Who Are the Christadelphians?

The Christadelphians are a small religious body who have attempted to get back to the the faith and character of the first century followers of Christ. The name "Christadelphians" comes from two Greek words and means "brothers (and sisters) in Christ" (Col 1:2; Heb 2:11). 

We accept the Bible as our only guide and believe it to be the inspired word of God. Membership is extended to those with similar beliefs after being baptised (fully immersed in water).

We are located in many countries throughout the world, with large groups of Christadelphians in Australia and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, South America, East and South-East Asia and Africa. We meet in church halls, homes, and rented spaces such as classrooms, perhaps in a similar way to the first century Christians (Acts 1:13-14; 2:46-47; 18:7; 19:9; 28:30).

We are a lay community generally patterned after first century Christianity. Each congregation (church or ecclesia) is independent without any paid clergy or church hierarchy. Each local ecclesia elects a small management committee  to organise ecclesial activities but the committee is accountable to the local ecclesial members. All members contribute their time and energy voluntarily in service to God. A strong common belief binds our community together (Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:4-27; Gal 3:28).

Our Beginnings

Many believers since the apostles have held the same faith at the Christadelphians. There have been countless independent communities around the world who have eagerly studied the Bible and accepted its simple teachings.

The Christadelphians as a specific movement trace their history to the mid-1800s. In 1830, an English physician named John Thomas sailed to America. On the voyage, the ship met some unexpected bad weather and nearly sank. For the first time, Dr Thomas faced the reality of his own mortality and was dismayed to discover that he was not sure what lay beyond death. In the midst of the storm he vowed that, should he survive, he would not rest until he had found a satisfactory answer. He did survive and kept his vow, beginning a life-long search for the Biblical truth. 

It soon became evident that many of the doctrines that were popularly taught were inconsistent with the Bible. Dissatisfied, Dr Thomas devoted himself to a careful independent study of the Scriptures. He made no claim to any vision or any personal revelation.

The work of Dr Thomas attracted the support of many others in America and Britain who were convinced of the truth of his conclusions. Together they formed the Christadelphian community. The congregations became a recognised movement and took their present name in 1864, during the American Civil War. Believers on both sides of the conflict objected to fighting on the grounds of conscience and were prepared to be imprisoned as a result of their beliefs. Their position as conscientious objectors would only be allowed if they were a member of a recognised religious group, and so the name Christadelphian was chosen.

Thomas did not claim a positon of leadership in the Christadelphian community. Instead he was careful to insist, as Christadelphians still do today, that he had simply been instrumental in promoting a return to the original teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since then, Christadelphian communities have been established in many countires all over the world. 

Early Beginnings and Regional Foundations

The Christadelphian faith gained its initial momentum in the Otago and Southland regions during the late 19th century. Over the decades, small communities of believers emerged across Southland, establishing early meeting spots in local homes and regional centers, including nearby Riverton and Dipton. These early believers frequently faced challenges due to their core stance as conscientious objectors during the First and Second World Wars. 

The Invercargill Ecclesia

As the community grew, Christadelphians in Invercargill consolidated into a formal congregation (traditionally referred to by members as an ecclesia).

The Jed Street Hall: For many years the Invercargill Ecclesia met in a rented space. The dedicated members came together to purchase and renovate the current Christadelphian Bible Hall located at 28 Jed Street in the Invercargill City Centre in the late 1960s. The hall serves as the primary meeting place for our Sunday memorial services, Sunday school classes, public Bible addresses, and regular Bible study classes.

Today our ecclesia is made up of 72 baptised members along with some of our friends, family and children.