Introduction


to the 

Church

McKinnon Reformed Presbyterian Church

261a McKinnon Rd, MCKINNON, VIC. 3204 www.mckinnonrp.org.au

www.facebook/mckinnonrp
Minister/Pastor: Rev. Graeme Hart 0430 960 865 03 8502 2852 graeme.r.hart@gmail.com

Ruling Elders: Mr. Brandon Fisher 0418 534 273 03 8510 0886 z.brandon.fisher@gmail.com

Mr. David Stewart 0490 502 436 03 9873 1306 davste222@gmail.com

Revised February 2017

 Contents
Page No

Welcome and Introduction 3

Study 1 Church Membership 4-7

Study 2 The Church’s Message 8-12

Study 3 The Church’s Ministry 13-16

Study 4 The Church’s Sacraments 17-21

Study 5 The Church’s Worship 22-26

Study 6 The Church’s History 27-33

Study 7 The Church’s Government 34-37

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 Welcome

Welcome to this Introduction to the Church course. It is good that you

have decided to join this seven week course which will cover the basic
doctrine, practices and history of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of
Australia, of which our congregation in McKinnon is a part.

The first aim of this Introduction to the Church is to explain what a

member is and how it is linked with our identity in Christ. The second
aim explains why membership is important. The third aim of this
Introduction is to explain what being a member of the Church
involves. The course is being offered to members and non-members
of the Reformed Presbyterian Church alike. Some of you who are
already members may want to refresh your commitment to Christ by
considering again the vows of membership which you took some time
ago. Others may be interested in becoming members. Others may
want to find out more about living the Christian life. Others what the
church is all about - what we believe, why we believe it, what we do
and why we do it.

It is hoped that each member of the class will spend some time each
week preparing for the class by working through the relevant chapter
and the study questions. That will enable the class as a whole to
consider the issues raised by the topics we study. The meetings will
allow you to raise questions and issues that may need further
explanation.

The second aim of this Introduction to the Church course is to

encourage every class member to examine their relationship with God.
This is not merely a class exercise. As we learn the truth from God’s
word we will be asking, “Where do I stand in relation to God?” Every
Christian ought to become a member of the Church; and every
member of the Church ought to enjoy and experience a healthy, living,
growing relationship with the living God. It is hoped that by becoming
a member of the Church you will be better equipped to grow in this
relationship.

Do you think that when you become a member of the Church, you will
have learned all you need to learn or grown all you need to grow? You
will be just starting to learn and grow – not graduating!

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 Study 1 – Church Membership
The most important step a person will ever take is to become a follower of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This involves two things. First of all it involves recognising that we are
sinners and turning away from our sinful lives. The Bible calls this repentance.
Secondly, it involves trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for our eternal salvation. The
Bible calls this faith. If you have taken that step it will change your life completely.
This course is aimed at people who have taken this step and profess to be
Christians.

The next step for a newly converted believer is to become a member of the Church.
This is essential to the spiritual health and growth of a new Christian and the choices
which he/she makes at this stage will have a very significant influence on how he/she
develops in the Christian life. It is therefore very important to choose wisely. This
course aims to help you understand what to expect if you are, or become, a member
of the McKinnon Reformed Presbyterian Congregation. It will also help you to see
what the Bible teaches us to expect in any Church.

Why is Church Membership important?

This is a very important question and we will come to it first. It is a question asked by
older Christians as well as new converts. Sometimes, in the providence of God,
Christians move home or for other reasons leave the Church where they have
worshipped and it becomes necessary to establish ties with a new Church. Sadly,
some never seem able to do that. Why is it so important to be part of a local Church?

1. Because God loves the Church.

What phrases indicate this in the following passages?

Ephesians 1:22-23

Ephesians 5:25-27

1 Peter 2:5

Revelation 19:6-7

For the most part, these verses refer to the universal Church, which embraces all
true believers throughout the world and throughout history. Because God loves the
Church so much, we ought to love her too. We cannot love the Church if we keep it
at arm’s length. One way we demonstrate that love is by committing ourselves to her
and joining in fellowship with fellow Christians.
How do we become members of this universal Church?

What is the significance of the term, “the invisible Church”?

4 !4
 What is the significance of the term “the militant Church”?

2. Because the Church is a covenant community.

In the Bible the relationship between God and his people is often called a covenant.
See for example, Noah in Genesis 6:18; Abraham in Genesis 15:18, 17:2f.; the
nation of Israel in Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 4:13; the restored people of Israel,
Jeremiah 31:31f.; those redeemed by the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross, Mark
14:24; Jesus as the Mediator of a new covenant, Hebrews 8:6, 12:24, etc.

God’s covenant with His people has two very important parts. First of all God takes a
gracious initiative to reach out to sinners and draw them to himself. He saves them
from sin and destruction and gives them eternal life. Then secondly, those who hear
the good news of God’s grace respond in commitment and discipleship. The Church
is the community of those who embrace Christ and enter his family.

How do the following verses describe those whom Christ saves?

Acts 20:28-29

Ephesians 1:23

Ephesians 2:19-22

Romans 12:4-5

Notice that Christians are not saved to enjoy God’s grace in isolation, but in
community with each other. This Christian community is a structured organisation like
a body or a building. Church membership is a formal recognition of the benefits and
obligations which belonging to God’s family necessarily involves. Church
membership involves commitment to Christ within the context of a visible local
Church.

Point to ponder…

The early Church father, Cyprian, once wrote that, “No one can have God as his
father without having the Church as his family.” Is that what the Bible teaches?

What are the steps towards Church membership?

Church membership involves the following commitments:

• a hearty endorsement of core Christian teaching

• a profession of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

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• a commitment to engage with other Christians in a loving and brotherly way
• an undertaking to submit to the pastoral care of elders.

When is a person ready to make a profession of faith?

A person is ready to take this step when he/she:

i. Knows and understands the teaching of Jesus Christ.

ii. Believes the claims of Jesus Christ to be true.
iii. Has responded to the invitation of Jesus Christ.
iv. Submits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Covenant of Church Membership

Formally the promises a member makes are set out in a series of seven vows, called
the Covenant of Church Membership:

1. I believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God and the
only infallible rule of faith and life.

2. I believe in the one living and true God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as revealed in the
Scriptures.

3. I confess my guilt and helplessness as a sinner against God; I acknowledge Jesus Christ
as my Saviour as he is offered in the gospel; I own him as my Lord and I dedicate myself
to His service. I covenant with Him that I will endeavour to forsake all sin and conform
my life to his teaching and example.

4. I promise to submit in the Lord to the teaching and government of this church as being
based on the Scriptures and described in substance in the Constitution of the Reformed
Presbyterian Church of Australia. I recognise my responsibility to work with others in the
church, and promise to support and encourage them in their service to the Lord. Should I
need correction in doctrine or life, I promise to respect the authority and discipline of the
church.

5. To the end that I may grow in the Christian life, I promise that I will be obedient to God’s
commands.

6. I propose to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness in all the relationships
of life, faithfully to perform my whole duty as a true servant of Jesus Christ, and seek to
win others to him.

7. I make this profession of faith and purpose in the presence of God, in humble reliance
upon His grace, as I desire to give my account with joy at the last Great Day.

When and where do I take the Covenant of Church Membership?

First of all those who take the Covenant of Church Membership and become
members of the congregation will meet with the elders. This is an important step to
take as the elders have been given the responsibility, under Jesus Christ, to admit
members to the Church. We acknowledge this might be a somewhat daunting
prospect, but it is an important opportunity for the elders to hear about your trust in
Jesus Christ. That is something about which they never tire of hearing. The following

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are examples of the types of questions the elders might ask to help you explain your
faith and desire for church membership.

