The branch welcomes those who are committed to the mission of CMS to become members or renew their membership with us.
As a member of a CMS branch you are in active fellowship with like-minded others, benefiting from opportunities to be engaged together in eternally enduring and globally significant work, and the joy of seeing lives changed for Christ around the world. Membership of CMS SANT is a personal investment that includes praying, caring, giving and going (or sending).
Membership enables participation and voting at members meetings (including the Annual General Meeting), through which members engage together in seeing the Objects of CMS-A effectively implemented, and at which board and management give account for the manner in which the branch is being run.
Branch members are required to re-affirm their membership every five years.
To become a member (or renew your membership), with voting rights, you must agree with the Statements of Faith, the Principles and Objects of CMS Australia, and the governing Rules of the branch.
Read more – Membership Overview Document
Statements of Faith
The Apostle’s Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
What we believe about mission:
- God, the Creator, has made himself fully known in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the unchanging truth of his written word, the Bible.
- God commands all people everywhere to repent and believe the good news. In love and through the sacrificial, substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of his Son, God saves his elect people from his wrath and judgment and raises us to new life through the power of his Spirit.
- As God’s people we are called to proclaim this message in all the world that people might put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour and so be reconciled to God the Father, become members with us of his forgiven people and live by the Spirit under his rule, awaiting the coming restoration of all things.
The Principles and Objects of CMS Australia
The Principles
- The Church Missionary Society was first established as the Church Missionary Society of Australia, an unincorporated association, in September 1916. This association was incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act in 1996.
- The Church Missionary Society traces its roots back to the Church Missionary Society of the United Kingdom, founded in 1799.
- The Church Missionary Society is a fellowship of Christian people committed to take part together in world mission. It is a voluntary society of members of the Anglican Church of Australia and other churches, based upon those evangelical and protestant principles of the Church Missionary Society of the United Kingdom from its foundation.
- CMS-A is a company formed by the Branches to most effectively further their work.
The Objects
The objects of CMS-A are to facilitate the work of the Church Missionary Society Branches for the coming of God’s Kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel of Christ throughout the world in fellowship with local churches, and in particular:
- To send members of Branches as missionaries overseas and to North Australia;
- To deepen Christian commitment to evangelism and its attendant social responsibilities;
- To support Missionaries and their work by prayer, giving and pastoral care;
- To engage in cross-cultural evangelism;
- To help educate the Australian Church in its responsibilities to this mission;
- To act as trustee and to perform and discharge the duties and functions incidental thereto where this is incidental or conducive to the attainment of these Objects; and
- To do such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of these Objects.
Rules of Association
Please read this document – Rules of Association