Baptists in Australia
An outline history
of the Baptist Union of Australia
Based on Baptised into
one Body by Basil Brown
published by the Baptist
Union of Australia, 1987
© David Parker Sept 1999
Official Baptist Union of Australia
Home Page
Officers of the Baptist Union of Australia
Some key Baptist Union of Australia People
Baptist
churches began in Australia from the 1830s and the first Baptist Union was
formed in 1862 in Victoria, but the Baptist Union of Australia was not formed
until 1926. However, efforts to form an Australasian Association date from the
early 1850s with John Ham (Sydney) and Decimus Dolamore (Nelson, NZ). In fact,
an Association was formed as early as 1858 but it did not survive beyond its
second meeting! Separation of Australian colonies led to formation of localised
Associations although frequent intercolonial movement of ministers meant that
there were always those who saw the wisdom of wider fellowship. In later years,
virtually all Baptist churches in the country (the exceptions being the very
small numbers of Calvinistic and fundamentalist churches) have been affiliated
with the one network of state unions.
Nationalistic
moves towards federation on the political level in late 19th century had their
influence on Baptists and the first meeting of intercolonial representatives
took place in Melbourne November 1897 to discuss matters of common concern.
Nothing came of the suggestion that they should continue meet on a three yearly
basis.
After
the Federation of the Australian colonies in 1901, Baptist representatives from
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia met in
Adelaide in September 1902 for an Interstate Baptist Federal Conference under
the chairmanship of Rev. Silas Mead. It was acknowledged that, if Baptist
federation were to be achieved, the local autonomy of the various Unions must
be maintained, save on issues which had their consent. These issues should be
dealt with by a representative Federal Council meeting annually at Melbourne,
Sydney and Adelaide in turn. Most of the areas of co-operation which still
engage the energies of Australian Baptists were discussed by the Conference.
General approval was given to this scheme by State Unions and a Federal Council
established. It met again in Melbourne 1903, but there few tangible results.
The
establishment of the Baptist World Alliance in 1905 provided encouragement for
an Australian Baptist Union. So an Australasian Baptist Congress was convened
for Sydney in 1908. Seventy-seven delegates gathered from every State of the
Commonwealth and from New Zealand, with a considerable number of associate
delegates in addition. This congress drew Baptists together in a new way. Up to
this time, for the most part only denominational leaders had shown concern
about the federation of Baptist work, but the Congress created a wider desire
for denominational unity. The editor of The Southern Baptist, Rev. F.J. Wilkin,
summed up the impact of the meetings exuberantly by reporting that despite the
lack of concrete steps, "the federal spirit was intensified."
A
second Congress met in 1911 in Melbourne with 83 delegates. Many were eager to
form a Union, even though they were conscious of serious differences between
the states on matters of organization and belief. But NSW was not ready for
federation.
However,
a new Federal Committee was established to take action where there was
agreement already. An Interstate Convention was organized for Aug 1912, again
in Melbourne at which it was agreed that there should be an Australian Baptist
College in Melbourne to train ministerial students for both home and overseas
service. It was also resolved that the missionary work in India which had been
conducted by separate State missionary societies should be federated in an
Australian Board of Foreign Missions, the members of which should be elected by
their home State, and which would meet twice annually in Adelaide. Finally, it
was determined that an Australian Baptist Publishing House be set up in Sydney
to issue, inter alia, a penny weekly denominational paper.
As
a result of these decisions, the Australian Baptist Publishing House was set up
began published the Australian Baptist on 7 Jan 1913 (The Southern Baptist
which had circulated the southern states was closed, as was the Queensland
Baptist, although the latter was reopened in 1921. In Feb 1913, the Australian Baptist Foreign Mission commenced
(although without Queensland participation). Legal problems prevented the
Victorian College being transferred to the States as the Australian Baptist
College, despite the wish of the Victorians for this to happen. Thus the idea
of a national college was abandoned.
World
War I prevented further meetings of delegates, (apart from a small Board), but
the nationalism developed by Australian involvement in the War and concern to
overcome minor issues greatly stimulated the desire for unity. Thus the
deferred 3rd Australasian Congress gathered in Melbourne in August, 1922, with
all states and NZ taking part. It was highly successful. It was decided to
prepare proposals for increasingly close co-operation which might lead
ultimately to the creation of an Australian Baptist Union.
The
4th Australasian Baptist Congress assembled in Adelaide in August, 1925 (but
there was no one from NZ). The most significant business was careful scrutiny
of the draft constitution of a proposed Baptist Union of Australia, which was
then referred back to state unions for adoption. Within three months, the
Constitution had been endorsed by each of the six State Unions. In consequence
some 240 delegates and associate delegates assembled in Sydney in late August,
1926, to establish the Baptist Union of Australia. Visitors from England,
Holland and New Zealand were associated with the Assembly.
The
Chairman of the Interstate Board, Rev. J.H. Goble, presided over the inaugural
ceremony in the Burton Street Tabernacle on the afternoon of August 25. By-laws were adopted and following Boards
were constituted: the Home Mission Board, to be located in New South Wales; the
Educational Board, in Victoria; and a Young People’s Board, in Queensland.
Preparations were made for the setting up of an Advisory Board and a
Ministerial Pension Fund at a later date. The relationship of the already
existing Australian Baptist Foreign Mission Board to the new Union was
discussed. Steps were to be taken in the future for its incorporation into the
Baptist Union, but it was agreed that, for the present, it would function along
the lines of its own constitution, reporting annually to the Executive Council
and to Assemblies of the Baptist Union of Australia, both of which had power to
make recommendations to the Foreign Mission Board. Rev. J.H. Goble, unanimously
elected the first President of the Union, was only one of a group of outstanding men and women who
have contributed to the formation and development of the Baptist Union of
Australia as its officers and leaders..
The
Baptist Union of Australian is a federation of State Unions, not a fellowship
of churches. (This parallels the Commonwealth of Australia which is a
federation of states.) The Union proposed to foster fellowship and co-operation
between Australian Baptists, and to demonstrate their essential unity in
doctrine, polity and service. It would confer on matters of concern to the
churches in the Commonwealth and on the mission field and, in co-operation with
State Unions, would carry out work considered desirable. The Union would
operate by its Assembly meeting not less frequently than triennially, through
its officers and Executive Council, and by means of its Boards. Efforts over
the years to engage interest of rank and file Baptists in the Assemblies and
program of the BUA were not very successful. So there was a change in 1975 to a
convention type program which is geared to families in a holiday atmosphere.
The
BUA is now based in Melbourne, although in earlier years it moved around the
states. The newspaper, The Australian Baptist ceased publication in Dec 1991,
but the BUA now publishes a small quarterly promotional magazine, The National
Baptist.
Important ministries of the BUA include:
Australian Baptist Missionary Society
Aboriginal
and Islander Baptist Council of Australia
Baptist
Youth Ministries Australia
Crossover
Australia
New
Settlers' Baptist Association
Northreach