- What is your story of becoming a Christian?

- What does the death and resurrection of Jesus mean to you and your
relationship with God?
- Jesus said “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up
his cross, and follow me”. What does this passage mean for your life?
- Why do you want to become a member of this congregation?
- Are you able to take the seven vows of Church membership?
- Do any of the doctrines or teachings of the Reformed Presbyterian Church
present an issue for you?
- One of the vows states “Should I need correction in doctrine or life, I promise
to respect the authority and discipline of the church.” What do you
understand this to mean?
- In one of the vows, the following is promised: “I recognise my responsibility to
work with others in the church, and promise to support and encourage them
in their service to the Lord.” What might be the challenges in fulfilling this, and
how might you do this yourself?
- What are the ways you would like to contribute to the life of the
congregation? Do you have particular gifts that you can see being useful?

After this meeting, the elders will talk together about the next steps in your progress
towards church membership. The elder you have been working most closely with up
until this point will be in touch about this. This may be setting a date for taking the
vows at church, continuing through the Introduction to the Church course, or asking
some follow up questions the elders may have.

Often a candidate for membership will take the vows before the congregation, usually
at a Sunday morning service. This is not compulsory, as some people find the
thought of standing before a larger group overwhelming. However, doing so
encourages other Christians as they hear a new member profess faith in Christ,
share their testimony of God’s work in their life, and challenges those who have not
yet made a commitment to Christ.

Some of those who seek membership in our congregation are not new Christians and
have previously been members of other congregations. The steps they take are
essentially the same, except that they must first seek a letter of disjunction or
commendation from the congregation where they were previously in membership.

Point to ponder…

Church membership is about privileges and responsibilities, not technical niceties of

Church law.

What are the privileges of Church membership?

What are the responsibilities of Church membership?

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Study 2 – The Church’s Message
The Church exists to proclaim a message. She is Christ’s ambassador in this world,
see 2 Corinthians 5:20. In 1 Timothy 3:15 the apostle Paul uses two word pictures to
describe the Church and its ministry: “…you will know how people ought to conduct
themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
foundation of the truth.”

How is the Church a “pillar” for the truth?

In what sense is the Church a “foundation” for the truth? See also 1 Corinthians
3:11 and Ephesians 2:20.

What is the Church’s Message?

What do the following Bible verses tell us about the Church’s message?

1 Corinthians 15:1

1 Corinthians 11:26

Colossians 1:28

1 John 1:2

Acts 20:27

Consider for a moment how the Church proclaims her message. We will return to
this in the next chapter focusing on the Church’s ministry. Just now we want to ask
the important question, “What does the Bible teach?” In answer to this question we
will see what we mean when we say that the RPCA is a confessional Church.

8 !8
What does the Bible teach about God?

This is a very important question because only through the Bible can we know, with
certainty, WHO is God, WHAT he has done, WHO we are, and WHAT we are to do. It
confuses many when very different interpretations of the Bible are proclaimed in
different branches of the Church. It is a sobering truth that every heretic and cult
claims to base its teachings on the Bible. Over the centuries the Church has been
challenged by confusion, controversy and heresy to spell out exactly what she
believes the Bible to teach about the God, the Lord Jesus, the gospel, and the
Christian life. From this resulted the idea of orthodoxy, i.e. right teaching which
glorifies God.

The Church defined orthodoxy in her creeds. Creeds were never intended to
overshadow the Bible, but to explain and apply the teaching of the Bible to the issues
of the day.

One of the earliest attempts to summarise what the Bible teaches is The Apostles’
Creed. It is almost impossible to tell who wrote this creed or when. Here it is:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. 

And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the
dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. 

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Another very widely used statement of Christian belief is the Nicene Creed. This was
adopted by a conference of Church leaders at Nicaea (a town in Turkey) in the year
325. It has been modified over the years and is often used in the form below:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of
all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the
Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God,
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things
were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and
was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was
crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the
third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to
judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth
from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is
worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy
catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of

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 sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to
come. Amen.

How does the Nicene Creed expand upon the Apostles’ Creed?

What controversies was it trying to iron out?

What does the Bible teach about the gospel?

During the Middle Ages (the period from the fall of Rome in 410/476AD until the end
of the 1400’s) the Church went through a very corrupt period. It seemed that the
gospel was all but lost. Even though the great truths about God and the person of
Jesus were believed, salvation was pursued by good works or church sacraments.
Ironically the result was that good works were in short supply and church sacraments
became empty rituals. The Protestant Reformation (beginning in 1517) was first and
foremost a rediscovery of the gospel and a revival of the Church. This led to a period
of intense controversy as Protestants were forced to leave the Roman Catholic
Church in order to reform the Church. One of their moves to reform the Church was
the drafting of new creeds to state more clearly what the Bible teaches about the
gospel.

In Germany, the Lutherans produced the Augsburg Confession. In England the

Thirty Nine Articles became the creed of the Church of England. These creeds
highlighted the total depravity of sinners and their dependence upon God’s grace. In
particular they emphasised the doctrine of justification by faith.

In other parts of Europe, Protestants saw the need for an even more thorough
reformation of the Church. In Switzerland, John Calvin emphasised the sovereignty
of God over every area of life, and especially in the salvation of sinners. Churches
which followed his lead were known as Reformed Churches and they too drew up
creeds and confessions. In the Holland the Reformed Churches produced the Belgic
Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort. The distinctive
doctrines of the Reformed Churches are sometimes summarised under five headings
– the five points of Calvinism, better understood as ‘The Doctrines of Grace’ or under
the acronym TULIP.

The Five Points of Calvinism.

1. Total Depravity

Definition: Man's nature is thoroughly sinful. He is totally unable to save himself

from the consequences of his own sin.

Romans 8:7, 8. What is the unconverted person’s relationship with God? What is
their mind unable to do?

John 3:19. What is the relation of non-Christians to sin (i.e. darkness)?

John 6:44. What must happen for a person to come to Christ?

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1. Unconditional Election

Definition: In eternity God chose to save some and reject others according to His
sovereign good pleasure. Election rests solely on grace, not anything foreseen in
those elected.

Ephesians 1:4. When are we chosen?

Romans 9:11-13. Why did God choose Jacob over Esau?

3. Limited/Definite Atonement (or Particular Redemption)

Definition: The death of Christ secures complete salvation for all the elect people
of God, but not all of mankind. This view is also called the particular, or definite,
atonement.

Matthew 1:21. Who does Christ save?

John 10:11,14-18. To whom does Christ give eternal life?

Matthew 20:28. For whom is Christ the ransom?

4. Irresistible Grace

Definition: The Holy Spirit, in order to bring God's elect to salvation, extends to
them a special inward work of grace enabling them to receive Christ by faith.

Acts 16:14. What did God do for Lydia?

Romans 8:30. After God's people are called, what else does He do for them?

5. Perseverance of the Saints (or Preservation of the Saints)

Definition: True believers will never lose their eternal salvation but endure to the
end.

John 10:27-30. What will believers never do? What can no one do to them?

Romans 8:39. From what can believers never be separated?

Philippians 2:12, 13. Who makes it possible for us to work out the implications of
our salvation?

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(For more information on you can visit our website http://mckinnonrp.org.au/about/
who-are-we/more-on-being-reformed/)

Where does the RPCA state what it believes?

