The Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA), formerly known as the Reformed Churches of Australia (RCA) is a Christian denomination established in Australia belonging to the Reformed/

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

tradition.

Background

This denomination has its roots in the European

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

of the 15th and 16th centuries, affirming the beliefs that God grants salvation by grace alone, in Christ alone and through faith alone.Christian Reformed Churches of Australia
- accessed 22 April 2010''A Church en Route: 40 Years Reformed Churches of Australia'' by J.W. Deenick (ed), Reformed Churches Publishing House, Geelong (Vic) 1991.*''Religious Bodies in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide (3rd ed)'' by Rowland Ward and Robert Humphreys, New Melbourne Press, Melbourne (Vic) 1995. The denomination is part of the worldwide family of

reformed churches Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian ...

which came into being at the time of the Reformation, and declared themselves reformed from the teachings and practices of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

at that time. Whereas

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

was the champion of the Reformation in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...

was the champion of the Reformation in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and northern Europe. It is John Calvin's understanding of the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

, as spelled out in his

Institutes of the Christian Religion ''Institutes of the Christian Religion'' () is John Calvin's seminal work of systematic theology. Regarded as one of the most influential works of Protestant theology, it was published in Latin in 1536 at the same time as Henry VIII of England's ...

, that forms the

doctrinal Doctrine (from , meaning 'teaching, instruction') is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the essence of teachings in a given branch of knowledge or in a belief system. The etymolog ...

basis of the various reformed churches. This doctrinal basis is further summarized in the three Confessions to which the continental reformed churches adhere: *

Belgic Confession The ''Confession of Faith'', popularly known as the Belgic Confession, is a confession to which many Reformed churches subscribe as a doctrinal standard. The Confession forms part of the Three Forms of Unity, which are the official subordinate st ...

Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one of the Three Forms of Unity, is a Reformed catechism taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. It was published in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany. Its ...

Canons of Dordt The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled ''The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands'', is an exposition of orthodox Reformed soteriology against Arminianism, by the Nati ...

And by the Confession to which the

churches adhere: *

Westminster Confession The Westminster Confession of Faith, or simply the Westminster Confession, is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it beca ...

History

This denomination was established by post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

migrants in 1951. Many of the migrants had been members of the

Reformed Churches in the Netherlands The Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (, abbreviated ''Gereformeerde kerk'') was the second largest Protestant church in the Netherlands and one of the two major Calvinist denominations along with the Dutch Reformed Church since 1892 unti ...

. They had no desire to start new congregations in their new home, and had been advised to seek the pastoral care of the Scottish Free Presbyterians (i.e. the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia) upon their arrival in Australia. The differences between the culture of the Australian-Scottish Presbyterians and the Reformed Netherlanders was a hindrance, but the real problem was the liturgical restrictions where no instrumental accompaniment was allowed and only psalms were sung. The Dutch migrants struggled to find churches in Australia which embraced and upheld Biblical and Reformed theology, with a national profile that could enfold these new settlers, and was governed according to reformed tradition. For these reasons, in December 1951, they organised a separate denomination, initially composed of Reformed Churches in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. The new denomination held their first

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...

in June 1952 in premises owned by the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia at East St Kilda. By 1955, some dozen congregations were formed in all Australian states, and the denomination, then named the Reformed Churches of Australia, grew to around 10,500 by the early 1990s, when it was renamed the Christian Reformed Churches Of Australia. Currently there is an active membership of around 7800 in over fifty churches spread throughout

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. This steady decline is due to a desire to assimilate in their new country, welcome changes in the

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

and

Churches in some states bringing these denominations theologically closer, and certain aspects of generational change. Numerous South African immigrants in the last decade have slowed this trend, as have converts from other denominations. From exclusively Dutch beginnings, the CRCA is now a culturally diverse group, reflecting the character of Australian society, and is seeking to proclaim the Christian message in a contemporary and relevant way. The denomination has been instrumental in the establishment of many

Christian school A Christian school is a Parochial school, religious school run on Christianity, Christian principles or by a Christian organization. These schools often include religious education and worship in their curriculum. They may also have a distinct Ch ...

s, including the

Illawarra Christian School Illawarra Christian School (ICS) is a co-educational Christian parent-controlled school in Cordeaux Heights, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia that was established in 1982 and it offers from Preschool to Year 12 education. It began its Prep ...

, Sutherland Shire Christian School, Tyndale Christian School (New South Wales)
Calvin Christian School
Kingston Tasmania, and Covenant College (ACT). It is actively engaged in Christian missions both within Australia and abroad. One of these is The NSW THING. They have established their own

theological college A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and Christian theology, theology, generally to prepare them for ordinatio ...

, the

Reformed Theological College The Reformed Theological College (RTC) 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. It is located in the Melbourne ...

Geelong Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. They also own Wedderburn Christian Campsite, a Christian camp site in the outskirts of

. They also suppor
SWIM Solomon Islands
which is a missionary outreach in the Solomon Islands. The CRCA also produces a denominational magazine titled "Trowel And Sword" Since 2000, the CRCA has adopted a fourfold mission statement to remind and empower its member churches to set and focus on their primary goal of equipping God's people for the service of God both within and beyond itself. The four tasks are headed: Pray, Multiply, Train and Align.

