The Revival Centres International (Revival Centres Church) is a Pentecostal church with its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. In 2015 the Revival Centres International changed their name to Revival Centres Church.https://www.revivalcentres.org/faq-items/what-other-names-has-the-revival-centres-church-had/
The Revival Centres was established as a result of schism from the Commonwealth Revival Crusade in 1958.
The Revival Centres emphasizes the belief that "speaking in tongues" is essential to demonstrating one has received the Holy Spirit, and is therefore a saved Christian. This doctrinal position separates them from every major Pentecostal denomination with the exception of the United Pentecostal Church, which also bases its teaching on an idiosyncratic interpretation of Acts 2.B. Chant, Heart of Fire: The Story of Australian Pentecostalism, rev. ed., Tabor Publications, 1997; D.A. Reed, "In Jesus Name": The History and Beliefs of Oneness Pentecostals, Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series, 2008 The Revival Centres does not engage or affiliate with any other religious organisation.
Doctrine and Beliefs
The core belief of the Revival Centres Church is that speaking in tongues is the evidence of a person having received the Holy Spirit.Revival Centres Church - speaking in tongues {https://www.revivalcentres.org/speaking-in-tongues/} The church also believes that God heals, and that converts can expect ongoing life changing transformations.Revival Centres Church - Our Stories {https://www.revivalcentres.org/our-stories/}
The Revival Centres Church's statement of beliefs is:Revival Centres Church - Beliefs {https://www.revivalcentres.org/beliefs/}
Infallibility of the Word of God Jesus Christ is the Son of God The Gospel of His death, resurrection, and the directive to repent, be baptised, and receive the Holy Spirit Baptism into the Body of Christ (the Church) through the Holy Spirit, with the Bible evidence of speaking in tongues Miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Church Prayer for the sick and healing by the power of God The Bible instructs the Spirit-filled believer on how to live an overcomer’s life The Bible describes God’s plan for this world and gives signs of the soon return of Jesus Christ
Demographics
The Revival Centres claims over 1000 assemblies in 20 countries. According to 2021 census data, 735 Australians identified as members of the Revival Centres in that year. At the census undertaken twenty years earlier, the figure was 3,856 Religious Affiliation in Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics
Church genealogy
Early schisms
The predecessor of the Revival Centres was the Commonwealth Revival Crusade, which began as the National Revival Crusade in 1945. The Crusade was itself the result of schism with the Assembly of God over the issue of the so-called British-Israel identity. In 1952 Lloyd Longfield deposed pastor Tom Foster to assume control of the Melbourne assembly, ostensibly over the latter's deliverance ministry. This resulted in the Melbourne work being divided, with Foster and Longfield leading competing Crusade assemblies. The Revival Centres of Australia (as they were then known) was established in 1958 by Noel Hollins and Lloyd Longfield, when the pair withdrew from the Crusade after refusing to ratify the proposed national constitution.D. Cooper, Flames of Revival: The continuing story of the Christian Revival Crusade celebrating Fifty Years of Pentecostal Witness, CRC National Executive, 1995, pp. 79, 97, 98 They experienced schism again in 1972 when the founders disfellowshipped each other, thereby dividing the work into two factions. Lloyd Longfield's group remained the 'Revival Centres of Australia' while Noel Hollins' group became the 'Geelong Revival Centres' and affiliated assemblies.
Carn Brae
One of the earliest Revival Centre purchases was in March 1966 when the Revival Centres paid almost $100,000 for a property in Harcourt Street, Auburn in Melbourne to develop as a church meeting place. The land included a large seventeen-roomed mansion formerly the residence of the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, known as Carn Brae. Nearby residents feared the building of a hall on the property would spoil the previously quiet character of the area, and their protests made newspaper headlines in Victoria and interstate.The Herald newspaper, 3/3/66The Sun newspaper, 5/3/66 Permission to build a hall on the property was ultimately denied. Lloyd Longfield lived in the property for several years, and used the property for various church related functions.Truth article 'Sect that makes a Fortune', 5/9/70
Forum Theatre
The Forum Theatre (formerly known as the "State Theatre") is a famous "Moorish Revival" style theatre located on the corner of Flinders Street and Russell Street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. When the theatre was first built by Bohringer, Taylor & Johnson in 1929, it had the largest seating capacity in Australia, holding 3371 people.Thorne, Ross, Picture Palace Architecture in Australia, Sun Books Pty. Ltd., South Melbourne, Victoria, 1976. In 1985 it was purchased by the Revival Centres International for use as its International headquarters. In 1995 the property was sold to Staged Developments Australia, who redeveloped it for use as a film and concert venue.
