The Churches of Christ in Australia is part of the Restoration Movement. Each church is independent and it operates a congregational form of government. The minister or pastor may or may not be ordained and lay people play an important part in the church. The Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (or simply, Restoration Movement) is a religious reform movement born in the early 1800s in the United States. ... This article is about the sacrament. ... In religious organizations , the laity comprises all lay persons, i. ...

Key features are the weekly celebration of the Lord's Supper presided over by lay person and a commitment to believer's baptism. The denomination claims to "concentrate on the essential aspects of the Christian faith, allowing for a diversity of understanding with non-essentials." The Lords Supper is a variation of the name and the service of The Last Supper or Eucharist. ... Believer Baptism (also called credobaptism) is the Christian ritual of baptism as given only to adults and children who first proclaim to believe in Jesus as their personal savior, resurrected by the power of God the Father. ...

One of the smaller Australian denominations, it is nevertheless active in community services and the ecumenical movement. Churches cooperate together in state and national conferences. The national office is located in Essendon North, Victoria. Cooperative efforts include the Churches of Christ Provident Fund, an overseas mission board, a historical society, and Indigenous ministries. Social welfare can be taken to mean the welfare or well-being of a society. ... The Christian flag is one symbol of Christian unity. ... Essendon is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... A pension (also known as superannuation) is a retirement plan intended to provide a person with a secure income for life. ... The word indigenous is derived from the latin word indigena, meaning nativ, indigenous, aboriginal, and has several, related meanings: The native people of a place; see the article indigenous people. ...

Ordination is open to both men and women, although not all churches would accept a woman minister.

Theological education occurs at the:

• Churches of Christ Theological College, Melbourne a member of the Evangelical Theological Association, accredited by the Melbourne College of Divinity
  • (some students attend Adelaide College of Divinity colleges)
• Australian College of Ministries - a joint venture between NSW and Qld Churches of Christ Conferences accredited by the Sydney College of Divinity providing training in NSW, Qld and WA.

Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the City of Melbourne (which covers only the central city area), and 3,488,750 in the Melbourne metropolitan area (census 2001 [1]). The... The Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD) is located in Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria, it was constituted by a 1910 Act of the Parliament of Victoria. ... The Adelaide College of Divinity Inc. ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Nickname: Sunshine State/Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Motto: Cygnis Insignis (Distinguished by its swans) Nickname: Wildflower State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Governor Premier Const. ...

Affiliations

• National Council of Churches in Australia
• Melbourne College of Divinity
• Sydney College of Divinity
• World Convention of Churches of Christ

The Melbourne College of Divinity (MCD) is located in Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria, it was constituted by a 1910 Act of the Parliament of Victoria. ...

External links

• Official website (http://www.churchesofchrist.org.au/)
• Australian College of Ministries (http://www.acom.edu.au)
• The Christian - Churches of Christ - Disciples of Christ family of Churches have a XVIIth World Convention of Churches of Christ in Nashville, Tennessee in July-August 2008. (http://worldconv.home.comcast.net/)