The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia states what it believes about God
and the gospel in its Confessions, Catechisms and Testimony. In large part we share
these with other Christian Churches which also accept the Westminster Confession
of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms as their statement of faith. These
were produced by the Westminster Assembly, an assembly of ministers which met in
London during the 1640’s. It was called together by the English Parliament with the
aim of reforming the Church of England. Later it was given the task of producing a
statement of faith which would unite all the Protestant Churches in the British Isles.
As it turned out, only the Church of Scotland adopted its work. The Presbyterian
family of Churches which grew out of the Church of Scotland adopted the
Westminster statements. Some Baptist and Congregational Churches adopted a
modified version of these statements. The Westminster Assembly produced three
main statements of biblical doctrine:

1. The Westminster Confession of Faith. A statement of Christian doctrine in

thirty three chapters, ranging over topics such as Scripture, the being of God,
the eternal decree of God, the order of salvation, Christian worship, the
Church and the last things.

2. The Larger Catechism. A statement of Christian doctrine in question and

answer form. Its 196 questions expound the person of God, the way of
salvation, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer.

3. The Shorter Catechism. A shorter version of the Larger Catechism aimed at

children and people with learning difficulties. It covers much the same ground
as the Larger Catechism, but in 107 questions.

Reformed Presbyterian Churches have also produced Testimonies. The RPCA has
produced The Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia to
state other truths which it believes and to which it holds. This Testimony serves two
purposes.

• It states other truths which we believe to be clearly taught in the Bible but are
not clearly stated in other creedal statements.
• It applies these other truths to the needs of today. 


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Study 3 – The Church’s Ministry
In this study we consider the Church’s role – which is to glorify God by proclaiming
the gospel. God brought the Church into existence for this reason, and if the Church
loses sight of its purpose, its life and fellowship can easily descend into a
meaningless round of meetings. The titles and descriptions which the New Testament
gives to the Church tell us why the Church exists.
- Christ’s BRIDE – her beauty is to please Christ.
- God’s TEMPLE – where spiritual sacrifices offered to God, his spiritual home.
- God’s HOLY NATION – its citizens submit to the rule of Christ her King.
- Christ’s BODY – she serves Christ, one another and others outside the body.
Individually Christians are called: brothers and sisters, children of God, witnesses,
saints, disciples of Jesus, slaves/servants of Christ, ambassadors of the gospel,
prophets, priest, kings, ministers of Christ, etc.

Service (or ministry) is the theme we want to highlight in this study.

What is the Church’s ministry?

From the previous chapter we saw that the gospel is the Church’s message.
The Church’s ministry flows out of that. The gospel is central to her ministry
and everything she does.

According to Ephesians 3:10-11, what was God’s eternal purpose for the
Church?

2 Timothy 4:1-2 (Preach)

Acts 1:8 (Witness)

According to Matthew 28:19-20, what is Christ’s great commission for the

Church? (Try to answer this question in just one phrase.)

Remaining with the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20, what three things is
the Church to do to bring about this about?

1.

2.

3.

Acts 2:41 describes the amazing results of Peter’s preaching on the Day of
Pentecost. Three thousand people were added to the Church on that day. Those who
believed professed their faith and were baptised.

According to Acts 2:42-47, what did those new church members do?

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Who does what?

A normal body has limbs and ligaments, each of which performs different functions.
The Church is compared to a body for exactly that reason. Each member of the
Church has different gifts and abilities, and some are even set apart more formally for
different ministries.

What ministries does Paul mention in Romans 12:6-8?

In 1 Timothy 5:17 Paul refers to those who have the gift and responsibility of
leadership in the Church. All elders “direct the affairs of the Church.” Some elders are
called to devote themselves to a ministry of “teaching and preaching.”

What was the role of the apostles in Acts 6:4

What was Paul’s goal according to Colossians 1:28?

What is the role of “pastor teachers” in Ephesians 4:11?

What then do God’s people do?

Work of Ministry

Christians serve God and others in the world. See Matthew 5:13-16. This means that
we are servants of Christ first of all in our homes and families, in our workplaces, in
schools and colleges, in community groups and societies, in the neighbourhoods
where we live and the nations where we are citizens. Our role is to witness to Christ
and to live obedient lives which commend the gospel, see Titus 2:9-10. The role of
the Church is to equip us for Christian service in these spheres.

How do you serve God in the world?

How does the Church equip us for ministry in the world? See Colossians
3:18-4:1.

Christians also serve God in the Church. This has traditionally been seen as the
preserve of the full-time or ordained ministry. Yet the New Testament tells us that
every member of the body of Christ has been given gifts, see Romans 12:6-7;
Ephesians 4:15-16

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 What implication does Peter draw from this in 1 Peter 4:10?

What implication does Hebrews 10:24 draw from this?

Consider how many “one another” passages are in the New Testament. Why are
they there? Why are there so many?

How does chapter 26 of the Westminster Confession of Faith “The Communion

of Saints” apply?

What opportunities for ministry exist in our congregation?

• Prayer – private and corporate
• Worship Services: precentors to lead praise and men to read Scriptures
• Family worship
• Creche, Sunday School
• Men’s and women’s discipleship groups
• Active participation in a gospel community
• Mutual edification in Bible studies
• Mentoring younger believers or new Christians
• Ministry to older people
• Tract, leaflet, brochure distribution
• Ministry of neighbourhood visitation
• One-to-one Bible reading, prayer and encouragement
• Ministries of mercy and help
• Cleaning/tidying, working bees etc
• Welcoming and hospitality
• Teaching CRE in schools
• Camps – working bees, planning, cooking, leading etc
• Women’s/Men’s ministries
• Administration

Consider what part you can play in the ministry of our congregation.

How do I find my niche?

• Offer yourself. Consider what God has done for you and ask, “Do I have a
servant heart?” Romans 12:1-2.

• Examine yourself. Don’t think you are too important for small jobs and don’t
despise the gifts you do have. Romans 12:3.

• Remind yourself. If you are a Christian you have a gift. Romans 12:4. This is
something we know in theory and need to learn in practice.

• Get involved. As you get involved in the body life of the Church you will see
opportunities and find work that God has placed there for you. Romans 12:5.

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• Survey the possibilities. There are several lists of gifts in the New Testament and
Romans 12:6-8 is one of them. There are some gifts listed here that we may not
have thought God needed in the Church. There are other important gifts not
listed here. What are they?

• Have a go. “Let him do it cheerfully…” If you stand on the sidelines you will
never find out what you are good or not so good at. Having a go may well show
what you are not good at. It may, on the other hand, bring to light a hidden
talent.

Presbytery’s Goals

The Presbytery of the RPCA seeks to promote the spiritual health and growth (both
numerical and spiritual) of the congregations in the denomination. In order to facilitate
such desires we have sought to promote the following goals:

As disciples of Jesus Christ, turning from sin, we pursue a mission lifestyle as we:
1. Worship God together faithfully and gladly
2. Devote ourselves to prayer
3. Disciple each other through fellowship and mentoring
4. Spread the gospel
5. Use our gifts to encourage each other

McKinnon’s Vision

In seeking to implement these goals in our context here in McKinnon and the
neighbourhoods in which we live, we have produced our own vision to help us keep
focussed on the gospel. As with many of these types of statements, the danger is
they become just motherhood statements hung on a wall - ignored and forgotten. We
need to work hard ensuing our vision is implemented and worked into every area of
our lives.

