The following is a transcript of the speech delivered by Gary Millar at the launch of TGCA in the Brisbane Town Hall on the evening of Thursday 23 July 2015.
So What is “The Gospel Coalition?”
The original idea for “The Gospel Coalition” came about during a meeting at a New York cafe in 2001 between the co-founders, Don Carson—whom we are delighted to have with us this evening—and Tim Keller, the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. The idea gradually took shape and in 2005, Don and Tim invited a group of pastors to meet to pray and dream. This group formed the basis of TGC. Gradually, they produced Foundation Documents—a doctrinal confession and a theological vision for ministry—which remain the banner over all TGC does. The organisation was officially created in 2007.
The vision of The Gospel Coalition in the US is simple: Here’s what they say:
A biblically grounded and united mission is the only enduring future for the church. We desire to champion the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with clarity, compassion, courage and joy—gladly linking hearts with fellow believers across denominational, ethnic and class lines. We invite all Christians to join us in an effort to renew the contemporary church in the ancient gospel of Christ so that we truly speak and live for him in a way which clearly communicates to our age.
But don’t just take it from me—listen to some of the pastors who make up TGC.
In 2007 the TGC website was also set up to provide resources on gospel-centered ministry. The site currently contains over 100,000 audio, video and text resources. Since 2009, 35 million people have visited the TGC website 92 million times and have viewed more than 168 million pages. Here in Australia, a growing number of people have benefited from the TGC website (the site has been visited over half a million times by Australians so far this year). Its reach really is global. However, TGC remains essentially an American network and the TGC website primarily aims to address the issues facing the American church. So, while we thank God for the precious resource that the TGC website is, some of us became increasingly convinced that we needed Australian content and Australian perspectives on life and ministry. It is this which lead to the birth of TGC Australia.
The Birth of TGC Australia
During 2013/14, here in Queensland, a growing awareness emerged of the need for Reformed Evangelicals to pray, plan and work together more effectively. As a result of those conversations, we contacted Don Carson to
enquire about the possibility of starting TGC Queensland. He was hugely encouraging, but suggested that we talk to a pastor in Sydney called CS Tang, who had voices a similar idea.
As CS and I talked and prayed, the vision for what would become TGCA began to take shape and we started a conversation with a few like-minded friends scattered across the country. We also talked things over with Tim
Keller when he visited Australia early last year. Eventually, in August 2014, a group of 13 pastors and leaders met for two days in Sydney to discuss the possibility of starting TGCA. In February, a follow-up meeting took place in Melbourne, and the Council of TGC Australia was formed.
One of the first things we decided was that if TGCA is to make a positive contribution to the work of the gospel then we needed to listen to as many of our fellow pastors and leaders as possible, which is why we invited over 100 leaders from across Australia to join us this week here in Brisbane for a National Leaders’ Consultation at QTC.This has been a robust and stimulating time, and we’d love you to pray for us as we continue to discuss the best way forward for the gospel here in Australia.
But is there really a need for another Christian organisation? Wouldn’t the Council members be better throwing themselves into their existing ministries? Why do this now? These are the questions that we have asked ourselves countless times over the past months. And the answer?
Why Now?
We believe that we have reached a critical moment for the cause of the gospel in Australia. It is, of course, easy to overstate the significance of any given point in the history of the church. But right now we are facing very specific opportunities and challenges in Australia—and we do have a responsibility to rise to meet them.
Here in Australia, as in much of the English speaking world, we are in the middle of a massive realignment of thinking and practice our society. Let me just point out four features of this shift:
- An increasingly strident rejection of biblical morality, particularly in the area of sexuality.
- A sharp decline in church attendance across the board.
- A loosening of traditional denominational allegiances—people are far more denominationally mobile.
- Fragmentation in the “reformed evangelical cause”—a key generation of leaders has retired, and it isn’t entirely clear who will pick up the baton.
These are significant challenges. And we believe they are challenges TGCA may be able to help the church of Jesus Christ address. In our judgment, now is the time for us to gather together around the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, clearly defined and preached, as we seek to commend and promote and proclaim the Lord Jesus
in our society. Now is the time to gather together around a clearly defined centre—the historic gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—as we seek to express real gospel unity, and when needed, to speak with one voice. To express our partnership in the gospel in ways that count.
This sense has only been strengthened by the recognition of the significant opportunities that our God seems to be presenting us with right now. These include:
- There is in Australia just now, a growing recognition that we need to work harder at getting along well with those who share our basic convictions for the sake of the gospel—there are simply not enough of us to do otherwise.
- There is evidence in Australia that a growing number of people are being drawn to gospel-centred thinking and to reformed theology from groups which, in the past, have not been open to such thinking.
- There is a hunger for biblical theology and systematic expository preaching which has not been seen before.
- We have an unprecedented opportunity to reach people from all nations without leaving our shores, as they come to Australia, in many cases looking for friendship and, initially at least, being open to the
gospel of the Lord Jesus.
Why TGCA?
So we think that there is a need right now to gather the church around the centre of the gospel, and to equip and resource the church for biblical ministry. But why set up an Australian version of a very American organization—why The Gospel Coalition Australia, and not Reformed Australians Together—apart from the fact that RAT probably isn’t the best acronym to use?
There were several compelling reasons which led us to set up TGCA, rather than anything else.
1. Theological Reasons
We theologically identify with our brothers and sisters in TGC. Men like Don, and Mark Dever, John Piper and Tim Keller are our friends and co-workers.
