2014-2015 Annual Update Contents National Chairman 4 Victoria 6 NSW / ACT / QLD 7 SA / NT / WA 9 Tasmania 11 International Missions 12 National Missions 14 Strategic Report 15 Balance Sheet 17 Income & Expenses 18 Audit Report 20 CRC Missions International 21 CRC Training College 23 Credential Report 25 Statistical Report 28 2014-15 NATIONAL EXECUTIVE TEAM National Chairman Pastor Bill Vasilakis National Vice-Chairman & Victorian State Chairman Pastor Bruce Sharman SA/NT/WA State Chairman Pastor Hans Voortman NSW/ACT/QLD State Chairman Pastor Trevor Murphy Tasmanian State Chairman Pastor Greg Jones National Missions Director Pastor Mike Cronin National Church Planting Director Pastor David Wright National Church Evangelism Director Pastor Ian Miller National Conferences Pastor Matthew Wyatt MINISTRY LEADERS National Training Director Pastor Chris Carmody National Youth Director Pastor Tim Lochens National Children’s Director Pastor Caroline Dennis CHAIRMAN’S COMMISSION Previous National Chairman Pastor Mike Cronin (1988-1996) Previous National Chairman Pastor Neil Milne (1996-2002) International Missions Director Pastor Barry Silverback ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TEAM National Administrator Peter Gillard Executive Secretary Kassie Pidd National Missions Finances Kelly Groom National Training Administrator Amanda Deed CRC CHURCHES INTERNATIONAL annual update 2014-2015 3 executive report National Chairman A YEAR JOURNEY This year’s National Pastors & Leaders Conference we have entitled, WIN! because we need to get constantly reenergised It’s 70 years since one man, at the end of the Second World and empowered to reach our lost world for Jesus Christ. War, went to one city and planted our first CRC church. We are being challenged to run this race with both Godly Today, CRC Churches International is organisationally in 14 discipline and spiritual purpose to be able to win people to countries and has an ongoing ministry presence in a further Christ and plant Christ-centred churches. 36 nations of our world; and I estimate that we have around 1,000 churches and outreaches stretching across the world. Several years ago I shared an important Conference message about the Cause, Community and Corporate dimensions I came to Christ under Leo Harris’ ministry, as a 17 year old, of Kingdom life and how we tend to personally lean towards and have been serving Jesus ever since through our CRC one of these; and yet each is important as we outwork the denominational family. It’s been an amazing privilege to be ministry of Christ in our local churches and in our Movement. leading the Christian Family Centre since 1978 and our CRC The Corporate dimension doesn’t excite us much, but it’s so Movement here in Australia since 2002 and it’s an honour that important because we must respond to the rapid changes I never take for granted. that are occurring in our world. For example, who would have thought ten years ago that our Federal Parliament is We are to love our Movement and be loyal to it without seriously considering changing the Marriage Act to allow being pridefully sectarian, for we must never forget that same sex couples to also marry. I have communicated to our the kingdom of God on earth has tens of thousands of National Council twice over the past six months on this issue. denominational families like ours. So many of our CRC Governments now also require churches and denominations members, who are ministering in the nations, are doing this to adhere to a stack of new laws and regulations that has led through other Christian organisations; and they serve with to significant changes in the way we conduct our ministry. our blessing and they remain loyal and committed to our CRC vision, values and strategic directions. This is why, at this year’s official Council Meeting, we need the endorsement from our members to amend our National DIFFERENT WORLD... SAME WORD Constitution. We have been foreshadowing these important organisational changes over the past couple of years and we Though our world has radically changed from 1945, fellow have received extensive comments from many pastors. Pastors and Leaders and Church Members, it is the same Word that we proclaim; and that Word centres around the Last year we ratified our new Duty of Care and Child person of Jesus Christ and the good news about the gospel Protection Guidelines that each local church needs to of God’s grace that He both proclaimed and demonstrated facilitate within the legal framework of their State/Territory. through His life, death and resurrection. I still get quite At this year’s Council Meeting we need to expand this overwhelmed that our Heavenly Father has called us to provision for all ordained CRC Ministers. The CRC has to outwork the ongoing ministry of the resurrected Christ move forward in its processes in view of what the Royal through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Commission into Sexual Abuse by Institutions is