In this series we have shared, in bite-sized chunks, the foundation documents of The Gospel Coalition Australia, that have their origin in the establishment of The Gospel Coalition in the United States of America in 2004. The documents are comprised of a Preamble, a Confessional Statement and a Theological Vision for Ministry.
The whole series can be browsed here.
This final section of the Theological Vision for Ministry adapts the original TGC USA document with some Australian emphases.
Training for Gospel Ministry
We are called to make disciples of people from all nations. In a post-Christian and multicultural society in which many are ignorant of the gospel and the Bible, there is an urgent need for all of God’s people to be equipped to play their part in the work of the gospel, and for some to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word as their primary vocation/occupation.
Those selected for full-time or part-time trained gospel ministry must be godly, stable and resilient in character; mature in faith and understanding; well trained in Bible, theology and ministry; apt to teach; and ready to serve with humility, patience and love. Because reaching people in different subcultures is crucial to evangelism, teaching and training in Australia, they must be able to engage in cross-cultural ministry.
Those in ministry need ongoing training.
We need able gospel ministers in Australia: we also want to send people overseas as part of God’s work to extend salvation to the ends of the world.
The Integration of Faith and Work
The good news of the Bible is not only individual forgiveness but the ultimate renewal of the whole creation. God put humanity in the garden to cultivate the material world for his own glory and for the flourishing of nature and the human community. We are made in God’s image to be responsible rulers and stewards of God’s creation, and in doing this we serve the Lord Christ. Christians glorify God through their daily work, paid and unpaid, and love their neighbours through their participation in and contribution to their human community.
Our ultimate allegiance, however, is to the Lord Jesus, and we endeavour to play our part in making disciples from all nations who love and serve him. We do all of this because the gospel of God compels us, recognising that the ultimate restoration of all things awaits the personal and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Doing of Justice and Mercy
God created both body and soul, and the resurrection of Jesus shows that he is going to redeem both the spiritual and the material. God is concerned not only for the salvation of people, but also for the welfare of humanity, and so for the relief of poverty, hunger, and injustice.
The gospel opens our eyes to the fact that all our wealth (even wealth for which we worked hard) is ultimately an unmerited gift from God. Therefore the person who does not share his or her wealth with others lacks godly compassion. The gospel replaces superiority toward the poor with evangelism, mercy and compassion, and challenges the wealthy to see their spiritual poverty and their need to be converted.
Christians must work for justice and peace within their neighbourhoods and the wider world, using the opportunities that God has given us to challenge abuses and injustices and promote the welfare of all, even as we call individuals to conversion and new birth. We must do good to all, and show our neighbours we love them sacrificially whether they believe as we do or not.
We recognise that true justice will only be found when Christ returns and brings his reign of justice and mercy. We know that God’s greatest act of mercy was to save us through Christ, so that being justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. So we must offer God’s mercy in the atoning death and victorious resurrection of Christ to all. The greatest and universal need of all humans is to receive God’s mercy in the atoning death of Christ.
Gospel Partnership
We recognise the need to promote a culture and habit of cooperation and mutually supportive and prayerful fellowship among those engaged in gospel ministry across Australia. Australia was founded as separate colonies, and we suffer from ‘the tyranny of distance’. Our churches and ministries are influenced by tribalism, and, at times, competition. We recognise the need to increase mutual support and encouragement, both within each state and territory, and also across Australia. We are one in Christ and his gospel, and we want to encourage mutual support and prayer among believers throughout our nation.
Conclusion of the Theological Vision for Ministry
Our vision is to strengthen and increase churches and ministries that embody the full integrative biblical vision for ministry we have outlined. And we want to promote Australia-wide cooperation in gospel ministry to our nation. We want to take the gospel to all Australians, as we also want to take our part in God’s global gospel work.
This vision requires churches and ministries characterised by biblical and theologically rich preaching and teaching, dynamic evangelism and apologetics, and church growth. This will also require repentance, personal renewal, and holiness of life in our walk with Jesus as well as training one another to do the same through discipling so that the members of Christ Body grow up together into maturity.
