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Peter Barnes | the Leavers | Undiscovered Joy december 2011 Our Presbyterian legacy peter barnes | the leavers | undiscovered joy December 2011 No. 643 www.ap.org.au the magazine of the presbyterian church of australia presbyterian legacy editorial 4 A rich history: Peter Barnes his issue of Australian Presbyterian is the last 10 Question of identity: Rowland Ward publication of the magazine in its present form. 12 Endowed with power: Darrell Paproth After 14 years as the editor, I am resigning to take up a new role as the principal of the reflection TPresbyterian Theological College of Victoria. In February 2012 a new magazine called AP will be 14 Undiscovered joy: Bradley J. Moore launched. It will be free and appear quarterly. The editor will be Dr Peter Barnes, who is a lecturer at PTC Sydney and bible study a specialist in church history. 15 Standing firm In this final magazine we explore the crucial subject of the lessons from our past. Although the history of 20 Bible studies in Revelation 1:1-8:5 Presbyterianism in Australia is relatively brief, it is not alto - gether without its value. It is true, of course, that our age, church directory which is so focused on the present, is rather ambivalent towards the past. Many people, even in the church, sub - 17 Every Presbyterian church, state by state scribe to the dictum that “Newer is better”. This leaves us news vulnerable to a certain ahistoricism – the view that suggests that the past is “old hat ” and contains few, if any, lessons for 25 News today. However, this is not a view that is espoused in Scripture. 27 On the Agenda The psalmist makes it clear that the history of God’s deal - ings with His people is replete with lessons for today church (Psalms 78, 106, 107). For instance, in Psalm 107:10-14 we read: “Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom… for 29 The leavers: Drew Dyck they had despised the counsel of the Most High. So He sub - letters jected them to bitter labour… then they cried to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them from their distress.” 32 Not only Scripture, but also our chequered denomina - tional history, remind us that the church can wander in prayer spiritual darkness and suffer the deepest despair if we “despise the counsel of the Most High” (107:11). 34 Beginning in the 1870s, and lasting for at least a cen - tury, our church was paralysed because its leaders lost con - books fidence in the Word of God. The doctrine of biblical inerrancy was jettisoned and the gospel disappeared. It was 35 Athanasius: Simonetta Carr only after 1977 that the church moved to reaffirm its con - One Lord, One Plan, One People: Rodger Crooks fidence in the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. The challenge of the future years will be to maintain that con - J. S. Bach : Calvin R. Stapert viction, lest we return to the darkness of the past and once again squander our gospel inheritance. back page Peter Hastie ap 36 One flesh: Chuck Colson THE AUSTRALIAN PRESBYTERIAN (ABN 81 498 399 755) : The national magazine of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Editorial committee: Peter Hastie (NSW) Themes Editor; Barney Zwartz (Victoria) Production; Stuart Bonnington (West Australia) News Editor; Peter Hastie (NSW), World News Editor. Graphic Design: Sandra Joynt for A&J Moody Design: www.ajmd.com.au. Advertising and subscription inquiries: Michael Timmins, Phone: (03) 9723 9684. Office: PO Box 4014, Croydon Hills 3136. Phone: (03) 9005 8256. Fax: (03) 9876 1941. Email: [email protected] Printed by Adept Mail & Print Services, Boronia, Vic. Published: Monthly except January by the National Journal Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Australia; Convener Peter Hastie. Opinions expressed are those of the contributor and not necessarily those of the PCA, the editor or the committee. Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement. Contributions: Submitted articles are welcome. The deadline is the first of the previous month. Donations are always welcome. Print Post approved 34918100384. | australian presbyterian December 2011 3 A rich history Presbyterians have contributed mightily to Australia r Peter Barnes is a minister spiritual awakening and revival. of the Presbyterian Church Peter Barnes What do you mean? of Australia who serves as talks to I am referring to instances where large the pastor of Revesby Peter Hastie numbers of people seem to have come to DPresbyterian Church in Sydney, NSW. He saving faith in Jesus. In most cases in is also a lecturer in church history at the Australia these revivals were largely Presbyterian Theological Centre, Sydney. frequently in his autobiography. He localised, but they were powerful in their He has formerly served as speaks disparagingly of Moore College as effects. There were around 