uncovering 4 CRC CHURCHES INTERNATIONAL annual update 2014-2015 ...National Chairman cont. National project. We also need other churches and individuals to contribute so these borrowed funds can be paid back over the next few years. Though our world has The other National project concerns Walhalla (USA) which radically changed from 1945, several churches have been supporting. We are so thankful fellow Pastors and Leaders and that Adelaide Christian Centre, under Pastor Mike Groom, is taking oversight of this on our behalf and is doing the heavy Church Members, it is the same financial lifting. However, we still need churches to support Word that we proclaim; and that the development of this important church and Missionary Training Centre as a base to reach into the Americas Word centres around the person (particularly Central & South America). “of Jesus Christ... Everything we do in the corporate dimension organisationally and with these Movement-wide projects helps us outwork our Great Commission cause and it also builds relational community between our churches and amongst our ministers. and the advice we are receiving about how movements, organised like ourselves, need to adapt. As we’ve stated in our National Strategic Directions (2013- 2018), we are looking for the Holy Spirit to empower us in our The CRC as an ordaining body at both National and State evangelistic efforts, to help us plant many new churches and level has to now ensure that every Minister follows certain to keep motivating us to reach out to our increasingly secular protocols and has the requisite training, over and above” Australian society and into the nations of our world. I am what our churches do in outworking the accepted CRC believing that this year’s WIN! Conference will propel us over Duty of Care guidelines. This is going to require a significant the next 12 months to do this more effectively. administrative role from our National Office to ensure that we follow what the law and our insurers require. The National Chairmen of our CRC nations, along with our International Missions Strategic Team, and with the endorsement of our Australian National Executive are STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS releasing, at this Conference, our International Strategic Leadership and ministry development is the engine room Directions for the next five years, 2015-2020. As each nation of our movement and, therefore, we are restructuring our practically outworks this new International Statement, this will provide another stepping stone to realising our vision of National Training Team under Pastor Chris Carmody’s direction. Chris, along with a revamped and expanded team having a ministry presence in every nation of our world by that now includes Pastor Nathan Bettcher (our previous our 100th birthday in 2045. National Administrator), will be outworking some innovations A big thank you for your faithful and loyal support as we work that will greatly increase the scope of ministry training across together in love and unity to accomplish this vision that God the CRC. has given to us. At this year’s conference, we are again highlighting the Please keep our National Executive and the various Strategic Colombo Project (Sri Lanka) that we launched in 2010, as Teams in your prayers as we endeavour to serve the best we’ve made the decision to borrow funds, in the short term, interest of our great Movement. to complete the project over the next 18 months. We are borrowing from our generations funds in South Australia and Victoria and these funds will be repaid by the supporting Pastor Bill Vasilakis churches who are already giving towards this important National Chairman CRC CHURCHES INTERNATIONAL annual update 2014-2015 5 state report Victoria A very inspiring time was held with our State Conference A succession at Hamilton has gone very well over the last this year. The theme was TriggerPoint with the idea that year. Ballarat has been appointed the covering church for something initiates our actions and galvanizes a commitment the Ararat assembly. This church, along with those at Swan that changes everything. Our guest speaker Pr Rick Seaward Hill, Churchill, Broken Hill, Wyndham Vale and Mornington spoke to this in quite amazing ways and left us with a genuine assemblies are looking for new pastors. grace deposit that must be “outworked”. We are pleased with the development of our awesome State It has been a pleasing year looking towards the future. Church team. We welcomed Susan Hampshire as our new Children’s plants have been initiated at Lilydale and Wentworth and are team representative and Pr Laura Masasso has taken on the going well. We have also seen seven new Trainee Credentials Church Planting role. We created a new region called Metro approved from Altona (2), Doveton, Koo Wee Rup, Red Cliffs Central that Pr Matt Wyatt will head up, while Pr Phil Cayzer (2), and Warragul, which is excellent for the future of the has taken on Metro East.