McKinnon’s vision reads:

Learning to put Jesus and his gospel at the centre of faith and life
As CHILDREN of the Father
SERVANTS of the King, and
MISSIONARIES by the Spirit
we are learning to put Jesus and his gospel at the centre of life and faith
By Reaching UP in transcendent WORSHIP
Reaching DOWN in humble SERVICE
Reaching OUT in heartfelt MISSION, and
Growing IN spiritual MATURITY and HOLINESS


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Study 4 – The Church’s Sacraments
The Sacraments and Church Membership

Traditionally the sacraments are the ordinances of the Church most closely
associated with membership. Anyone can attend a worship service or meetings for
prayer and fellowship, but the sacraments are administered only to those who have
professed their faith and joined the visible Church. In fact the administration of the
sacraments defines the visible Church.

With the decline in regard for the importance of church membership the sacraments
are increasingly being administered with little concern for the recipient’s membership
(or non membership) of the visible Church. This is to be regretted. As a result the
sacraments are increasingly being administered out of their covenant context; thus
the privileges of Church membership are conferred without the attendant obligations
and responsibilities of Church membership. This does not make for mature
discipleship.

The Marks of a True Church

At the time of the Reformation the Protestant reformers insisted that the right
administration of the sacraments was one of the chief marks of a true Church. The
Roman Catholic Church scornfully dismissed the Protestant and Reformed Churches
as schismatic cults and insisted that it alone was the true Church – pointing to its
historic roots and worldwide reach. The reformers replied by pointing out that while
Rome had the trappings of the Church (including the sacraments) she had departed
from the Word. The faithful preaching of God’s word and the right administration of
the sacraments were the marks of a true Church. How then were the sacraments to
be administered?

Protestants insist that there are only two sacraments – baptism and the Lord’s
Supper. This was in response to the claim, which evolved during the Middle Ages,
that there were seven sacraments – baptism, confirmation, penance, marriage, the
Lord’s Supper, ordination and the last rights. The Roman Catholic Church insisted,
and still insists, that these are the seven sacraments of the Church. The Reformation
debate hinged on what a sacrament is, according to Scripture.

The word sacrament (like the word, Trinity) is nowhere found in the Bible. It is derived
from a Latin word which describes the oath or pledge which bound a soldier to his
officers. By means of the sacraments Christians are pledged to Christ. The Shorter
Catechism (Q&A 92) defines a sacrament as follows:

“A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by

sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are
represented, sealed and applied to believers.”

17 !17
The term sacrament is a term of convenience to describe rituals of the New
Testament Church. A sacrament has the following characteristics:

• It was established and endorsed by Jesus Christ

• It uses visible signs to represent spiritual truths
• It teaches truths that go to the very heart of the gospel
• It is to be administered to all God’s people
• It is a means of grace for believers

A Means of Grace

When we say that the sacraments are means of grace we mean that, alongside the
Scriptures, God uses them to build up his people in their faith and godliness. There
are three ways of describing how the sacraments act as means of grace.

1. Automatic grace. God’s grace is automatically conferred upon those who receive
the sacrament. This is the position taken by the Roman Catholic Church and
some Lutheran and Anglican Churches. As a result of baptism a person is
regenerate or born again. As a result of taking the Lord’s Supper atonement is
made for sin.

2. Testimony only. The sacraments are simply teaching aids or illustrations of the
facts of the gospel story. This is the view attributed to the Swiss reformer Ulrich
Zwingli and is adopted in many evangelical churches today.

3. Grace conferred to believers. This is sometimes called the reformed position as

it was held by John Calvin. He claimed that the sacraments were signs and
seals of the gospel. They confirmed and conveyed the grace they taught, but
only to those who were already believers. Hence the Lord’s Supper was
administered only to believers.

The position of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia is summarized in the

Shorter Catechism (Q&A 91).

“The sacraments become effectual means of salvation - not from any

virtue in them, or in him that administers them – but only by the blessing
of Christ, and the working of His Spirit in them that by faith receive
them.”

Which of the three categories above will this fall into?

1. The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of the death of Jesus and its significance for our
salvation. We remember the Lord’s death when we eat symbolic bread and drink
symbolic wine. The Lord Jesus is spiritually present when the believer partakes in
faith. The Lord's Supper thus becomes a means of grace and spiritual strength for
the believer.

18 !18
1. Jesus established the Lord's Supper as an ongoing memorial of His saving work

Matthew 26:26-29. What does Jesus say of the bread of communion?

What does He say of the cup?

1 Corinthians 11:23-26. Why did Paul insist on the observance of the Lord's
Supper?

What happens when we properly observe this sacrament? (vs. 26)

2. The Lord's Supper is to be received only by those who are able to discern its
true meaning

1 Corinthians 11:28, 29. What must a communicant do before communion?

What must he avoid?

What does Paul mean by "recognising the Lord’s body"?

3. The Lord's Supper is to be carefully guarded by the church as a whole

The church must exercise her authority in admitting believers to the Lord’s Table and
in barring from communion and membership those who hold to false doctrine and
who do not make a credible profession of faith.

Titus 3:10. What does Paul require to be done here?

2 John 10, 11. What is John's command concerning those who deny the doctrine
of Christ?

Reformed Presbyterian Churches practice “session-controlled communion.” This

is distinguished from “closed table communion” (which admits to the Lord’s Table
only members of a particular denomination); and “open table communion” (which
admits all present without any specific enquiry as to their standing before the Lord).
We admit to the Lord's Supper everyone who is a member of the Christian Church
whose evangelical testimony is known to the elders of our congregation. In the
communion service the fencing address is intended to make this clear to visitors and
regular worshippers alike. Non-members may commune if they are a member in
good standing of an evangelical church and have professed their faith in Christ to the
elders administering the sacrament.

19 !19
2. Baptism

1. Jesus instituted the sacrament of baptism for His church in all ages

Matthew 28:19. What is involved in the Great Commission besides preaching

the Gospel?

Acts 2:38. What two actions does Peter tell his enquirers to perform?

What do we know about these enquirers?

2. Baptism is a sign and seal of the inward work of God’s grace

Acts 2:38. What does baptism signify here?

Galatians 3:27. What does baptism signify here?

3. The method of administering baptism

Presbyterian Churches recognize the validity of three methods of administering the

sacrament of baptism - immersion, pouring and sprinkling. Thus the way in which the
baptismal water is administered does not affect the validity of a person’s baptism.
The New Testament does not clearly insist on one mode above another.

Hebrews 9:10, 13-22. What word is used here with the word baptisms? (Note
that word "baptizo" is used in Hebrews 9:10 to describe what is later called a
sprinkling.)

How many times does the word "sprinklings" occur in these verses?

Note: In Hebrews 9:10 we have the expression “divers baptism.” According to Prof.
John Murray, “This reference must surely include the lustrations expressly referred to
in the succeeding verses.” Hence, a “lustratory rite performed by sprinkling can be
called a baptism... Baptism symbolises, represents, and seals the application to us of
the blood of Christ for the removal of the guilt of sin. The figure used in the New
Testament for this application of the blood of Christ is that of sprinkling (Hebrews
9:13, 14, 22; 10:22; 12:24; I Peter 1:2). It would be strange if the baptism with water
which represents the sprinkling of the blood of Christ could not properly and most
significantly be performed by sprinkling” (Christian Baptism by John Murray, p. 24).
Acts 8:38. How does this verse prove “too much” if the reference is said to be an
argument in favour of total immersion?

20 !20
4. The normal pattern in Scripture is for adult believers (not previously baptised), to
be baptised at the same time they make public profession of faith

Luke 23:39-43. How is this event a departure from the normal procedure of Acts
2:38?

Why does the Book of Acts always link repentance with baptism?

