As a Free Reformed Churches in Australia, we want to be first of all; a Christian Church. We accept Jesus Christ as Lord of the Church and we believe that we are part of the one, holy, universal, Christian Church which Jesus Christ, as Son of God, gathers in this world.
Reformed
The word “Reformed” indicates that our church bears the stamp of the Reformation that took place in the sixteenth century. That Reformation was an extensive movement in Europe to reform the existing church, with reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli.
The Reformation was a reaction against the power of tradition in the church and strongly promoted the validity of the Bible as God’s Word for our complete personal, church and social life.
The Bible text, “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4) became a focal point among those following the Reformation.
Believe
We accept everything that is written in the Bible to be the Word of God and this results in the following three characteristics:
There is great reverence for the reliability of the Bible. Great care is taken for a good explanation of the Bible where every personal thought and feeling must be compared with and submitted to the original text. The Bible is accepted as the only rule of conduct for everyday life.
The Christian Church
Further characteristics of these churches that could be mentioned are:
The church consists of sinful people who time and again are called to return to the Lord and His Word. The church maintains the reformed confessions that summarise the doctrine of the Bible. The church maintains good order in church life by adhering to the commonly accepted Church Order. The church is also responsible for what happens in society and must extend a helping hand. She must warn society when society ignores God’s commandments blatantly. The church has a calling to pass on the riches of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others by means of mission and outreach. The church aims to be united with those churches who want to serve the Lord obediently according to His Holy Word.
In Australia
The Free Reformed Churches of Australia is a federation of 17 congregations (14 in Western Australia, two in Tasmania and a home congregation in Cairns) with over 4000 members. Our historical roots are in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands (Liberated) as a result of post-World War II immigration, and our doctrinal roots are in the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation and the Bible.
Australia
