Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia

The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is a Christian denomination with its origins in Wesleyan
Methodism. It is the organisational name for contemporary The Wesleyan Church in Australia. (The historic
Wesleyan Methodist denomination in Australia up to 1 January 1902 merged into the Methodist Church of
Australasia.)

Background and formation

The beginnings of the current Wesleyan Methodist Church in Australia may be traced to 1945, when the
Rev. Dr. Kingsley Ridgway offered himself as a Melbourne based "field representative" for a possible
Australian branch of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, after meeting an American serviceman
who was a member of that denomination.[1]

Kingsley Ridgway's legacy continued to be felt in the church, with his son, the Rev. Dr. James Ridgway,
providing denominational and institutional leadership over many years, and grandson the Rev. Kent
Ridgway serving as Southern District Superintendent.

Contrary to a popular assumption, it is not a "continuing Methodist Church," formed as a result of the
merger in 1977 of Congregationalist, Methodist and Presbyterian congregations to form the Uniting Church
in Australia. It was never a part of the merger negotiations with those bodies that formed the Uniting
Church, though some members and ministers, unhappy with the Basis of Union, switched allegiance to this
organisation.

Recent times
The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia saw increased growth in the 1980s, particularly in
Queensland, much of this as a result of the church planting strategies of the Rev. Don Hardgrave, who also
wrote the only denominational history of the church.[2] As well as aiming at new convert growth, Wesleyan
Methodists have welcomed into their membership those seeking an alternative to more liberal Protestant
denominations, as well as Pentecostals looking for a church more grounded in historic Christianity. The
45th National Conference held in January 2004 reported 77 local churches, 96 ordained ministers, 2017
members and an average main Sunday service attendance of 3702 persons.

From the late 1990s, the Australian church has fostered and encouraged the emergence of Wesleyan
Methodist churches in New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

At the 2008 South Pacific Convention and National Conference held at Phillip Island, Victoria, a new
National Superintendent was appointed, Lindsay Cameron, who brought to the position a desire to see the
denomination strengthened through the upholding and proclamation of the uniqueness of Wesleyan
doctrinal teaching.

There are 54 congregations currently listed on the denominational website.

Theology
The church is theologically conservative and Arminian in theology. Congregations range from being
traditional in their worship style to more charismatic. It appreciates both its revivalist and holiness heritage
as well as its roots in John Wesley's Anglicanism. Along with Nazarenes and the Salvation Army, it has a
strong commitment to the ordination of women, a position that in part arises out of its interpretive approach
to the Bible and in part out of its revivalist heritage.

Historically, the church may be seen both as a new religious movement, emerging out of the post-war
context of greater engagement between Australians and Americans and at the same time as a continuation
of the long-standing Holiness and Revivalist strain within Australian evangelicalism.[3]

The associated Kingsley College, Melbourne provides a ministry training program that offers four awards
from Certificate IV to Graduate Certificate. Kingsley College delivers training under the auspices of Unity
College Australia RTO 6330. Kingsley College has been the ministry training arm of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church of Australia since 1949. That training of lay people and ministerial candidates continues
through Kingsley Community training centres located around Australia.

References
1. O'Brien, Glen (1996). Kingsley Ridgway: Pioneer with a Passion. Melbourne: Wesleyan
Methodist Church.
2. Hardgrave, Don (1988). For Such a Time: A History of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of
Australia. Brisbane: Joyful News.
3. O'Brien, Glen (2005). "North American Wesleyan-Holiness Churches in Australia".
Unpublished, La Trobe University. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal=
(help)

External links
Official website (http://www.wesleyan.org.au)

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