The Fellowship is the label given to a group of people within the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Located in Melbourne, it was estimated to involve between 300 and 400 people. The Fellowship has been labelled as a "secretive cult".

History

The Fellowship was started by Ronald Grant and Alan Neil, who had both served as missionaries with the South Seas Evangelical Mission in the Solomon Islands. While missionaries, both were profoundly influenced by widespread experiences of "the conviction of sin and deliverance from demons" during their participation in a revival in the Solomon Islands. Dissatisfied with perceived persecution from evangelical circles following their requested resignation due to "doctrinal differences" In 2002, people accused of being in the Fellowship were removed from membership of the Mount Evelyn church.

Characteristics

The Fellowship is strongly opposed to Freemasonry. A theory of "generational curses" is taught, which encourages repentance if a member's ancestors were Freemasons. referencing 1 John 1:7. In the context of The Fellowship, "walking in the light" means the public confession of sin to one another and being completely transparent with others to keep one another accountable. The doctrine argues that God's forgiveness depends upon such public confession of sin.

Stuart Piggin suggests that they combined "remnant" and "revival" mentalities, and that occasional visitors to their meetings "have been impressed by the Christian calibre of those who attended and could not fault the Scriptural teaching."

Criticism

The Fellowship has been widely criticised for causing relationship breakdowns between Fellowship members and their families and "shunning" members who leave the group. There are many testimonies of ex-Fellowship members being cut off from family members, some unable to see their grandchildren, and examples of Fellowship people refusing to attend funerals of non-Fellowship family members. While it appears that these relationships have been mending outwardly (with the example of many grandparents being reunited with grandchildren), the group continues to deny wrongdoing. Fractured Fellowship: A Presbyterian Case Study makes this case based on primary sources, including private letters, that have never been published.

Actions by the Presbyterian Church

In February 2006, the Presbytery of Melbourne East excommunicated all 15 elders of the Camberwell congregation because of their handling of a complaint of emotional abuse against an elder.

This decision was appealed to the State Assembly, which upheld the decision of the Presbytery at its meeting in October 2006. Some members of the Victorian Assembly then appealed the decision to the General Assembly of Australia on the grounds that the Victorian Church had set up its own processes for discipline rather than operating under the General Assembly's Code as required and that the decision of the Victorian Assembly was made based on information that was not available to the Presbytery of East Melbourne when making its original decision, against its own process of discipline.

These appeals were upheld by the General Assembly of Australia at its Commission in August 2007.

References

  • "Fire in The Islands" Friends of South Seas Evangelical Church, Solomon Islands.
  • "The Fellowship, Inside Out" Episode of "The Spirit of Things" on Radio National.
  • "Fractured Fellowship: A Presbyterian Case Study (PDF)" Booklet published by The Church and Nation Committee, Presbyterian Church of Victoria, 1999 (later ordered to be withdrawn from circulation by the General Assembly of Australia).
  • 7:30 Report Program Transcript – Trinity Church struggles for credibility after excommunications ABC TV, Reporter: Geoff Hutchison