Who are the Adelaide Christadelphians?
South
Australian Christadelphians
The first Christadelphian ecclesia in South
Australia was established in Goolwa in 1882. This was a small group formed
following a visit to South Australia in 1879 by a Christadelphian seaman from
New Zealand.
The Adelaide Christadelphian Ecclesia was
established in 1886 following the transfer to Adelaide of members from Goolwa
and Melbourne and the baptism of a small number of Adelaide residents. The
members of the Adelaide ecclesia actively preached the gospel and the ecclesia
grew from the original 10 members to about 250 by 1927.
After a short period of meeting in members'
homes the Adelaide ecclesia met in hired halls in the city of Adelaide - first
at 55 Wakefield St. (The Christadelphian Synagogue 1887-1895) then at 14
Franklin St. (The Christadelphian Church 1895-1905) - and finally at 47
Wakefield St. (The Christadelphian Church 1905-1917), name changed to (Willard
Hall 1917/1927).
The Christadelphian Temple was built for
the Adelaide ecclesia at 105 Halifax St. in 1927 by Emmett & Sons Ltd. The
original building has been expanded several times since then, although the main
hall, which can seat up to about 400, remains unchanged. This building has
proved to be a wonderful place of worship, a centre of preaching activities
and home for a whole range of spiritual and social activities, for the members
and their families for 75 years.
The ecclesia grew from 250 members in 1927
to about 500 members in 1939. Much of this increase took place during the
Great Depression.
The rate of growth slowed during World War
2 and its immediate aftermath, but membership rose to about 550 by 1950.
Several suburban Christadelphian ecclesias
were established in the 1950's and many of our members joined the new
ecclesias initially at Woodville, Cumberland and Enfield.
There are now seventeen Christadelphian
ecclesias in the Adelaide urban area as well as several in South Australian
country towns - Victor Harbor, Taylorville, Penola & Murray Bridge.
The Adelaide Christadelphian Ecclesia in
the year 2002 is an active body of about 280 baptised believers plus
approximately 100 children. The Christadelphian Temple at 105 Halifax St.
Adelaide is still our home and the centre for most of our activities.
Activities
of the Adelaide Christadelphian Ecclesia.
The principal meeting is the Memorial
Meeting -
sometimes described as the Breaking of
Bread Service. This is held at 11.00a.m. every Sunday (the first day
of the week). (Acts 20:7)
The Memorial Meeting is based on the 'Last
Supper' of the Lord Jesus with his disciples on the night before his
crucifixion. This supper is referred to in each of the Gospels - Matthew 26:
Mark 14: Luke 22 & John 13. The Apostle Paul also details its
significance. (1 Corinthians 11:23/29).
The Memorial Meeting is a meeting of
Remembrance and Worship.
The principal focus of this meeting is
when each baptised believer eats a piece of bread and drinks a little wine in
remembrance of the great sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ - his sinless
life, his crucifixion, his burial and his resurrection!
This 'remembrance' is the climax of the
meeting, but there are also Hymns, Bible Reading, Prayers, Exhortation,
fraternal and ecclesial announcements and a collection to defray ecclesial
costs and raise funds for special purposes in the Brotherhood and to
contribute to other worthy causes both in Australia and overseas.
The Memorial Meeting is particularly for
baptised believers. Ecclesial members make a special effort to attend the
Memorial Meeting every Sunday.
Interested friends, young people and
children are welcome to attend the Memorial Meeting, but the taking of the
emblems (bread and wine) is restricted to baptised Christadelphians.
Sunday
school is held at 9.30a.m. each Sunday except during
School holidays.
There are classes for all ages from 4
years old up to the late teens. At present there are about 100 children in
the Sunday School. The teachers will gladly welcome other children for
Scriptural instruction.
The lessons are all based on Bible
teaching from both Old and New Testaments. The basic history of God's dealings
with men and His plan of salvation are taught together with God's instructions
about morality and ethics in Christian living.
Social and spiritual activities are held
for children
and young people once or twice a month on Friday nights or
Saturdays.
Gospel
services are conducted every Sunday afternoon or evening.
The Seminars are held at 4.00p.m. in the rear hall. These are generally relatively informal meetings covering a specific scriptural subject. There is a 10 to 15 minute interval for a cup of tea or coffee which gives opportunity for individual discussion.
The Gospel talks
are generally held at 7.00p.m. in the middle hall. The speaker or other
Christadelphians present will always be delighted to answer questions and
discuss Bible teaching with visitors.
The subject and
details of meeting times for the following Sunday are always displayed on the
Notice Board at the front of the Temple.
Bible
Class is held in the middle
hall at 7.45p.m. each Wednesday commencing in February and continuing until the
middle of December each year.
Fellowship
activities.
Special
activities, both spiritual and social, are held during the course of the year.
These range from spiritual meetings to picnics and other outings. They climax in
a New Year's Eve Meeting at which we thank Almighty God for the year just ending
and seek His blessing and guidance for the year to come.
These activities
are all designed to strengthen our faith and build up the family spirit we share
as part of God's family.