The Gospel Coalition Australia has been formed, as a way of “maintaining real gospel partnerships and unity across the nation.”

Conservative evangelical pastors Tim Keller and Don Carson formed The Gospel Coalition network of reformed churches around the world 9 years ago. Their website has been at the heart of a conservative, Calvinist movement within US churches.

The Australian chapter was announced today by CS Tang, Director of new established church planting network City to City Australia and senior pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Sydney.

In the announcement, Tang says the size of Australia and diversity of Christianity within it, as well as Australia’s engagement with the existing site, necessitated the formation of a local Gospel Coalition.

He says that Sydney contributes more pageviews to the Gospel Coalition website than any other city in the world, saying that younger preachers featured on the site are gaining “significant virtual followings”.

“Given all these factors, it became obvious to us that we are living at a moment of significant opportunity here in Australia for visible fellowship and purposeful cooperation in the work of the gospel,” he writes.

A Council has been formed of 13 men from across Australia built on “existing relational networks”, covering a range of denominations.

The group will meet for the first time in early August with the executive director of TGC to advise them on the road ahead.

On what to expect of TGC Australia, Tang writes: “We have no fixed agenda other than to build gospel partnerships and then do whatever we can to promote the same kind of gospel-driven relationships across our nation as we work together for the sake of Jesus Christ.”

TGC Australia will be self-governing and self-financing.

The members of the Gospel Coalition Australia Council are:
Peter Adam – Vicar Emeritus at St Jude’s Carlton, Melbourne.
Alistair Bain – Senior minister at St John’s Presbyterian Church, Hobart.
Neil Chambers – Senior pastor of Bundoora Presbyterian Church, Melbourne.
Ray Galea – Senior Pastor of the Multicultural Bible Ministry (MBM) Rooty Hill, Sydney
Paul Harrington – rector at Holy Trinity, Adelaide.
David Jones – Senior pastor of Ann Street Presbyterian Church in Brisbane
Rick Lewers is bishop of the Armidale Anglican Diocese.
Gary Millar – Principal of Queensland Theological College
Andrew Reid – Lead Pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Doncaster, Melbourne.
Bill Salier – Vice Principal of Moore Theological College.
Rory Shiner – Senior Pastor of Providence Church in Perth.
David Starling – Lecturer in New Testament and Theology at Morling College, Sydney.
CS Tang – Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian, Sydney.