The Anne Street Christian Assembly: Basic Doctrines, Leadership, Membership

Practices: Communion, Baptism, Meetings, Missionary, Other Activities, Finance, Scripture References

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The Anne Street Christian Assembly

The Anne Street Christian Assembly is the name by which the group of Christians who meet at Anne Street Gospel Chapel is known. We are often referred to as 'Christian Brethren' or 'Open Brethren' (not to be confused with 'Exclusive Brethren'). There is no central organization.  Each local church fellowship or assembly is administered independently.  There is no federation or union officially linking them, yet they have a 'family likeness' which characterises them and they know a strong spiritual bond.  Their Head is Jesus Christ our risen Lord.  We regard the Bible as our sole authority for doctrine and practice.

This Assembly is one of many similar groups of Christians who meet in Community Churches, Gospel Chapels or Halls throughout Australia and other countries in the world.  Each of these assemblies has similar beliefs and is self governing or autonomous.

Basic doctrines which we believe:

v        The Bible as the inspired Word of God, and our sole authority for doctrine and practice.
v        The Trinity of the Godhead.
v        The Deity and true sinless humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v        The personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit.
v        The creation and fall of man, making him a sinner before God.
v        The sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ for the sin of the whole world, His bodily resurrection and ascension.
v        The necessity of repentance and the new birth for salvation.
v        The baptism, by immersion, of those who repent and believe the Gospel.
v        The maintenance of good works and godly living by all professing Christians.
v        The resurrection of the body.
v        The judgment of the living and the dead by the Lord Jesus Christ.
v        The eternal blessedness of the righteous (the saved) and the eternal punishment of the wicked (the lost).
v        The reality and personality of Satan or the devil.
v        The personal return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Leadership

Elders: The leaders of the assembly are called elders and have the qualifications for leadership as set out in the New Testament1,2.  These men have the responsibility to oversee the teaching program and ensure that everything is done "decently and in order".  They also have authority to delegate responsibility to others when necessary and to exercise discipline.  New elders are ordained from within the church when they show the necessary qualifications and desire to undertake this responsibility.

Deacons: These have the responsibility for the more practical aspects, such as upkeep of church property.  Their qualifications are also set out in the New Testament3.  Neither the deacons nor elders receive payment from the church.
 

Membership

Every believer in Christ is a member of the universal Church4.  The assembly welcomes any who wish to fellowship locally, provided they have a desire for fellowship and have a personal saving faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  This membership is maintained by a commitment to regular activities and a continued walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
 

Practices

Communion: The Anne Street Christian Assembly observes communion each Sunday morning Communion or the Lord's supper or the "breaking of bread" was instituted and commanded by the Lord5 and practiced by the early Church6.  We believe the partaking of the emblems - breaking the bread and drinking of the cup - in remembrance of the Lord is a privilege for every Christian.  This gives opportunity for each believer to be obedient to the Lord's request  "Do this until I come”7.
 

Baptism: Another practice of the assembly is believers' baptism.  This is performed by immersion in water8 and follows profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.  This practice was requested by the Lord Jesus Christ and was to be associated with the preaching of the Gospel9.  It clearly followed a rational and personal faith in Christ10 and was therefore not intended for babies or very young children.  Baptism is not an essential requirement for participating in the communion, but is highly desirable, since in the early Church all believers who met together were baptised11.
 

Meetings: Meetings are held regularly at the Chapel.  They provide an opportunity for worship, fellowship, preaching the Gospel, Bible teaching and prayer.  As such they can build up the believer's faith and knowledge of the Word of God.  Prayer for the Lord's work at home and abroad is also a regular activity. 
 

Missionary: The Anne Street Christian Assembly, and other similar assemblies, send and support missionaries to work in the preaching of the Gospel and the establishment of indigenous churches in other lands.  One advantage of this joint activity is that together we can prayerfully and financially support missionaries.  We do this in response to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ when He said "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations12.  A bi-monthly magazine  "Serving Together"  is distributed on subscription which keeps us informed of missionaries and missionary work.  Prayer letters from missionaries are regularly received and circulated to maintain missionary interest and to encourage intelligent praise and prayer.
 

Other activities: These include Sunday School work, youth work - for young ones (Rally) and for the older ones, Youth Outreach EGGS (Every Guy’s & Girl’s Scene).  Well supervised weekend and longer camps are also held for the youth.  A youth Bible study, Women's Bible Studies and other home Bible groups are also organized.  Not only are these meetings good opportunities for outreach to the community but they also provide an opportunity for learning by those involved.
 

Finance: The work of the assembly relies on the giving of church members.  A voluntary collection is taken each Sunday morning at the communion service.  This collection is accounted for and is used for upkeep of the property, gifts to missionaries, gifts to visiting speakers and other activities such as Sunday School and youth work.  This is the only means used by the assembly to finance the church programs.  The books are kept by a capable accountant and are open for scrutiny at any time.
 

Scripture References: