1997	2009	12 years
10	Wayne Alcorn	2009	-	-

See also

• Australian Christian Churches

State

The Assemblies of God in each state work together to form Australian Christian Churches, the Australian organisation of the Assemblies of God (AOG). Each state is governed by a State Executive. The roles of the State Executive are similar to those of the National Executive but specialised to the state with a closer relationship to local churches. The roles of the State President and Vice President include:

• Representing the Movement between conferences.
• Chairing Executive Meetings and State Conferences.
• Providing assistance to Churches requesting Executive advice or intervention
• Facilitating any required disciplinary action involving Ministers.
• Liaising with Regional Leadership Teams.

The roles of the State Executive Members include:

• Recommending, to the National Executive, those who are eligible for full ordination.
• Working with New Churches in the planting of new Churches.
• Planning of State Conferences, Leadership Summits and Seminars.
• Reviewing any disciplinary matters involving Ministers and/or Churches.Management of finances of the State body.
• Engaging the services of experts in matters relating to Government policy, legal and financial matters including the creation of "Child Safe" churches.

The current State Presidents of Australian Christian Churches;

• New South Wales: John McMartin
• Queensland: Wayne Alcorn
• South Australia: Ashley Evans
• Victoria: Shane Baxter
• Western Australia: John Warrick
• Tasmania: Dermot Cottuli
• Samoan Fellowship: Onesemo Pulepule

Doctrine

The doctrine of Australian Christian Churches is based on the doctrine of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. Australian Christian Churches believe;

• That the Bible is God's Word. It is accurate, authoritative and applicable to our everyday lives.
• In one eternal God who is the Creator of all things. He exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is totally loving and completely holy.
• That sin has separated each of us from God and His purpose for our lives.
• That the Lord Jesus Christ as both God and man is the only One who can reconcile us to God. He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross in our place, and rose again to show His victory and empower us for life.
• That in order to receive forgiveness and the 'new birth' we must repent of our sins, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and submit to His will for our lives.
• That in order to live the holy and fruitful lives that God intends for us, we need to be baptised in water (but the baptism is done at an age where the person can consent to it) and be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to use spiritual gifts, including speaking in tongues which is the initial evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
• That God has individually equipped us so that we can successfully achieve His purpose for our lives which is to worship God, fulfil our role in the Church and serve the community in which we live.
• That God wants to heal and transform us so that we can live healthy and prosperous lives in order to help others more effectively. He is our friend and has sent the Holy Spirit to be our comforter.
• That our eternal destination of either Heaven or hell is determined by our response to the Lord Jesus Christ.
• That the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back again as He promised.

Churches

Hillsong Church, Sydney

Main article: Churches affiliated with Australian Christian Churches

In Australian Christian Churches there are more than 1,100 churches with over 190,000 members, making it the largest Pentecostal denomination in Australia. Member churches are of a similar style, yet represent a wide variety of people from different locations and cultures within Australia. There are a number of megachurches, including Hillsong Church in Sydney and Brisbane, Paradise Community Church in Adelaide, Enjoy Church in Melbourne, Calvary Christian Church located in Townsville. Churches affiliated with Australian Christian Churches have an average congregation of 179 and there are currently 26 churches with over 1,000 members.

Bible Colleges

Southern Cross College, Sydney

Main article: Bible colleges affiliated with Australian Christian Churches

In order to train future pastors and leaders in the denomination, Commonwealth Bible College (now known as Alphacrucis) was established in 1948 as the official ministry training school of Australian Christian Churches. Since the emergence of megachurches, large churches have begun establishing their own bible colleges. At the beginning of the 21st century, it was estimated that there are over 3,000 full-time students being trained at bible colleges affiliated with Australian Christian Churches.

Ministries

Main article: Ministries of Australian Christian Churches

Australian Christian Churches has many ministries in place to serve the church and effectively outreach to the people in Australia. These include;

• AOG World Mission
• Australian Christian Services
• Chaplaincy Australia
• Rangers Australia
• Youth Alive

Australian Christian Churches supports many organisations including Mercy Ministries, Teen Challenge and Compassion Australia.

Media attention

There has been significant attention drawn to the denomination's relationship to the Family First Party, particularly in light of the party's founder, Andrew Evans, being a former superintendent of the movement, and its one-time leader, Andrea Mason, attending an ACC church. Both Australian Christian Churches and the Family First Party maintain that links are historical only, and that there is no organisational connection at the present time.

Publicly the Assemblies of God in Australia has distanced itself from advocating certain political groups and parties, including the fledgling Family First party:

One thing we are not is a political movement ... The Assemblies of God in Australia does not have a political vision and we don't have a political agenda. I think people need to understand the difference between the church being very involved in politics and individual Christians being involved in politics. There is a big difference.—Brian Houston

In October 2007, a Today Tonight story claimed that several of the final remaining Australian Idol contestants were from Hillsong Church, raising concerns of vote-stacking by the church. It was later revealed that none of the remaining contestants were from Hillsong Church, but several were from churches affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, including two from AOG affiliate Shirelive Church Sutherland, Sydney, NSW.

See also

• Assemblies of God
• Christian Life Centre
• Churches affiliated with Australian Christian Churches

External links

• Assemblies of God in Australia
• New South Wales Assemblies of God
• Queensland Assemblies of God
• Victoria Assemblies of God
• Western Australia Assemblies of God
• Tasmania Assemblies of God