5. God's Covenant of Grace is extended to the children of believers

Therefore, they have a right to that sign of Covenant inclusion which, in the New
Testament, is baptism. We need to remember that Baptism is the sign of God’s
covenant with his people and that this covenant did not begin on the day of
Pentecost. God made his covenant with Abraham many centuries earlier, see
Genesis 17.

See how baptism and circumcision are referred to in the same breath in
Colossians 2:11, 12. What replaces the Old Testament circumcision as the New
Testament sign of inclusion in the Covenant of Grace?

Of what was circumcision the sign and seal in Romans 4:11?

Read Genesis 17:7. Who is included in God's Covenant? Is this a temporary

Covenant?

Are New Testament children of believers then under the Covenant?

Of what does Peter assure believing parents in Acts 2:39? Remember he was
addressing people who knew about God’s covenant with Abraham and laid great
store by its blessings.

6. The New Testament teaches that children of a believing parent are in a

privileged position

1 Corinthians 7:14. What is said of children who have at least one believing
parent?

The New Testament accounts of “family baptisms” (Acts 16:33, 1 Corinthians 1:16)
do not prove the case for infant baptism, but they are described in such a way as to
be consistent with the practice. 


21 !21
Study 5 - The Church’s Worship
Congregational worship is one of the most visible aspects of the Church’s life and
ministry. Our worship services begin with a call to worship which comes from God
himself. “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker,
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”
Psalm 95:6-7. The details of administration are left to those whom Christ Jesus has
appointed as under shepherds of the flock and in our congregation the elders call this
church family to gather morning and evening (fortnightly at this stage) to worship the
Lord and Saviour. We encourage every member to establish the practice of attending
congregational morning worship and fortnightly evening worship and fellowship
(Sunday Night Focus).

Apart from the fact that God is glorified by the frequent public worship of his Name
there are several good reasons for this:

• Morning and evening worship helps God’s people keep the whole day holy as a
Sabbath (rest) for the Lord.
• Morning and evening worship enables the Church to offer wider teaching and
preaching the whole counsel of God’s word.
• Morning and evening worship builds a deeper fellowship within the church
family.

There are, of course, other times and settings when God’s people worship. See
Genesis 24:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Hebrews 11:21. We might mention family
worship and personal devotions/worship.

What is worship?

What do the following Scriptures tell us about true worship?

Exodus 33:10

Nehemiah 9:3

2 Kings 17:36

Psalm 29:2

Psalm 100:2

Matthew 2:2

John 4:24
1 Corinthians 14:24-25

22 !22
 Philippians 3:3

Hebrews 12:28-9

List the positive qualities of Christian worship….

What does God forbid in worship?

Exodus 34:14

Isaiah 29:13

Deuteronomy 12:32.

The Regulative Principle

Everything we do in our daily lives is to be done to the glory of God. “So whether you
eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
This means that everything we do is to be done in a godly way, to honour God, and
to show our devotion to the Lord Jesus in accordance with the teaching of Scripture.
Sometimes we find ourselves applying broad biblical principles in a common sense
kind of way, because the Bible does not have much to say about many of the
activities we find ourselves engaged in.

Having said all this, when the Christian Church gathers to worship God it is quite
unlike anything else we do on earth. The worship of the gathered Church family is the
earthly activity which most clearly displays the heavenly glory of God. This makes
worship a unique privilege and a unique experience. For this reason the Bible has
much to say about how God’s people ought to worship him. God does not leave it up
to us to apply broad principles. He is quite specific in setting forth his requirements.
There are several reasons for this.

• God is holy and must be acknowledged as holy. We do this by worshipping him

and in the way we worship him.

• We are sinners and we can have the tendency to introduce into God’s worship
things that do not please or honour God.

23 !23
The principle which we endeavour to direct and govern our worship is this: whatever
is not commanded is forbidden. “See that you do all that I have commanded you;
do not add to it or take away from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32.

How is this principle illustrated in the following passages?

Leviticus 10:1-3

1 Chronicles 6:48-9

2 Chronicles 26:16-19

Mark 7:7-8

Colossians 2:20-23

The practical implications of the principle are summarised in chapter 21.5 of the
Westminster Confession of Faith.
The reading of the Scriptures with godly fear; the sound preaching, and
conscionable hearing of the word, in obedience unto God, with
understanding, faith, and reverence; singing of psalms with grace in the
heart; as also the due administration and worthy reception of the
sacraments instituted by Christ; are all parts of the ordinary religious
worship of God.

The content of our praise

The most obvious distinctive practice of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of

Australia is unaccompanied Psalm singing. It is the conviction of our denomination
that this practice is not simply an ecclesiastical tradition, but is taught in Scripture as
Christ’s command. Why then ought the Psalms be sung in worship to the exclusion of
all other songs?

1. Because the Psalms are inspired songs. See 2 Samuel 23:1, 2

Who was the real author of David's Psalms?

Does any composer have the right to claim this kind of inspiration today?

Today when people say that a song is “inspired”, they generally mean that it conveys
a wonderfully biblical message or that it makes a lasting and beneficial impression
upon those who sing it or hear it sung. This may be a wonderful religious experience,

24 !24
but it is not what the Scriptures mean when they say that a song or a book is
inspired. See 2 Timothy 3:16. Only the songs of Scripture can claim to be inspired.

2. Because we are commanded to use Psalms in our worship

See Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19. What dwells in us as we sing “psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs”?

Let’s take a closer look at the words “psalm”, “hymn”, and “song” found in Ephesians
5:19 and Colossians 3:16. The overwhelming majority of times we find these words
being used is in the Book of Psalms. The Greek translation of the Old Testament
uses these very words in the titles given to the 150 praise songs in our book of
Psalms. Here are some significant facts:

• The title "psalm" is used 67 times

• The title "hymn" is used 6 times
• The title "song" is used 35 times
• The combined title "psalm and song" is used 12 times
• The combined title "psalm, hymn, and song" is used once (Ps. 76)
• In the 16 instances within the Book of Psalms, the individual Psalm refers to
itself as a hymn or song (See Psalm 137:3 as example)
• In 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Chronicles, and Nehemiah, the Psalms of the Bible
are referred to as hymns or songs in 16 instances.

3. Because Christ himself used the Psalms and thus set us an example

See Matthew 26:30. What did the disciples do before singing a “hymn”?

This "hymn" was from the Hallel psalms, prescribed for the Passover, containing
portions of Psalms 113-118.

4. Because the Psalms faithfully present the person and work of Christ.

• Christ's Divinity. Psalm 110:1 (Matthew 26:59,60)

• His Eternal Sonship. Psalm 2:7 (Hebrews 1:5)
• His Incarnation (coming in human flesh). Psalm 40:7 (Hebrews 10:5-7)
• His High Priesthood. Psalm 110:4 (Hebrews 7:17)
• His Betrayal. Psalm 41:9 (John 13:18)
• His Trial. Psalm 35:11 (Matthew 26:59, 60)
• His Crucifixion. Psalm 22:16 (Matthew 27)
• His Resurrection. Psalm 16:9-11 (Acts 2:25-31)
• His Ascension. Psalm 47:5 (I Thessalonians 4:16)
• His Second Coming. Psalm 98:6-9 (Matthew 24:31)

The place of instruments in worship

25 !25
Musical instruments are nowhere mentioned in the praise and worship of the New
Testament Church. While this does not, on its own, determine whether instrumental
music ought to have a place in Christian worship, it is a point worthy of note.

Musical instruments had a very prominent role in the worship of the Israelites in the
Old Testament, see Psalm 150. Instrumental music accompanied the offering of
sacrifices when the Israelites gathered to worship God in the temple. The death of
Christ was the perfect and final sacrifice and has brought an end to this kind of
worship. Hence there is no command to use instruments in the worship God. There is
however a command to offer the sacrifice of sung praise (or the fruit of our lips, see
Hebrews 13:15) as worship to God.

