The Presbyterian & Reformed Partnership

I thank God for the practical, biblical partnership we as Reformed Christians have with the Presbyterians in Southern Tasmania. It is a partnership that has been blessed by God, and we have seen God's Kingdom come through the work of both churches as churches are planted and new ministry workers raised up for gospel work.

Our connection with them goes back to the early 1950s when the Dutch migrants first came to Kingston, Tasmania. Seeking a church home they attending the St. Johns Presbyterian Church in Hobart and were welcomed with great enthusiasm by Rev C. Read. In those early years as the number of Dutch migrants grew in numbers services in Dutch were held in Kingston (sermons by Rev C. Read & Basil Cox were translated into Dutch and read by Eric vanderLaan.) There was talk of establishing a Presbyterian Church in Kingston. But doubts arose about the Presbyterian Church. The Dutch migrants were concerned about Free Masonary and liberalism in the church. The issues came to sharp focus when a visiting Moderator of Victoria and Tasmania preached a liberal and moralistic sermon at St John's one Sunday, in which there was no mention of Christ. As a result the decision was made to establish the Reformed Church of Kingston. Rev C. Read, who had worked so hard to include the Dutch migrants, was saddened and also somewhat hurt by this decision, as he was a gospel-hearted man.

Little did Rev C. Read know of the partnership that would develop between these two churches some fifty years later.

At the time of the formation of the Reformed Church of Kingston, the leaders signed the 'Kingston Protocol' which states:

Protocol of the founding of the Reformed Church of Kingston

on Sunday the 24th of February 1952 at Kingston, Tasmania

We the undersigned before our migration communicant members of a Protestant Church in The Netherlands and of positive Reformed persuasion regret that we do not feel free to be able to join anyone of the existing Australian churches, partly because in some of them liberalism can develop unhindered, partly because the churches which are faithful to the Holy Scriptures with their prescribed way of worship makes it difficult for us to feel at home in their midst.

We regret the impossibility of joining especially regarding the Presbyterian Church of Hobart, which church has been very accommodating from the beginning of our arrival in Tasmania, especially the Rev. C.Y. Reid is still remembered, who did his utmost to help us in many ways.

Because of the above mentioned reasons, to the honour of God’s name and the spiritual well-being of ourselves and our children we see ourselves called to the founding of the Reformed Church of Kingston within the denomination of the Reformed Churches of Tasmania, on the basis of God’s Word according to the interpretation of the Westminster Confession, the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordt. We will maintain this basis by Christian Discipline about teaching and life in accordance with Holy Scripture, Confessions and the Dordt Church order.

We will strive after Christian fellowship with all those who love our Lord and Saviour and who are willing to accept the basis of His Word according to the Creeds of the Reformation, by giving ever more importance to the English [language] in our worship services we will strive to become a real Australian church as soon as possible.

We will persevere in prayer for the Australian Churches that there may be a real return to His Word and Service. If that would happen in the Presbyterian Churches of Australia we would do our utmost to work for union of our churches with these churches.

We undertake this step to found the Reformed Churches with fervent prayer to God for His blessing also for the churches of Australia, that He will keep us and our children and generations to follow from straying from the faith that once was delivered unto the saints. Through His grace He makes us faithful to His Word and the Confessions based on that Word.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Signed by 17 Communicant members and 6 Baptized members.

What does this statement mean for us today? How should we respond to it? Things have changed so much in fifty years for both churches. We now share the same Reformed theology, values and vision for our work in Tasmania.

Surely the first thing to do is to thank God for each other and our partnership especially through Vision 100. Secondly, we ought to pray often for each other, asking God to continue to strengthen our partnership, so that his Kingdom may come to His glory alone.

Dangerous waters

Where ever liberal theology has gained an ascendancy the church itself has gone into decline. This is self-evident for any student of church history. Yet, over the last five to ten years, I have detected a slight but growing drift towards liberalism in our Reformed churches. These are dangerous waters for us to enter. This has occurred because of a combination of a poor biblical knowledge, and denial of Scripture's clear teaching. Here are the evidences I see for saying this:

(1) An increasingly biblical illiteracy

Very few members have a clear grasp of the gospel or a good knowledge of the doctrines of grace. Very few can explain the gospel in simple clear terms, or defend it when it is attacked. Even fewer people in our churches understand biblical theology and the principles of interpreting Scriptures.

(2) A lack of confidence in the gospel as the only power in the world that will build the church

We have not been taught to recognize that the gospel is the 'beating heart' of the church. It is often assumed, and it's implications for Christian living are not well understood. This has led to leaders elevating other issues and programs to try to build the church.

(3) A tendency to reject or downplay the key doctrine of original sin and the depravity of man

The belief of our culture, that man is inherently 'good', is undermining a central teaching of the gospel, that while we are made in the image of God and have great potential, we are inherently sinful from birth and therefore need saving. Any denial of this truth denies the necessity of Christ's death on a cross.

(4) An increasing acceptance that woman can serve in the function of elder and minister.

If we were to survey our church leaders, I believe a remarkable number would subscribe to this position, undermining the clear teaching of Scripture on this. We have been infected by our culture, by the influence of Reformed Christians from overseas, and by the many churches in Australia who now hold this position.

(5) The almost non-existent practice of discipline

Although we are committed to this as a mark of the true church, the practice of discipline is pretty much neglected. This will only result in increasingly weak Christian communities that, in their practice, deny the very gospel they purport to believe.

(6) A poor understanding of what biblical leadership is and isn't

There are so many models of leadership being used in the church from managerial through to the old 'dominee' (one man controls all) model, none of which are particularly biblical. Leaders are to serve Christ and his people, by focussing on the Word of God and prayer and laying down their lives. Christ has given various gifts (evangelist, pastor, apostle (small 'a') etc) to the church that are to find their expression under the key attitude of service and servanthood. The neglect of the biblical pattern of leadership again subtly undermines the gospel, which is all about Christ who came, not to be served, but to serve.