Presbyterian Reformed Church (Australia)

Infobox Christian denomination
name = Presbyterian Reformed Church


caption =
main_classification = Protestant
orientation = Calvinism
founded_date = 1967
founded_place =
separated_from =
separations =
congregations = 12 [http://www.prc.org.au/congregations.html]
members =
footnotes =

The Presbyterian Reformed Church (PRC) is a Presbyterian denomination is Australia.

History

The Presbyterian Reformed Church was formed in Australia in 1967 as a result of a growing trend of theological liberalism within the mainstream Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church of Australia, prior to the formation of the Uniting Church in Australia. Today it is made up of congregations in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and Fiji.

Doctrine

The Presbyterian Reformed Church believes the Bible to be the inspired word of God and the only foundation for how to serve God and live as Christians. It believes in the Triune God consisting of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the God who created and controls the whole world according to his excellent purpose and plan. It believes that salvation is only by faith in Christ Jesus, whose perfect life and sacrificial death was sufficient to atone for sin in every person who believes in him. It believes God's promise to offer eternal life in heaven after death to all people who believe in the saving work of Christ Jesus and the requirement of eternal judgement in hell after death for all who reject Christ. Fact|date=February 2007

The Presbyterian Reformed Church is a separatist denomination which practices a strict form of closed communion and regards Roman Catholic baptism as invalid. [Robert Humphreys and Rowland Ward, "Religious Bodies in Australia, 2nd ed.", p. 66.]

Government

The church is governed in the Presbyterian form, where a council of elected elders from each congregation meet bi-annually to discuss and judge the denomination's beliefs and activities in various areas.

Activities

The denomination's activities include:

*Regular worship services,
*Sunday School classes for primary school children,
*Youth fellowship studies and activities for teens and young people,
*Missionary outreach in Australia and overseas
*Publishing ministry through Covenanter Press
*Ministry training through John Knox Theological College.

References

ee also

*List of Presbyterian Denominations in Australia
*Presbyterian Reformed Church, Epping
*Presbyterian church governance

External links

* [http://www.prc.org.au/ PRC Website]
* [http://www.prcepping.org/ PRC Epping, Sydney]