Let us consider how and why musical instruments were used in Old Testament times.
See 2 Chronicles 29:25-30.

What is the historical setting of this passage?

Who were commanded to make use of musical instruments? (v.25)

What king commanded these instruments to be used? (v.25)

Where did David get the authority to use instruments in the temple worship? (v.
25)

When were the instruments put to use? (v.27)

When did the instruments stop playing? (v.28)

See John 4:24. With what does Jesus say the ceremonial worship of the temple
is to be replaced?

HISTORICAL NOTE:

1. Clement of Alexandria (AD 190.) “We (Christians) make use only of one organ or
instrument, even the peaceful Word, with which we honour God; no longer with the
old psaltry, trumpet, drum, cymbal, or pipe.”

2. Chrysostom (AD 396.) “It (instrumental music) was permitted to the Jews, as
sacrifice was, for the heaviness and grossness of their souls….Now instead of
instruments we may use our bodies to praise him withal.”

26 !26
Study 6 - The Church’s History
Biblical History

Large sections of the Bible are books of history. It is a useful exercise to make a list
of those books in the Old and New Testaments that are primarily historical books.

Make up a list and estimate what proportion of the Bible is historical narrative.

All of these books are Old Testament Church history. They are HIS-STORY because
they tell us about God at work to accomplish his great plan of redemption.

According to Titus 2:14 what is the goal of the work of redemption?

The Holy Spirit has recorded Bible history for our spiritual benefit. See 1 Corinthians
10:1-13.

What things are written down for us?

Why were they written down for us?

History of the Church after the Apostles

Our Lord’s last words to his followers were instructions to go into all the nations and
make disciples. The outworking of this Great Commission has been the dominant
theme of world history over the past two thousand years. It will continue until all
God’s elect are saved and the Lord Jesus himself returns.

We might break the history of the Church’s mission over those two thousand years
into four periods.

1. The Early Church

This is the period from the resurrection of our Lord to the establishment of
Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313AD. This was a period
of rapid growth and expansion for the Church. It was also a period when the Church
experienced great difficulty. The authorities persecuted the early Church in an
attempt to nip its growth in the bud. This was also a time when many heresies and
false doctrines arose, even within the bounds of the Church. Faithful men such as
Polycarp, Irenaeus, Origen, and Cyprian were raised up to lead the Church and
defend the Christian faith. These men are known as the Church Fathers. In 313 the
Emperor Constantine openly professed the Christian faith and by the Edict of Milan

27 !27
made Christianity, rather than traditional Roman paganism, the official religion of the
Empire. This turned out to be a mixed blessing.

2. The Middle Ages

The Roman Empire weakened before the invasion of tribes from northern Europe
and various tribes captured and sacked Rome at different times. This marked the
beginning of the Dark Ages in Western Europe. Augustine wrote his great work, The
City of God, to teach that while Rome fell before the invading tribes, the Church
continues in her mission. Faithful Christians continued to teach the gospel.
Augustine, for instance, taught salvation by grace and opposed the teaching of
Pelagius, who taught that fallen man had the ability to do some good before God. As
the centuries followed the Church became increasingly concerned with outward
rituals and political influence. The eastern and western branches of Christendom
drifted apart as differing traditions developed. Some of these traditions (such as the
doctrine of the Mass and the claims of the Papacy) had a very corrupting influence
on the Church. These corruptions were exposed as unbiblical at the time of the
Reformation.

3. The Protestant Reformation

All through the Middle Ages there were faithful people who sought to maintain a
witness to the gospel and reform the Church. There were a small remnant. In 1517
Martin Luther protested against the Church’s practice of selling indulgences for the
remission of sins of the dead. This led to a major rediscovery of the doctrine of
justification by faith in Germany. Gospel preaching spread to many other parts of
Europe, including England, Scotland, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In
1536 John Calvin was asked to help the Protestant Churches in Geneva establish
themselves, and his ministry there went on to have a worldwide influence.

4. Revival and Mission

For many centuries afterwards the doctrines rediscovered at the time of the
Reformation continued to influence the life of the Protestant Churches. In a negative
way they also influenced the Roman Church as it officially anathematized the
doctrines of grace and the sole authority of Scripture. The Puritans in England,
Scotland and America sought to reform the spiritual life of the Church according to
the gospel. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries many parts of the Church
were reclaimed from deadness by the preaching of men like John Wesley and
George Whitefield. The gospel was taken to new continents. William Carey was a
pioneer missionary to India, leaving England in 1792. Robert Morrison was the first
Protestant missionary to arrive in China in 1807. Yet new challenges were arising. A
new view of Scripture led to it being viewed as a merely human book and from this
modernist, or liberal, theology developed. Science came to be seen as having
disproved the Bible and rendering orthodox Christianity untenable. More recently the
Church faces the challenge of post-modernism. Yet in many parts of the “third world”
the gospel spreads as rapidly as ever.

28 !28
The value of knowing the Church’s history

i. There is nothing new under the sun. There is no temptation, trial or heresy that
the Church has not faced before and her history alerts us to the seriousness of
these problems and how Satan’s attacks have been thwarted in the past. As a
result of facing trial the Church has a doctrinal and spiritual heritage that helps
us face trials today.

ii. We are greatly encouraged to see what God has done in the past. The history of
the reformation, revival and missionary expansion is a story worth telling and
retelling. In telling it our faith and the faith of others can be greatly strengthened.
God can do a new thing today.

iii. We are helped to live godly lives as we discover how great – and not so very
great – saints have lived in the past. Christian biography is a great source of
blessing.

The History of the Church in Australia

Australia is a young country, as far as European settlement is concerned. Before the

arrival of the first fleet in 1788 the indigenous inhabitants of this continent were
animists, worshipping the “spirits” of nature. It is possible that Islam may have been
introduced by seafarers from Malaya and Indonesia in the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries, but these claims are hard to substantiate. So when the first European
settlers arrived they found no Christian witness.

The gospel was brought to Australia in 1788 along with the first fleet. The Rev
Richard Johnston (an evangelical Church of England minister, sometimes referred to
by the then derogatory term “Methodist”) was appointed to serve as chaplain to the
fledgling colony of New South Wales. He preached his first sermon on Australian soil
on Lord’s Day, 3 February 1788, with Psalm 116:12-14 as his text, “What shall I
render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will pay my vows unto the Lord
now in the presence of all his people.” From these early days the overwhelming
majority of settlers were associated with the Church of England. The evangelicalism
of the early chaplains left a mark on the Anglican Church in the Sydney area.

In the years that followed 1788, settlers from a range of religious backgrounds
arrived in Australia. Other major denominations soon organised themselves:
Methodists, Roman Catholics, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Lutherans. In 1832,
the Presbyterian settlers organised the Presbytery of New South Wales, which was a
branch of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland.

Reformed Presbyterians in Australia

Geelong, Victoria

Reformed Presbyterians from Scotland and Ireland were amongst those who came
to settle in Australia. In response to their requests for a minister, the Reformed
Presbyterian Church of Ireland sent the Rev Alexander M. Moore to Australia. He
arrived in Geelong on 26 December 1857, and conducted his first worship service on

29 !29
Lord’s Day, 27 December 1857. Less than twelve people attended that service, but
they no doubt drew encouragement from his sermon on the parable of the mustard
seed in Luke 13:18-19.

