Background to Unity Movement in Australia
Events leading up to Unity among Australian ecclesias can best
be summarised by quoting the introductory portion of Bro. Carter’s first
report on Unity, appearing in “The Christadelphian”, July 1958, page
324.
Bro. Carter reported as follows:
THE TRUTH IN AUSTRALIA
All who have read the diaries of the visits to Australia by
Bro. Robert Roberts will remember that again and again he was engaged in
discussion concerning the nature of Adam when created, the effect of sin upon
him, and the work of Jesus Christ in relation to man’s
redemption.
There was a recurrence of trouble in the early years of this
century which led to division. We have read over the ecclesial intelligence of
those troubled years, with the usual charge and countercharge, which Bro. C. C.
Walker at the time described as a “nebulous controversy”. At the
time Bro. Walker expressed the view that by personal face-to-face discussions he
might do some good; later in 1911, he mentions a proposal for a visit by him, in
which financial co-operation by both sections of the brotherhood was
offered.
He felt the difficulty arising from “the divisions that
obtain”, but added that “if both parties could agree upon an
invitation to brotherly mediation the way would be open.”
Apparently the proposal fell through for we can find no
further reference to the matter. And now, when more than a half century has
passed by, a sufficiently representative invitation “to brotherly
mediation” has led the present Editor to visit Australia and this report
of the work there is submitted to the brotherhood in Great Britain, Canada,
U.S.A., South Africa and New Zealand, and wherever brethren may be scattered
abroad.
BACKGROUND TO SITUATION
Some reference must be made to the background to the situation
during the last few years. The majority of ecclesias in Australia have been
identified as “SHIELD” ecclesias. “The Christadelphian
Shield” (begun we think when Bro. Roberts was in Australia) has been the
magazine representing these ecclesias. If for this record we continue to use the
name, it is for purposes of identification and to facilitate the writing of this
report. These ecclesias are principally in the cities of Adelaide, Melbourne and
Sydney. In more recent years, as the cities have grown, district ecclesias have
been formed in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
The “Central” fellowship has been mainly
represented by ecclesial in Melbourne, Sydney (Concord) and Brisbane (Elizabeth
Street), with a few smaller groups in other places.
INVITATION TO VISIT AUSTRALIA
The invitation to visit Australia came in the first instance
from the committee responsible for a gathering, or Conference as it is called,
which is held biennially, this year’s venue being Melbourne. This
committee consisted almost entirely of representatives of central ecclesias.
(This statement will doubtless provoke a denial in some places, but a later
explanation will make it clear). Later the reunion committees in Melbourne and
Sydney joined in the invitation and it was decided to accept it and give what
help lay in our power to clarify the situation.
For some time we have had a note at the head of Australian
intelligence items that the position was confused. A word of explanation may be
here added. As reported in “The Christadelphian”, 1956, page 189,
the Victorian ecclesias (that is, in Melbourne and the vicinity) had agreed in
1953 on a basis for reunion, and with the exception of two ecclesias (one of
which has since joined up), were co-operating together. This left somewhat
undefined their position with regard to the ecclesias elsewhere in Australia and
throughout the world.
A TEMPORARY PROBLEM
This was but a temporary problem, such as confronted the
English ecclesias in the reunion in February, 1957. A committee of
“Shield” ecclesias was formed in Sydney to co-operate in putting the
effort begun in Victoria on an interstate basis. Then an invitation from the
Conference committee in 1956 to the Editors of “The Christadelphian”
and the “Fraternal Visitor” to contribute to the discussions on
reunion by a letter, led to the writing of the communication which was reprinted
in “The Christadelphian” of 1956, page 269.
In that a suggestion was made that “when it was
necessary in the interests of definition of a doctrine, sound simple clear
language should be sought and the basic principles set forth”. In an
ADDENDUM to the latter, a restatement of certain doctrines which have been the
cause of strife was set forth as an illustration of our meaning. In the
developments that followed, the addendum was adopted as part of a statement that
was drawn up and submitted to all Central and “Shield” ecclesias as
a basis of reunion.
PROPOSED BASIS FOR REUNION
In June, 1957, the reunion committee addressed a letter to the
recording brethren of all these Australian ecclesias, the letter being
reproduced in “The Christadelphian”, 1957, page 311- Then in the
issue for March of this year we reprinted the proposed BASIS FOR REUNION to
which reference has been made; and we added the comment: “It might be
expected there will be margins of uncertainty for a time; but there appears to
be a very wide spread acceptance of the STATEMENT given above, and in
consequence the early co-operation of many ecclesias on that basis may be
expected” (page 132).
