great australian presbyterians
A Brief History
Presbyterianism traces its origins to the Protestant Reformation in 16th century Europe, specifically in France, Germany, England Switzerland, the Netherlands and Scotland.
John Knox worked in Geneva with the great leader of the Reformation, John Calvin. He then returned to Scotland, where he was recognised as a leader of the reformation of the Church of Scotland. The style of church life, worship and theology advocated by John Knox spread beyond Scotland and was known and was known in Scotland and other English-speaking countries as Presbyterianism. (Elsewhere, such churches are generally referred to as Reformed, which highlights the doctrine rather than the polity.).
Distinctive features of Presbyterianism include adherence to the foundational document, the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) <http://www.crta.org/documents/wcf_with_proofs/I.html>, and an emphasis on certain doctrines such as "justification by grace through faith" and the "sovereignty of God".
The form of government is usually based on an arrangement that allows different bodies, or courts of the church, authority in certain areas. The basic unit of operation in Australia is the congregation (session), and then the presbytery (the district court), Synod (the provincial court, replaced in Australia by a state Assembly), and the General Assembly.
Presbyterianism arrived in Australia with the First Fleet, but it was not until 1802 that free Presbyterian settlers began Presbyterian congregations; then in Victoria in 1837, South Australia in 1839, Queensland in 1847 and in Western Australia in 1868.
The Presbyterian Church within Australia was marked by division during the 19th century, with several synods representing Presbyterianism. These divisions reflected the state of Presbyterianism in Scotland and the work of the schismatic character the Rev. Dr John Dunmore Lang, who was also a prominent figure in local politics.
Moves toward unity on a state basis were successful in the second half of the 19th century, but it was not until a few months after Federation that a national union was formally instituted (July 1901).
The 1901 Census recorded 11.3 per cent of the population as Presbyterians, making it the fourth largest church in Australia.
Like the Congregational and Methodist churches, the Presbyterian Church experienced decline in numbers through the 20th century. In 1976, the year before union, 6.6 per cent of the population identified themselves as Presbyterians.
At its first meeting in 1901, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia started discussion towards the realisation of the ideal of a "united evangelical church". The first move lasted until 1924 when it was ended by internal divisions. A second period of negotiations involving the Presbyterians began in the 1940s. But again the Presbyterian Church decided it was not possible and withdrew.
The next stage of union discussion began in 1954 and lasted until the actual union in 1977.
The Presbyterian Church allowed greater liberty in congregational terms and, because of the greater division within Presbyterianism about the proposed Uniting Church, only 64 per cent of congregations elected to go into union, containing approximately 69 per cent of the individual membership.
Presbyterians provided 36 per cent of the initial membership basis of the Uniting Church in Australia.
The Presbyterian Church of Australia is still found in every Australian state and in the Northern Territory and sees itself enjoying a spiritual renaissance. In 1996 the denomination had over 45,000 members and adherents, 580 ministers, deaconesses and home missionaries, 410 parishes and home mission stations, 60 students training for ministry and 140 cross-cultural missionaries.
(See Peter Bentley and Philip J. Hughes, The Uniting Church in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1996; David Burke and Philip J. Hughes, The Presbyterians in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1996; W. Philips, "Religion", Australians: Historical Statistics, ed. W. Vamplew, Fairfax, Syme and Weldon Associates, 1987; and Ian Gillman, "Presbyterians", Many Faiths One Nation: A Guide to the Major Faiths and Denominations in Australia, ed. Ian Gillman, Collins 1988).