Within four years a meeting house was built for the growing congregation. It cost
£988 to build, and they are still worshipping in it today. The official opening services
were held on 10 August 1862. The preachers at these services were Alexander
Moore and John G. Paton. Paton was a missionary from the Reformed Presbyterian
Church of Scotland who pioneered work in the New Hebrides (or Vanuatu as it is
called today). Paton’s desire was to see missionary-minded churches established in
Australia, so that they could take the gospel to unevangelised countries in the Pacific
area. He longed to see all nations submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Repeated appeals went out from various parts of Australia to the mother Churches in
Scotland and Ireland to send ministers to serve in Australia. Many of these did not
arrive because communications were poor in those days. When they did come to the
Church courts there were often not the men or resources to send to work in Australia.
After many prayers one minister did arrive to minister to a group of settlers in
Bargo, NSW, but sadly he died the moment he stepped onto the railway
station.

Since 1858 a total of nine ministers/pastors have served the Geelong

congregation:
Alexander M Moore 1858 - 1897
Archibald Holmes 1897 - 1898
Walter McCarroll 1899 - 1903
Albert Thompson 1904 - 1909
Hugh K Mack 1909 - 1945
Alexander Barkley 1946 - 1964
Arthur Palmer 1966 - 1969
Lynsey Blakston 1972 - 1986
Anthony Power 1986 - 1996
Andrew Stewart 1998 -
Graeme Hart 2008 - 2010

McKinnon, Victoria

In 1928 the Rev W. R. McEwen was appointed by the Synod of the

Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland to its “colonial mission” in Australia.
Upon his arrival he ministered in the Geelong Reformed Presbyterian Church
to allow the Rev H. K. Mack, the minister of the Geelong congregation, an
opportunity to return “home” to Ireland for a time.

On the return of Rev Mack, Rev McEwen looked for a place to begin a
new congregation. The suburb of McKinnon was chosen as it was a growing
district with few   churches. He rented a house which served as a meeting
place for a Sabbath School and Sunday evening services. The construction of
a church building began in October 1939 and, although not finished, was
opened on 24 February 1940. Six years later, on 11 April 1946, elders were
appointed and the congregation became the McKinnon   Reformed
Presbyterian Church.

30 !30
The McKinnon congregation celebrated its 60th birthday at a special service
on Sunday 30 April 2006. When the congregation was formally organised on
11 April 1946 Rev McEwen preached from 1 Thessalonians 1. At this special
anniversary service his son, the Rev Alastair McEwen, read the same chapter.

The McKinnon congregation has fluctuated significantly in recent decades

and closure seemed painfully imminent. However, faithful ministry in recent
years has spawned   encouragement among those who remained. The slow
and difficult but rewarding process of revitalisation is now under way. This is
providing a renewed focus on the gospel of Jesus   Christ, bringing with it
renewed hope and enthusiasm for the work and witness of this congregation
in the community of McKinnon and surrounding suburbs.

Since 1946 seven Minsters/Pastors have served the McKinnon Reformed

Presbyterian Church


W.R. McEwen 1946-1980


George McEwen 1980-1985

Chris Brown 1985-2002

Wally Gear (Part Time) 2003-2005 

Ed Blackwood 2006-2008

Alastair McEwen (Part Time) 2009-2010 

Graeme Hart 2011-

Sunbury-Melton, Victoria

In the late 1970s and early 1980s former members of McKinnon and Geelong
congregations living in the North Western suburbs of Melbourne began
meeting under the oversight of a commission of Presbytery and studying in
fellowship groups as membership classes in the area.
 
On 15 January 1981, Presbytery’s Commission met together with Pastor Bob
McCracken, a minister from the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North
America. They discussed a job description which had been sent to him by the
commission. He accepted and began preaching on the first Lord’s Day of
February 1981. A finance committee was formed to work with the RPCNA
Foreign Mission Board about financial assistance.
 
The Commission continued to meet, with Bob as chairman, and enrol new
members until the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Sunbury-Melton was
officially organised on 6 November 1982. In 1986 when the McCrackens
returned to the United States, Lynsey Blakston was called as minister and
accepted the call. The congregation had various successes and struggles in
the following years. Sadly on 25 June 2006, the congregation was closed.
 
Frankston, Victoria

A congregation was established in Frankston 1971, but closed in 1989. In

2003 a group including some members from the former congregation
petitioned Presbytery to re-establish a congregation in Frankston. In 2004
Presbytery encouraged those interested to join the McKinnon congregation
and begin worshipping with them in the mornings. Presbytery then began
providing preachers for weekly evening services in Frankston.

31 !31
 
In June 2005, the McKinnon congregation, made up of those who live in
McKinnon and its surrounding suburbs along with those who were travelling
up from Frankston issued a call to Pastor Ed Blackwood of the RPCNA to
minister to the congregation in both centres of ministry for a 2 year period.
Pastor Blackwood accepted this call and arrived in Australia on 28 January
2006. On 2 February 2008, the Frankston Congregation was officially
organised by the Presbytery. At this time Pastor Blackwood accepted the call
from the congregation and morning services were begun in addition to the
evening services already taking place.
 
 
Other interesting dates in the history of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of
Australia:

1929 Rev W.R. McEwen arrived in Australia and for the first time there
were two active Reformed Presbyterian ministers in Australia.
After surveying opportunities for gospel witness work was
commenced in Melbourne (McKinnon).
 
1946 After several years of gospel outreach a second congregation
was established in McKinnon, then an outer suburb of
Melbourne, in April 1946.
 
1959 An Australian Presbytery was established - under the Synod of
the Irish R.P. Church.
 
1974 The Australian Presbytery was granted its independence and
became the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia.
 

The Roots of the Reformed Presbyterian Church

Today there are Reformed Presbyterian Churches in Ireland, Scotland, the United
States and Canada, Australia, Japan, South East Asia, India, and Cyprus. These all
trace their historical and theological roots back to the turbulent and exciting events of
the Scottish Reformation. This complex period can be broken down into three stages.

i. The struggle for the gospel (1528-1560). This reflected the struggle that took
place in other parts of Europe as the great doctrines of justification by grace
through faith were discovered. Scottish students in German universities were
thrilled to hear what Martin Luther and others were beginning to teach and
began to spread the gospel when they returned home. Patrick Hamilton was one
of these young men and he was burned at the stake as a “Lutheran” heretic in
1528. Others followed in his footsteps, but by 1560 disillusionment with the
Roman Church was so widespread that the Scottish Parliament passed a law
declaring that the national Church was henceforth to be Reformed or Protestant.

ii. The struggle for the Church (1560-1660). Not everyone in Scotland supported
this move, but even the most powerful nobles could not undo the basic structure

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 of the Reformation. Since they could not change the Church, they sought to
control it and make it more palatable to their (decidedly non-evangelical) tastes.
They tried to introduce rituals, ceremonies and forms of government for which
there was no Biblical support. They tried to control the appointment of parish
ministers and install bishops. In response, men like John Knox and later, Andrew
Melville, sought to establish biblical Presbyterianism. This struggle came to a
climax in 1637 when the King tried to force the Church to use an English style
prayer book. This pushed the nation into revolt and the result was the National
Covenant of Scotland in 1638. For a time Scotland, and the other nations of the
British Isles, committed themselves in the Solemn League and Covenant of
1643 to recognise Christ Jesus as the head of the Church and the ruler of the
nation.

iii. The struggle for the Covenants (1660-1690). In 1660 these nations publicly
renounced their covenant promise. This was a national sin and bitterly offensive
to many Presbyterians in Scotland and Ireland. Those who continued to insist
that the Church and nation could not forsake its covenant were bitterly
persecuted. Yet they insisted that only when the nation renewed its obligations
to God would it experience his blessing. The Covenanters, as they came to be
known, insisted that both Church and nation must submit to the lordship of
Jesus Christ. When the period of persecution came to an end in 1688 the
Covenanters hoped, not just for an end to their suffering, but also for a return to
the Covenants. They were bitterly disappointed.

