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INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE METHODIST CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA

(A Protestant Christian Communion - founded 1969)

CHURCH ORIGIN

Historical Prologue to Origin.

"Ecumenical conditioning in Christendom"

It was during 1968 in the Queensland city of Ipswich at the North Ipswich Methodist Church, that some very important issues were being studied. Issues that related directly to the life and witness of the Methodist Church of Australasia. The central topic was the ecumenical proposal for amalgamation of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches. The objective of Church union was by this time firmly entrenched in many Churches. The aims and aspirations of those supporting this union were many and varied.

Some supported the cause of union based on the belief that there were too many diverse Christian denominations in Australia, and overseas. They identified this situation as being a major frustration to the work of the Church in preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a unified manner as a unified message. The Church, it was claimed, appeared fragmented to the world. Others, had a desire to undo the effect of the 'Reformation', openly stating that the 'Reformation' was a grave mistake in the history of the Church and that it needed to be reversed.

Supporters of Church union often cited the prayer of Christ for his disciples that is found in chapter 17 of the Gospel of John to validate their various claims in support of the ecumenical objective of some sections of Christendom that accelerated during the 19th and 20th centuries.

During the two decades immediately following the foundation of the World Council of Churches, that took place in Amsterdam, 1948, it became apparent that many in the Church who were formulating policy and teaching theology in many Protestant Churches relied less and less on the Scriptures as their only guide for the promotion of a pure biblical unity (true ecumenism). Progressively they were re-interpreting the objective of the ecumenical movement as not only unity 'between' the Protestant Churches but also unity with the Roman Catholic Church and even further, to establish an open dialogue with other world religions with a view toward integration or at the very least to accept other 'faiths' as fellow travelers on the road to Heaven. The World Council of Churches was largely the agency propagating this re-interpretation of Christian unity.

This was done at great cost to the proclamation of the truth and the preaching of Christ as the only Saviour. Christianity was seen as just one of many valid ways for humanity to express faith in God. Christianity was being increasingly relegated to just part of an overall spiritual evolution that would lead to a unified World religion.

The neo-evangelical and liberal theological doctrinal beliefs based on humanism and belief systems other than the Word of God were being presented in the official Sunday school curriculum of the Methodist Church. This, coupled with the increasing array of 'modern translations' and paraphrases of the Holy Bible, left the Sunday school student doubting or in a quandary concerning the inspiration and inerrancy of God's Word.

Against this national and international accommodation or acceptance of Liberal theology and humanism within the Church many faithful individual Christians were now faced with a spiritual dilemma.

Should they remain, as faithful members of their respective Denominations, Should they mount a rearguard action working towards reform in the Church (as many in the past had tried unsuccessfully to achieve)? Should they heed the Word of the Lord and separate from that Denomination in obedience to God?

( in obedience to the Biblical authority that instructs what to do in this situation)?

In facing this situation some members of the Methodist Church at Down St, North Ipswich were no longer willing to use the joint Church, Sunday school curriculum as authorised by the Queensland Methodist Conference. This, precipitated action and reaction from both sides of the ecumenical fence. The local members at North Ipswich along with their Minister desired a return to Bible based curriculum for the Sunday school. The Methodist Church at State Conference and local Synod level officially gave the North Ipswich congregation no option but to use the authorised literature. This left the Church at North Ipswich with only one of two options. Either comply with the Conference directive or circumvent the Churches determination by using non sanctioned material. As neither option was spiritually palatable, many people who had served the Lord faithfully in the Methodist Church had no choice but regretfully to part company with the Methodist Church of Australasia in late 1968.

Founding of a Church

In January, 1969, a Church was founded in Ipswich, Queensland under the leadership of Rev R. O. Johnson. Meeting each Sunday in worship and sharing in the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month. The meeting place was a private house. The lack of a public place of worship was due largely to the fact that the property rights in the Methodist Church were vested in the Corporation. This meant that even if the entire congregation had resigned at North Ipswich from the Methodist Church, the property would nonetheless have stayed under the control and ownership of the Methodist Church. This fact was not lost on those who had separated when drawing up the Constitution of what was to be known as the 'Bible Methodist Church of Queensland'.

