No. 997 - Forest - The Forest Christian Centre

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Forest is a small settlement off the Bass Highway about 12 kilometres south of Stanley in Tasmania’s far North West. The early settlers referred to the area as "the forest" and when an official name was needed it became simply "Forest".

The Forest Christian Centre is situated at the intersection of Mengha Road and Backline Road. The church falls under the umbrella of the Association of Christian Community Churches in Victoria and Tasmania. The association describes itself as “a movement of like-minded local churches, predominantly of a Christian Brethren heritage, that have united under a common vision and mission, set of beliefs and core values”.

The church was originally established as the Forest Union Church which opened in 1894. (This will be the subject of an upcoming article). The Union Church was to become the home of the Christian Brethren shortly after the turn of the 20th century. The original church adjoins the new hall which was constructed in the 1970s.

The Christian Brethren originated in Great Britain in the 1820s. By the mid 19th century the movement had spread to Australia, with the first revival meetings held in Tasmania from 1869. As a result, fellowships were formed in Hobart, Launceston, the Huon Valley, Smithton, Sheffield, Wynyard, Burnie and Scottsdale by the close of the 1870s. The Brethren placed an emphasis on weekly communion, the baptism of believers by immersion, and evangelism. The Christian Brethren should not be confused with the 'Exclusive Brethren’, (now known as the Plymouth Brethren) a restrictive group which broke away in 1848.

In Tasmania, most Brethren churches are 'open', unlike the 'exclusive' Brethren who avoid contact with outsiders. The 'open' Brethren carry-out community work, including overseas missions.

Additional information about this church is welcomed as all articles are continually updated. I can be contacted through this page or my Facebook page "Churches of Tasmania" which is linked here: Churches of Tasmania.




The original Union Church - which has been extended and reclad.




Further information:

https://cccvat.com.au/directory/tas/forest-christian-centre-the







Comments

  1. JvO22 September 2021 at 18:45

    I did, but it was not recorded

    ReplyDelete
  2. JvO22 September 2021 at 19:12

    I'll try to recover it if I can. Basically it went like this; " Ponder anew what the Almighty can do ", for us as BASIC, Brothers and Sisters in Christ a very basic Christian concept. The Bible is full of it, Brother let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you.

    ReplyDelete

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