The Reformed Presbyterian Church grew out of those communities which refused to
join the Church of Scotland in 1690. They did so because the nation’s covenant
obligations were not recognised by the nation or the Church and this was a denial of
the kingly rights of Jesus Christ. Moreover the established Church of Scotland was
not free from state interference and the results of that interference was detrimental to
the cause of the gospel.

Reformed Presbyterian Churches today continue to bear witness to the following

truths:

• Christ Jesus reigns over the Church and nation by virtue of his authority as
Mediator.
• The Church must be free to govern her affairs according to God’s word.
• Nations must recognise the Lord Jesus Christ as their head and the only Saviour
of men.
• When the Church is established in a nation, the nation must support the Church
in her work.
• When nations covenant to recognise the kingship of Jesus Christ, the
obligations which arise from those covenants are perpetual.
• When nations and politicians refuse to acknowledge the royal authority of Jesus
Christ they sin against God.
• Christians cannot give such systems of government or the politicians who
administer them, their unqualified support, but must dissent from their policies
and actions.

See Psalm 2:10-12. To whom are these words particularly addressed?

Who is speaking them?

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Study 7 – The Church’s Government
Christ the King

If there is one Biblical truth which inspired the Scottish Covenanters it is the truth that
Christ alone is the King and Head of the Church. They often spoke of the “crown
rights of King Jesus” and on this account they contended that Church life – how it
worships, what it preaches and what its form of government is – must be regulated
according to what Christ teaches in the Scriptures. This was not a doctrine of their
own invention, but taught by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:15, 5:23 and Colossians
1:18.

How does Paul describe the Lord Jesus in these verses?

So when we come to speak of the government of the Reformed Presbyterian Church

we must begin with the Lord Jesus. He is the Church’s only head. No Bishop,
Archbishop, President or Chairman can claim that title.

Elders

Peter describes the Lord Jesus as the Chief Shepherd in 1 Peter 5:4. Yet he readily
acknowledges that the Chief Shepherd appoints under-shepherds, who shepherd the
flock on his behalf. On a day to day basis Christ rules local congregations in his
Church through elders.

The New Testament teaches us that elders have a very important role in local Church
life:

• Paul sought to place elders in every city where he established a congregation of

believers. Acts 14:23.

• Elders exercise authority and are worthy of respect and submission. 1 Timothy
5:17, Hebrews 13:17.

• The authority which elders exercise is linked to the ministry of God’s word. 1
Timothy 3:2, Hebrews 13:7.

• Elders must never abuse their authority by ruling the flock in an arbitrary or self-
seeking way. 1 Peter 5:3a.

• Elders are to be examples of godliness to the people they lead. 1 Peter 5:3b, 1
Timothy 3:1-7.

• Elders are overseers of the flock. Titus 1:5-7, Acts 20:28. Two different words
are used here – presbyter and overseer. Overseer was sometimes translated as
bishop, and bishops were thought to be elders with a higher rank than others.
The honour of their office is bound up with the service which they perform and
the New Testament does not distinguish overseers from presbyters.

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• Elders do their work as a group. Nowhere does the New Testament speak of an
elder doing the work of oversight on his own.

In our congregation the elders perform the following functions:

• They organise and lead the worship services.

• They administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

• They oversee the congregation’s ministries.

• They visit and care for the spiritual needs of God’s people.

• They administer discipline.

• They train and equip others for works of service.

Church Discipline

Far too often the Bible’s teaching about Church discipline is simply ignored in
Churches today. Sometimes it is consciously rejected because this is a difficult and
unpopular subject. It is important to say something about Church discipline at this
stage because when a person joins a Reformed Presbyterian Congregation he or
she comes under the discipline of the elders and, in the Covenant of Church
Membership, promises that “Should I need correction in doctrine or life I promise to
respect the authority and discipline of the church (vow 4).”

Church discipline often begins with the members of the Church who have not been
appointed as elders. This is because we all have a brotherly and sisterly duty to
watch out for and encourage one another, see James 5:19-20. It may well be that a
Church member will see that a brother or sister has fallen into sin before one of the
elders does. It may well be that one Christian is deeply hurt by the sinful actions of
another. In that situation Matthew 18:15-19 tells us what to do.

• Tell him privately. If he listens to you – good. Your friendship is restored. Unless
the sin was public and has had serious implications that is the end of the matter.

• Take a friend along to act as a witness to what was said and done. Should
formal discipline commence within the Church every matter must be proved as
in a court, with credible witnesses.

• Take the matter to the elders of the Church and leave the matter in their hands.

The elders administer discipline on behalf of the Church and on behalf of the whole
congregation. The oft-quoted words about two or three coming together refer to the
elders of the Church hearing the testimony of witnesses and issuing a judgment in
Christ’s name, see Matthew 18:19-20. The best known example of Church discipline
in the New Testament took place in the Church in Corinth, see 1 Corinthians 5.

What sin was involved? See vs 1.

What was the Church’s response? See vs 2.

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 What ought the Church’s response to have been? See vs 2.

What action did Paul urge on the local congregation? See vs 4-5, 13.

What was the goal underlying this action? See vs 5b. Also Galatians 6:1, 1
Timothy 1:20b.

What is the Church’s duty to those outside its bounds? See vs 12.

When the elders find that a member of the congregation is persisting in serious and
public sin which injures the cause of the gospel there are three steps which they may
take:

• Admonition or rebuke. Titus 3:10. 1 Thessalonians 5:12. This can happen

indirectly through the preaching of the word and the singing of praise
(Colossians 3:16). This can take place more intentionally and individually when
an elder speaks to a brother privately. But when private admonitions are
spurned then the elders go public in their rebuke.

• Suspension from the privileges of membership. This does not remove a person
from membership, but from enjoying the privileges of membership. He will not be
able to present children for baptism or come to the Lord’s table.

• Excommunication. This is the final and most serious censure of all. It says that a
person has so hardened his heart against the teaching of God’s word that his
profession of faith is no longer credible. He is to be regarded as an unbeliever, in
need of our prayers, but outside of brotherly fellowship.

There are four goals of Church discipline:

• To reclaim hardened sinners by showing them the true nature of their sin.
• To preserve the unity and purity of the Church.
• To warn other members of the Church of the seriousness of sinful behaviour
• To honour Christ who is dishonoured before the world when his Church tolerates
open wickedness in her midst.

The local congregation and the wider Church

Not only is a local congregation a part of the wider Church of Jesus Christ, it is
subject to the authority and oversight of the wider Church. Again this oversight is
exercised through elders coming together in Church courts – Presbyteries, Synods
and Assemblies.

What are the most common forms of Church government?

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PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH GOVERNMENT

SYNOD

PRESBYTERIES

SESSIONS

Acts 15 demonstrated how a local Church turned to the wider Church for help when it
faced a problem. This problem raised doctrinal and practical issues on which the
Church needed to speak with a united voice. From your study of this chapter answer
the following questions.

What was the issue at stake?

Who were the opposing "parties"?

How was the dispute to be settled?

Who had the final decision in settling this matter of doctrinal difference?

How was the decision passed on to the whole church? See also Acts 16:4.

What principles of Presbyterian government are evident in this chapter?

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