The name for the Church was indicative of its mission and heritage. A contemporary Methodist Church that would be obedient to the great commission as prescribed by Christ for His Church. Shunning the humanism that was pervading many Churches and proclaiming the Bible as the true guide to life and faith in Christ Jesus. The Church in Ipswich continued to witness from 1969 onwards, praying that other places of worship would be established. In 1975 a Bible Methodist Church was formed in the Kilcoy-Woodford region in Queensland.

Change of Church name.

The name of the Church was amended to the 'Bible Methodist Church of Australia' after a congregation was established in Lismore, in New South Wales. This name change more aptly expressed the hope of establishing member congregations in all areas of Australia. The vision of the foundational members was to found a Church that would preach clearly the Gospel of Christ without compromise and to live as a Church practicing the fundamental objectives of Methodism that were consistent with the Bible.

CHURCH GOVERNMENT

Polity: Church structure and government - summary

Statement on Church government from the constitution.

The two forms of government within a local Fellowship are, 'congregational' for business administration, through the congregational meeting and; 'presbyter' for Spiritual matters, through the eldership. In matters of membership induction and cancellation, the eldership and local Fellowship members actively participate.

How is this achieved? Locally the Church operates within the framework of the Bible and secondly the Constitution, to function in an orderly and Christ honouring manner in its day to day function.

Each local Church has an annual appointment of office bearers, a) Chairman, b) Secretary, (c) Treasurer, (d) co-ordinators in other areas of work. eg. (All Age Church School, Youth work, Prayer convener, Media officer, Stewards.) These positions are filled by nomination and ballot from the local membership at the Annual General Meeting.

There are five meetings held each year; an Annual General Meeting and a Congregational meeting in each quarter of the year. Other special meetings are called as the need arises.

The Church does not have an autocratic leadership. Each member as a believer in Christ is encouraged to be engaged in the 'ministry of believers' as portrayed in the Bible.

The pastoral minister or local pastor is the spiritual overseer and is called upon by the congregation to provide leadership consistent with the Scriptures and to lead a Spirit filled life.

Annual Conference

The conference meets at least once per annum to receive reports concerning spiritual and administrative matters from the local Churches. This gives opportunity to all members to see the bigger picture beyond their local fellowship. The Conference is the overseeing body to guide and foster the life and growth of the Church.

The Conference has four office bearers; President, vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer. There is also an Executive elected annually to attend to business as it arises between conferences.

Administration of property

Conditional property rights are maintained by the local Congregation as recorded in the Constitution.

Property administration by trustees.

The Church is not a corporation. Each local Church has a property trust to accept care for the maintenance of Church property. The trustees are not personally liable to pay financial costs and charges for this care.

SIZE OF CONSTITUENCY

There is no specified size either geographically or by density of population for each local Church to serve.

The term 'local Church' indicates the essential requirement of the Church to establish a community base. The ability for a local Church to function effectively may at times require the formation of a sister Church in a neighbouring community eg. adjacent suburb, town. This could be a new work or a drawing together of members of a local Church that live in the adjoining community area to establish a local Church in their immediate neighbourhood.

TRAINING CENTRES

The Bible Methodist Church does not operate a centre for theological training thus far.

In 1982 the Conference adopted the following seven subjects to be undertaken for ministerial study: Theology, Pastoral care, Church History, Sermon Construction, Comparative Studies in religion, Conducting of worship and Biblical history.

CHURCH HISTORY

A Bible Church response to apostasy

It is an indicator of the decline in faithful adherence by the Church generally to the Word of God that the Christian in the latter part of the 20th century was prompted to differentiate between various Denominations and Organizations in the Christian Church by using labels such as, 'Bible', 'Pentecostal', 'Evangelical', 'Neo-evangelical', 'Liberal', 'Orthodox', 'Fundamental'. The use of the word 'Bible ' in the name of this Church supports the essential Christian belief that the whole of the Bible is the authoritative Word of God over His Church in faith and practice.

A follower and disciple of Christ should derive no peace when they see Church pitted against Church or Christian against Christian, yet the world over, Churches and organizations are working to win people to their faction often at the risk of disrupting spiritual unity. Christendom must acknowledge that there are deep divisions in matters of doctrine and government within its borders, which impact upon the Body of Christ. Divisions that need a Biblical response and solution as against that which comes from humanity. Preaching by the Church needs to be both evangelical and polemic. The Bible Methodist Church has been raised by God in an age of increasing apostasy to stand in the 'gap' with Christ, and in so doing, not to deny the necessity of unity for Christians but to promote such unity without compromising the Truth. To preach Christ according to the Scriptures. We thank God that the unity Christ prayed for already exists between all who are one in the Spirit, in Christ Jesus.