Structure

The basic unit is the local church, which is governed by the local session as "elected" by the congregation. All sessions within a geographical area (typically on a statewide basis) meet every 3-4 months as a classis. Nationally, delegates meet every three years as a

. The synod deals only with issues raised by a classis. Therefore, all synodical issues were originally raised by a session, brought to a classis, before coming to the synod. At synod, policies for the church are formulated, directions considered, and new ways forward explored. In between synodical meetings the financial commitments of the member churches are administered by a Synodical Board of Management, while all other matters affecting the church as a whole are looked after by the Synodical Interim Committee. Permanent committees of synod include:
World Transform
Distributes funds collected for overseas relief work * Solomons Islands Workgroup: Workgroup supporting the missionary work carried out in the

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...

Notable members

Senator

Eric Abetz Eric Abetz (born 25 January 1958) is an Australian politician. He was a Senator for Tasmania from 1994 to 2022, representing the Liberal Party, and since March 2024 has been a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the Franklin electora ...

is a member of th
Kingston Christian Reformed Church
.

Local congregations

Member churches of the CRCA are found in every state of Australia, along with one church in the Australian Capital Territory. The member churches, listed alphabetically with their dates of institution, are as follows:''Christian Reformed Churches of Australia - Yearbook 2019/2020'', Reformed Churches Publishing House, Geelong (Vic) 2019.

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

Reformed Church of Canberra
- Rivett (26 March 1975)

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

Christian Reformed Church of Blaxland
- Blaxland (5 July 1980)
Christian Reformed Church of Dee Why
- Dee Why (1 March 1954)
Hope Christian Community Church
- St Marys (1 January 1965)
Indonesian Reformed Church
- Castle Hill (2 April 2003)
Christian Reformed Church of Macarthur
- Cobbitty (1 December 1974)
New Life Christian Church
- Woodcroft (21 April 1953) * Christian Reformed Church of Newcastle - Argenton (25 May 1955)
Tanilba Christian Reformed Church
- Tanilba Bay (25 May 1955)
Christian Reformed Church of Sutherland Shire
- Barden Ridge (1 January 1960)
Christian Reformed Church of Sydney
- Castle Hills (16 December 1951)
Reformed Church of Wamberal
- Wamberal (1 May 1976)
Christian Reformed Church of Wollongong
- Fairy Meadow (16 December 1951)

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Bray Park Community Church
- Bray Park (11 October 1980)
Christian Reformation Community Church
- Inala (13 March 1965)
Wishart Community Church
- Wishart (30 August 1980)
Open House Christian Reformed Church
- Gaven (12 August 2000)
Redlands Christian Reformed Church
- Ormiston (28 August 1999)
Christian Reformed Church of Tivoli
- Tivoli (9 February 1991)
Christian Reformed Church of Toowoomba
- Glenvale (19 April 1969)
Westside Christian Church
- Camira (29 November 2003)

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

Campbelltown Christian Reformed Church
- Campbelltown (24 October 1954) * Christian Reformed Church of Elizabeth - Elizabeth Vale (31 October 1971) * Hallett Cove Christian Reformed Church - Hallett Cove (13 February 2011)

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

Bay Christian Church
- Blackmans Bay (3 January 2010)
Good News Christian Church
- Howrah (9 May 1960)
Christian Reformed Church of Kingston
- Kingston (24 February 1952)
One Way Christian Church
- Margate (3 January 2010)
Pathway to Life
- Devonport (8 February 1958)
Redeemer Christian Church
- Huonville (TBI)
Riverbank Christian Church
- Riverside (7 March 1954)
Sanctuary Hill Christian Fellowship
- Penguin (13 October 1951)
Summerleas Christian Church
- Huntingfield (3 January 2010) * Christian Reformed Church of Ulverstone - Ulverstone (13 October 1951)

Reformed Church of Box Hill
- Box Hill (19 May 1957)
Casey Christian Reformed Church
- Narre Warren South (1 July 1969)
Christian Chinese Reformed Church
- Springvale South (4 December 1989) *Christian Reformed Church of Cobden - Cobden (19 February 1994)
Christian Reformed Church of Dandenong
- Dandenong North (1 July 1953)
Christian Reformed Church of Geelong
- Geelong West (28 October 1955)
Hope in the Hills Christian Church
- Tecoma (17 July 1955)
Christian Reformed Church of Langwarrin
- Langwarrin (30 June 1968)
Mount Evelyn Christian Reformed Church
- Mount Evelyn (1 October 1953)
Narre Warren Christian Church
- Narre Warren (19 February 1989)
One Hope Community Church
- Scoresby (2 July 1995) * Pakenham Christian Community Church (PC3) - Pakenham (TBI)
South Barwon Christian Reformed Church
- Waurn Ponds (5 November 1989) * Christian Reformed Church of South Gippsland - Leongatha (11 September 1957) * The Hub Church - Armstrong Creek (TBI)
Christian Reformed Church Wonga Park
- Wonga Park (20 June 1980)

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

Christian Reformed Church of Australind
- Australind (17 September 1959) * Forrestdale Gospel Community Church - Forrestdale (TBI)
Gateway Community Church
- Cockburn Central (4 May 2003)
Christian Reformed Church of Gosnells
- Gosnells (1 July 1974)

- Joondalup (18 November 2007)
Hope Community Church
- Baldivis (30 July 2017)
Wheatbelt Christian Fellowship
- Wongan Hills (TBI)
Willetton Christian Church
- Willetton (23 September 1984)
Wilson Christian Church
- Wilson (7 February 2016)

References

External links

Christian Reformed Churches of Australia website

Westminster Confession of Faith

SWIM Solomon Islands (Short Workshops in Mission)

Wedderburn Christian Campsite
{{authority control Christian organizations established in 1951 Protestantism in Australia Reformed denominations in Oceania Calvinist denominations established in the 20th century Members of the World Communion of Reformed Churches 1951 establishments in Australia