The Presbyterian Church of Queensland (PCQ) is dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are lost, both here in Australia and elsewhere. In doing so, we remain firmly committed to the Reformed faith as the most consistent presentation and outworking of Biblical Christianity.
The PCQ is a part of the Christian Church throughout the world. It holds strongly to the Bible as its rule of faith and life. As a church, we have a passion for God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and a passion for people. This means that in all that we do we seek to bring glory to God and to be aware of where he is leading us through his Word and Holy Spirit.
The Presbyterian Church has had a presence in Australia since the settlement of Scottish immigrants, however the Presbyterian Church of Queensland officially commenced in 1876.
The Presbyterian Church of Australia is a federation of State Presbyterian Churches formed in 1901. Within this federation, the six State Churches preserve their own identity, although they have voluntarily handed over certain responsibilities to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. The PCQ also includes Darwin Presbyterian Church and performs administrative function for the Presbyterian Church of South Australia.
The Church’s name comes from the Greek word ‘presbuteros’, which is the word for an elder or a mature Christian leader in the New Testament. The use of the name Presbyterian reflects the Church’s aim to be faithful to the Bible’s teaching on authority structures in the Church. In its wider use, the name Presbyterian has also come to include the distinctive doctrine, discipline, worship and practice of the churches which returned to Biblical foundations in Europe at the time known as the Reformation.
Technically “Presbyterian” explains how the Church is governed by groups of leaders. Broadly speaking, the Presbyterian Church of Queensland is a Church where each congregation is connected with all the others through Presbytery (Regional) and Assembly (State-wide) governance. A Presbyterian Church does not function as an “Episcopal” or Bishop-led Church. There are no individuals with the power or authority of a ‘bishop’, as is the case in some other churches. On the other hand, the Presbyterian Church does not have a congregational governance structure where each congregation is basically autonomous. Instead, within the PCQ, elders are elected to lead and make decisions together as a “court” of the Congregation, the Presbytery, and the Assembly. Therefore, all decisions in the life of the Presbyterian Church are made by elders selected at a local congregational level.
What We Believe
In the PCQ, we firstly hold to God’s inspired words in the Bible, through which we come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. We are also a ‘confessional’ church. This means we have a written document that states concisely what we believe the Bible teaches. In the case of the Presbyterian Church, our ‘creed’ is called the Westminster Confession of Faith. It certainly is not equal with the Bible in authority, but helps us understand the Bible.
We believe the bible teaches that humanity was created for relationship with God. However, we were estranged from God because humans chose to live apart from him and his rule. This rejection of God is called Sin. Jesus Christ is the only way people can be reconciled and reconnected to God. Jesus willingly paid the penalty for our rebellion against God in his substitutionary death at the cross, opening the way for our forgiveness. Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that he has defeated death, making possible an eternity united with God for all who place their trust in Him. Forgiveness and eternal life are given to those who respond to Jesus with repentance and faith, turning from their defiance of God and humbly following Christ.
If you would like to know more about what it means to be a Christian and trust in Jesus Christ as your King and Rescuer, we encourage you to read the Gospel of Mark, find a local church that teaches the Bible, and check out at a simple outline of what it means to be a Christian, like the Two Ways To Live presentation or this video explanation of the Story of the Bible.