30 recorded missionary/theological educator in “Moore College miserable” because his instances in most states across Australia Vanuatu and has been deeply involved in father, an Anglican minister, experienced between 1834 and 1869. Many of these the cause of Christian education. some form of church discipline at the awakenings took place in Methodist Peter has had a long-standing interest hands of evangelicals over some moral churches. in church history as well as the Bible and issue. I think that explains his hostility to In Victoria alone the Methodists grew biblical theology. He has written several evangelicalism. However, his views are from 650 members in 1841 (5.5% of the Old and New Testament commentaries, now out of date, although they were population) to 97,115 in 1881 (11.3%). Both Sides Now – Ecclesiastes and the probably even out of date at the time he Methodists believed in prayer and evan - Human Condition , Paul’s Letter to the wrote. It is true that Protestantism is not gelism. From 1871 to 1906 there were Galatians , Knowing Where We Stand – The as dominant an influence as it once was around 40 recorded revivals, again across Message of John’s Epistles as well as The and it is certainly true that Catholicism most states. Some of these revivals were Milk of the Word , Theological Controversies does not have the clout that it used to. very powerful in their effects, such as in in the Presbyterian Church of NSW, 1865- The strength of the Enlightenment has the Illawarra in NSW and Melbourne in 1915 – The Rise of Liberal Evangelicalism dissipated as well under the rising influ - 1902. Thousands flowed into the and John Calvin: Man of God’s Word. ence of New Age thinking and Islam. churches. However, these revivals did not sweep Peter, how should we assess the Has Evangelical Christianity ever across the nation as a whole. We have not Australian historian Manning had more than a marginal influence known anything like Korea or Wales Clark’s claim that there have been in Australia? where the movement was obvious across essentially three philosophies or It certainly has. For the most part, the nation. Certainly from the 1870-80s religious viewpoints that have vied where it has exercised significant influ - onwards it was not advisable to get off - to win the hearts of Australians – ence, it has been for the good. Until fairly side with the Protestant churches in the Roman Catholicism, the recent times it has been a major force in public arena. The gospel was a significant Enlightenment and Protestant providing stability in marriage and fam - power in the land. That was probably its Evangelical Christianity – and that ily life, affecting wider social attitudes peak – the 1880s. In 1895 there were 908 Roman Catholicism and the towards alcohol (even if overdone at churches in Adelaide alone, but only 770 Enlightenment have been the most times) and gambling and it has been hotels in the whole of South Australia. I successful? strengthened by new instances of spiri - think that provides some gauge on the Manning Clark tells us in his autobi - tual awakening or revival. It has also had influence of Christianity in at least one ography that while he was attracted to a significant influence on education in Australian society. Catholicism and the Enlightenment, he Australia. never felt drawn to Evangelical People commonly regard Australia as Protestantism. He returns to this theme You have mentioned instances of a secular nation and trace that to its 4 australian presbyterian December 2011 presbyterian legacy origins. Is that a fair description? Elizabeth Kotlowski overstate the case. Catholics and English people in the First No, it’s not. Secularists have defi - She has a point when she says that there Fleet. nitely latched on to Australia as a secular is far more Christian influence in nation and have picked out some slogans Australia than is commonly assumed by When did most Presbyterians in from the past and run with them in a secular historians, but it’s dangerous NSW arrive here? way that nobody else has done before. when she starts claiming that Alfred Thomas Mein arrived in 1802 and However, they distort history by simply Deakin, a former Prime Minister and others who were not Anglicans or omitting the religious beliefs of certain advocate of federation, was a Christian. Catholics set up a church at Ebenezer figures. You’ll hear reports on certain He may have been later in life; we are not near Windsor some time later. It was a people – take John Flynn, for instance, really sure. Early on, he was into spiritu - non-conformist church that came later and often you’d never know that he was alism and séances. So we need to be care - to be identified as Presbyterian. Mein a Presbyterian minister. ful about exaggerated claims. was probably a Presbyterian elder.
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