2. Strategic Reasons
Given the huge numbers of Australians linked to TGC through the website already, and in particular, the large numbers of people outside traditional Reformed Evangelical circles who have been drawn to biblical preaching and gospel-centred thinking, we are convinced that the potential of TGCA to make a real contribution to the evangelical scene here in Australia is significant.
3. Practical Reasons
We did not want to spend years re-inventing the wheel. We don’t want to be a talkshop. The Foundation Documents are, of course, not perfect. They were also framed in a very different context to ours. However, practically speaking, we did not want to spend three years repeating work that had already been done, and decided to run with the TGC Foundation Documents, and then to work hard to develop and articulate our own
distinctively Australian strategy—which is what this week is all about.
4. Missional Reasons
We think it is a distinct advantage, particular here at the ends of the earth in Australia, to identify with what is becoming a global movement, as TGCs spring up across the world. We hope to ensure that TGCA never becomes parochial but sees what we are doing here as part of the work of the gospel throughout our world.
It is worth saying however, that TGC Australia is a completely separate entity from TGC, although one which very happily shares the same “theological DNA” as expressed in the Foundation Documents. The need for an authentically Australian TGC was recognised from the beginning on both sides of the Pacific. As Don Carson has explained, when it comes to TGC’s international vision, “We’ve been clear from the beginning that we don’t want [overseas groups] to be American-controlled.” Tim Keller adds that it’s vital for such TGC-inspired partnerships to be and remain indigenous. Both Don and Tim have been hugely helpful as we have sought to establish TGC Australia, and Ben Peays, the Executive Director of TGC and the website editorial staff, have been unsparingly generous with their time and energy. We thank God for the support and fellowship of our brothers on the US Council. However, TGC Australia is and will remain an entirely Australian entity.
How Will TGCA Work?
So how will TGCA work? It will be slightly different from TGC in the US, but in one important way, it will be exactly the same. As in the US, the only people who actually become members of TGCA will be those
who are invited to join the Council.
The Council is a self-electing group of pastors and one or two other leaders (like me) who have been pastors, or are pastors at heart. The membership of the TGCA Council is very strictly controlled. Our Constitution at this point is very tight. In the words of Peter Adam, who drafted this section, our rules are based on two things: a belief in the total depravity of man and Peter’s deep personal skepticism. That means it is very hard to be get someone onto Council, but very easy to get them off!
Our process for electing new members is deliberately slow. If someone is nominated by a Council Member, we discuss the nomination. We then ask for both a CV and references. We also listen to a large number of sermons they have preached. We then invite them to join us for a Council meeting before voting—a unanimous vote is required to be elected to Council. Why are we so careful? Because we believe this really matters because the gospel really matters. We aim to get the gospel right and get the gospel out—and if we are to do that, we need
to guard our own membership very carefully indeed.
The Council of TGCA is the group which does and will oversee every activity which takes place in our name.
What Is TGCA Going To Do?
And that leads us to the question of what TGCA is going to do. In mid-April, we launched the TGCA website, which has already seen well over 100,000 hits. And beyond that? We have been considering our direction with over 100 leaders from all over Australia, with a wide range of deeply-held views, and we will continue to shape our strategy in the days to come. But we began by setting out these basic affirmations as a Council:
- We pledge to work together for the glory of God through the promotion of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We humbly recognize that we serve Christ alongside many brothers and sisters who do not share all our core convictions.
- We share an Australia-wide vision for promoting faithful, persevering, Christ-honouring, Bible-driven, Spirit-empowered, gospel-centred ministry.
- We pray for a growing culture of mutual support, prayer and encouragement among gospel workers across Australia.
- We are committed to working “from the ground up” to encourage new and existing local gospel partnerships.
- We are passionate about encouraging Christians in Australia to reach all who live here, including those whom God has brought to our shores from other nations.
- We seek to play our part in encouraging Christians in Australia to take the message of the gospel to the ends of the earth.
This is the framework within which we seek to operate. These are the kind of things which under God, as he determines, we will seek to do.
What Are We Asking Of You?
This evening, I’d like to ask you to do three things:
- We’d love you to use the website: bookmark it in your browser, follow us on twitter, read the articles and reviews, listen to the Australian sermons which are coming online soon, tell us how we can continue to develop the kind of resources which you need as together we seek to reach this nation for Christ, and to build up his church.
- Pray for the TGCA Council. We need you to do this. We are very aware of the responsibility that we carry already. We know all too well the dangers of trusting in or promoting ourselves or TGCA for its own sake. Please pray for us, that we would be humble, discerning and rock solid in our commitment to the gospel. We hear the warning of Jeremiah 17:5–6:
- Make a fresh commitment to work together for the glory of Jesus Christ -we have no desire to make TGCA another thing that demands your attention, and headspace, and tries to guilt you into giving us your time. There is a strong sense in which the moment it becomes clear that there is no need for TGCA or it is fulfilling no gospel purpose, then that’s the moment we will wind it up. None of the Council Members has any need for more stuff to do! But we do want you—us—the church of Jesus Christ to work together in gospel partnership on the ground for the glory of Jesus.
Conclusion
TGCA exists to encourage God’s people to defend, promote and apply the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ together here in Australia and beyond. and to do it with both humility and confidence. Whatever brings honour to Jesus Christ, whatever leads to the gospel being proclaimed more effectively, whatever leads to more people becoming disciples of the Lord Jesus who live for his glory—then let’s do it together! This is what TGCA is all about.
May God in his grace use us by his Spirit as he wills for his glory, and that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