Clearly the call of God to his children in Christ is to live in the 'light' and to depart from 'darkness.' Some Christians believe they must stay in 'their' Church in spite of it's glaring errors. Stay to contest the falsehood from within. 

History has shown that the good intentions of many Christians to successfully restore a Church have failed and that God has maintained the purity of His Church by implementing new beginnings as the need arises.

The path for the Christian Church in the world has always been difficult. Apostasy is not new. Organic ecumenical unity without a true spiritual unity will only build an impoverished Church. It is better to have many 'true Churches' working in the world with some level of disagreement then to have one 'super' Church given to worldliness and false religion. (re: Reformation)

Yet best of all, is to have one Church as the Body of Christ doing the will of God the Father. This we have in the Universal Church of Christ, empowered on the day of Pentecost. Ready with Christ to contend against spiritual rebellion in the world by preaching the gospel in every nation to bring the lost sinner from spiritual darkness into the kingdom of light and as a witness against the propagation of false gospels.

Objective Review of Focus - Church Mission.

There are always lessons to be learnt by Christians in life. Those who are members of the Bible Methodist Church are no exception. Having separated out of a 'main stream' Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit does not permit us to sit on a spiritual judgmental panel with a view to correcting all others. The call of God to us all is to stray neither to the left or to the right but to follow Christ.

The Church at times has been side-tracked into pursuing and seeking to correct the 'symptoms' of the pluralistic and hedonistic society that exists in Australia rather than addressing the root cause of these symptoms. At other times attention and focus in Mission has been on the world scene to the detriment of the mission field at home. Reluctance to move into an area of ministry for the fear that it might be the wrong move has slowed the outward growth of the Church.

Lessons have been learnt. Lessons that will enable this Church while it remains, to serve the Lord in accordance with the Scriptures. Obedient, to preach the gospel message to a lost world in the spirit and love of Christ. The Church does not have the right to re-write the 'message' but only to carry as God's messenger that which has been once delivered unto the saints.

The world to-day needs Churches that will do the will of God in accordance with His word. The Bible Methodist Church strives to be such a Church.

HISTORICAL EVENTS IN SUMMARY

1969 Foundation of Bible Methodist             Church of Queensland - Ipswich

1975 Formation of second congregation - Kilcoy Woodford area Qld

1976 Inaugural Conference - Bible     Methodist Church of Queensland

1976 Adoption of Constitution

1977 Formation of third congregation - Lismore NSW

1977 Name change - Bible Methodist Church of Australia

1977 Adoption of Statement of Faith

1977 Purchase of first property - Kilcoy

1978 Constitution and Statement of Faith printed for distribution

1978 Doctrinal concern about the *AABBCC as a member Church *(Australian affiliate-International Council of Christian Churches )

1979 Tenth year of Christian testimony and witness

1981 Purchase of second property - Ipswich Qld

1987 Withdrawal from membership of AABBCC -(ICCC)

1989 Twentieth year of Christian testimony and witness

1989 Mission support for East Africa Christian Alliance, Kenya

1992 Researching membership of Fellowship of Evangelical Churches of Australia (FECA)

1993 Progression towards completion of Constitutional review

1993 Pastoral appointment process commenced for Ipswich assembly.

1994 Spiritual testing - renewal and re-affirmation of foundational beliefs

1995 Praying for Church expansion -            

CONCLUSION

This document is but a short historical account and a brief introduction to the origin, mission and beliefs of the Bible Methodist Church. A comprehensive document (Constitution and Statement of Faith) describing the doctrinal and governmental beliefs and practices of the Church is available upon request.

If you feel compelled to do something about the spiritual and social plight this nation (Australia), the world and the Church faces, you are invited to enquire about this Church, without obligation and encouraged to pray concerning the mission and life of the Bible Methodist Churches.

Seek the Lord's guidance for help in these troubled times.

He is faithful.

It may be that with your help this Church will grow and continue to serve the Lord Jesus Christ faithfully in Australia and overseas, until He comes. God Bless.

-Even so come, Lord Jesus-

Bible Methodist Conference Secretary

http://www.netministries.org/see/churches/ch29052