Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia

The Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA) is a

Presbyterian Church of
small Presbyterian denomination which was formed in Sydney on
10 October 1846 by three ministers and a ruling elder. As of Eastern Australia
December 2012 it consists of 13 pastoral charges with a total of 17
regular preaching points, 12 serving ministers, 1 minister without
charge, 6 retired ministers and a community of about 800
(including about 450 communicant members).

Origins
In October 1840 the Presbyterian ministers then in mainland
Australia formed the "Synod of Australia in connection with the
Established Church of Scotland". However, the movement in the
Established Church of Scotland, which resulted in the exodus of Classification Protestant
about 40% of the ministers in 1843 to form the Free Church of
Orientation Calvinism
Scotland, had repercussions in Australia. Ultimately the Australian
Synod decided to retain its legal and moral connection with the Origin 1846
Established Church despite the acceptance of what was considered Sydney
improper State interference by that body, contrary to the Separated from "Synod of
Confession of Faith. This led to Rev William McIntyre (Maitland), Australia in
Rev John Tait (Parramatta), Rev Colin Stewart (Bowenfels) and
connexion with
Samuel Martin (Hunter elder) protesting and constituting a new
the Established
Synod on the original basis. While independent of the Free Church
Church of
of Scotland the PCEA received its ministers from that source in the
early years. In far-off Melbourne James Forbes of Scots Church Scotland" in 1846
also protested and withdrew. He formed the Free Presbyterian Separations 1979 Australian
Church of Australia Felix (afterwards Victoria). The remnant of Free Church
this body joined the PCEA in 1953.
Congregations 17
Members 800
History
The revolution caused by the discovery of gold in 1851, brought more ministers and a vastly increased
population. The three Presbyterian divisions then existing in Australia – representing the Established, Free
and United Presbyterian Church of Scotland streams – achieved union over the years 1859/1865. Sections
of the latter two streams remained apart, the Free because of the practical compromise considered to be
involved in the united body receiving ministers from the different streams, despite the Free Church of
Scotland policy from 1858 being in favour of colonial unions. It was considered that diversity of view at
this point established an attitude which would lead to diversity on other points at the very heart of the faith.
There was also concern that toleration of a view point found among United Presbyterians could lead to the
secular ideal of the state, which indeed developed in the 20th century. The PCEA became a very active
body, although short of ministers until 1853.
Seven of the 22 PCEA ministers in November 1864 stayed out of the union. Most early PCEA members
were Highland Scots or conservative Irish Presbyterians. The PCEA grew to 12 ministers within a few
years of 1864, despite the death of early leaders, but suffered a serious schism in 1884 over the training of
students. This was not healed until the 20th century, and much ground was lost. A section of the
Brushgrove-Grafton congregation was not reconciled and joined the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland
in 1911. [The descendants of this group have a church in Grafton and another in Riverstone (Sydney).]
Additionally there was no recognition by the Free Church of Scotland from 1864 until after 1900, when
close relations were resumed with the section that stayed outside the union which formed the United Free
Church of Scotland in 1900. There was a painful dispute in the 1970s which led to a minister who made
exaggerated claims for the King James Version of the Bible being removed in 1979. The repercussions
contributed to several ministers joining the Presbyterian Church of Australia. The New International
Version (1984) or the New King James Version are the most generally used translations at present. Of
recent times the church has been stable with increasing diversity of ethnic origins represented in its
membership and ministerial ranks. Until recent years the membership was largely outside major cities.
Currently (2017) about 60% of the following is in the capital cities of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Distinctive position
The PCEA is distinguished from the Presbyterian Church of Australia (PCA) by adherence to "the whole
doctrine" of the Confession of Faith as adopted by the Church of Scotland in 1647 and vindicated in the
Scottish Disruption of 1843. It does not have what it considers an ambiguous Declaratory Statement, such
as that of the PCA, which includes allowance of "liberty of opinion on matters not essential to the doctrine"
without defining what is essential. Despite this difference there have been many strong connections with
the PCA, particularly since it has moved to a more conservative theological position since 1977. One
minister served as Professor in the PCA's Theological College in Melbourne (1977–81), another as
Principal of Presbyterian Ladies' College (Melbourne) (1986–97), and another has written extensively on
Australian Presbyterian history.

The PCEA is often noted for its practice of exclusive psalmody. This is the maintenance of the older pre-
1870 approach to public worship among Presbyterians in which the 150 psalms of the Word of God in
metrical form were exclusively used, and without instrumental accompaniment. The Scottish Psalter of
1650 was traditionally used in the PCEA, but is now supplanted in most congregations by more modern
versions either the version produced by Melbourne PCEA in 1991, or the version produced by the Free
Church of Scotland in 2003. The principle behind the practice of exclusive psalmody is that Scripture
should regulate our worship and that we cannot do better than to use the Word of God in the public
worship. The actions of the Free Church of Scotland in November 2010 in relaxing its stance on a capella
psalmody have no bearing on the practice of the PCEA.

Organisation
The PCEA’s supreme assembly is a Synod which meets annually hosted by one of the congregations. The
PCEA has a long-standing arrangement enabling ready interchange of ministers with the Free Church of
Scotland, and is a member of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC). More recently,
interchange of ministers with the Reformed Churches of New Zealand (2006) and with the Orthodox
Presbyterian Church in the US (2007), both also ICRC members, has been approved. The PCEA does not
operate its own theological college, but has trained ministers in the Free Church of Scotland College,
Edinburgh, at the Reformed Theological College, Geelong, and, more recently, in the training institutions
of the mainline Presbyterian Church, supplemented in certain subjects. In Victoria it has friendly relations
with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Australia which has congregations at Geelong, Frankston and
MacKinnon, and whose presence in Australia also dates from colonial times.
The current communicant membership (31/12/2017) is about 450 with a total community of about 800. At
the same date there were 11 ministers in pastoral charges and another seconded to provide leadership for
Australian Indigenous Ministries (formerly Aboriginal Inland Mission). A significant work has developed
among Sudanese refugees in Melbourne, with one minister from the Nuer people of South Sudan.

The main centres are:

Northern Presbytery: Brisbane (Woolowin); Northern Rivers (Maclean, Grafton); Hastings

(Wauchope, Port Macquarie)
Central Presbytery: Manning (Taree); Hunter (Queens Avenue, Cardiff, Raymond Terrace);
Sydney: St Georges, 201a Castlereagh Street, Mount Druitt, Bexley North
Southern Presbytery: Geelong (Newcomb), Melbourne - Knox (Wantirna), All Nations
(Mulgrave); Carrum Downs; Narre Warren; Ulverstone, Tasmania

See also
Calvinism portal

Christianity portal

List of Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in Australia

Presbyterian polity

External links
Official HomePage of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (http://www.pcea.org.au/)
St Georges congregation (in the city of Sydney) of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern
Australia (http://www.stgeorgespcea.org.au/)

Further reading
Rowland S. Ward, The Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia 1846-2013 (New Melbourne Press,
2014) ISBN 978-09806757-4-0

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