Bible colleges affiliated with Australian Christian Churches refers to
Bible college
A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute, is an evangelical Christian or Restoration Movement Christian institution of higher education which prepares students for Christian ministry with theological ed ...
s that are registered with
Australian Christian Churches
The Australian Christian Churches (ACC), formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, is a network of Pentecostal churches in Australia affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the w ...
, a
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementdenomination. Australian Christian Churches currently has eight registered Bible colleges, that train aspiring ACC pastors, leaders, evangelists and missionaries as well as people from other denominations and other aspirations. Alphacrucis is the official ministry training college of the denomination.
Official colleges
Alphacrucis
In 1948, Commonwealth Bible College was established as the official ministry training
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offerin ...
of Australian Christian Churches. The college moved from
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
to
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
, then to Katoomba. In 1993, under a new incorporation, the college became Southern Cross College of the Assemblies of God in Australia, simply known as Southern Cross College. In 1996, the College moved to
Chester Hill
Chester Hill, a suburb of the City of Canterbury-Bankstown local government area, is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is part of Western Sydney, Chester Hil ...
in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
. In 2009, the college adopted a new name ''Alphacrucis'' launched at the ACC National Conference. Alphacrucis and Harvest Bible College merged in 2018, established in 1985, Harvest had campuses at Scoresby Victoria; Perth; Brisbane and on the Gold Coast; and in Denmark and the United Kingdom
Hillsong International Leadership College
Hillsong International Leadership College
Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a global charismatic Christian megachurch based in Australia.
The original church was established in 1983 as Hills Christian Life Centre, in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, by Brian Houston a ...
, established in 1988, has its campus at Baulkham Hills, New South Wales. The college relies on its courses being accredited by Alphacrusis. When Hillsong became its own denomination, it is no longer a college of
Australian Christian Churches
The Australian Christian Churches (ACC), formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, is a network of Pentecostal churches in Australia affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the w ...
.
Other colleges
*ICI College Australia, at
Legana
Legana is a rural and residential locality in the local government area (LGA) of West Tamar in the Launceston LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-east of the town of Beaconsfield. The 2016 census has a population of 4029 for th ...
a suburb of
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copie ...
*Influencers School (previously Paradise College of Ministries), operated by
Influencers Church
Influencers Church, formerly Paradise Community Church, is a Pentecostal church affiliated to the Assemblies of God, with congregations in the state of South Australia, Australia, and in the southern United States. It was founded in Adelaide in ...
in
Paradise, South Australia
Paradise is a northeastern suburb of Adelaide in South Australia. It is bounded on the north side by the River Torrens. Amongst its neighboring suburbs are Highbury, Dernancourt, Athelstone, Newton and Campbelltown.
Paradise is in the City of ...
*Southland Training Australia
Relationship between ordination and academics in the ACC
Mainline church denominations generally require their pastors to have graduated from one of their own denominational theological colleges in order to be ordained. This is not the case in the ACC. Pastors and leaders can be ordained as long as they meet certain conditions set by the ACC, yet the academic conditions do not require that candidates have studied at Alphacrucis or any other registered ACC college. At one level this allows for an autonomy at a local church level which is unheard of in mainline churches. However, it also has called into question how there can even be a true and official ministry training college for the ACC.
Mainline churches generally require a bachelor's degree in either ministry or theology plus units which cover the denominational distinctives. This usually equates to about five years full-time higher educational study. Again, at the ACC this is not the case. In fact the minimum academic requirement by the ACC is that candidates "have undertaken a recognised Bible study course and/or given evidence to the interviewing committee that he/she is equipped by private reading and study to fulfill the relevant ministry." This generally equates to a Certificate IV in Ministry. This is in line with ACC's understanding of priority of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit over and above academic training and allows a lot of autonomy at a local church level. But again, it has called into question how there really can be any official training colleges for the ACC, as whether someone has studied there or even done any formal study at all is unnecessary for ordination.