General meeting format
The Revival Centres normally holds a midweek meeting in the form of decentralised house groups, and at least one full assembly meeting each Sunday, generally two. Both meeting types are expected to contain most of the following elements:Revival Centres International - About Us
Community singing or "choruses" led by a song leader. Welcome and opening prayer. Personal Testimonies, given by church members. Sermon or "talk" given by a pastor or a male leader. Women are not permitted to become pastors, nor are they permitted to preach from the platform. Sharing of the Communion "elements" (bread and grape juice) representing body and blood of Christ. Normally once a week at the Sunday meeting. Operation of the Spirituals Gifts or "Voice Gifts" by church members. i.e. containing speaking in tongues, interpretation of that tongue and prophecy. Prayer line or "laying on of hands" for people with needs, by church leaders. Donations or "tithing". Church Activities Announcements. Closing prayer. Social time after meeting.
Spiritual gatherings and practices A common practice for Revival Centres members is to gather together each year at various camp venues during Christmas and Easter holidays as a Spiritual Retreat.Revival Centres International - About Us Each year the Melbourne assembly hosts an international convention during the Australian King's Birthday weekend. Some countries and areas hold annual local rallies throughout the year.Revival Centres International - About Us Revival Centres members are voluntarily active in evangelising or "outreaching", individually or in groups.Revival Centres International - About Us Various assemblies run activities for a Young Revivalists group (generally in the 10 to 14 years age group); the Young People group (generally 15 to 21 years age group), and the Revival Rangers group (5 to 10 years age group).Revival Centres International - About Us
Missions
Revival Centres International emphasis is on equipping local people to run their own assemblies. They have no standing missionaries, preferring to train and encourage the locals, thereby avoiding paternalism. They strongly support and encourage members in the "mission fields" through regular visits, and where financially possible, by bringing groups to the annual convention in Australia each year. Visits are made by pastors and officers as part of an ongoing program of support, but also by groups of assembly members and young peoples groups.Revival Centres International - Missions
British Israelism and statements on racism
The Revival Centres International statement about British Israelism is that it draws together biblical and historical clues identifying The Anglo Saxon Celtic peoples as the Lost Tribes of Israel, and that countries comprising majority Anglo Saxon Celtic peoples are therefore inheritors of God's promises to the Old Testament nation of Israel. They believe God's intention for Israel was that they would be a blessing to all the families (nations, ethnic groupings etc.) of the earth, not that they would form some kind of master race. Some of these "British Israel" identifying features include linking emblems of modern-day nations to Israel emblems from the Bible, such as the UK Royal coat of arms and the seal of the president of the United States.Barker, Brain, The Symbols of Sovereignty, The Alden Press, Oxford, 1979Ransome, Cyril, A Short History of England, Longmans Green & Co., 1897 The identifications also includes links of the mottos of the emblems to biblical descriptions.A.J. Ferris, Britain and America Revealed as IsraelMurray, C.M., Tracing Our Celto-Saxon Roots
The Revival Centres believes all human beings have been created in the image of God; they have equal value in God's sight, and that salvation is open to all. They note they have members from all major ethnic groups and that church members share fellowship with members from all ethnic groups and intermarry.Revival Centres International - FAQ
The British Israel theory of racial and national identity has been discredited on biblical, historical, ethnological, genetic, philological, linguistic and archaeological grounds,Tudor Parfitt, The Lost Tribes of Israel: The History of a Myth, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2002 but it remains an important point of belief for the Revival Centres International. Critically, the British Israel message was racially and nationally motivated from its invention in the 18th century, and consolidation in the 1850s. It provided a justification for the colonial expansion of the British Empire, and was promoted in earnest within the Church of England after the Second World War to bolster the belief that Great Britain and her dominions were favored by God, in spite of the rapidly declining influence of said Empire.G. Neal, "Imperial British-Israelism: Justification for an Empire", Master of Divinity thesis, Duke University Divinity School, 1987
Second Coming
The Revival Centres believes and adheres to an interpretation of Jesus' prophecies about his soon return.Revival Centres International - Beliefs During the 1980s the Revival Centres taught Armageddon and Jesus's return were imminent – holding events such as the "Survival '82" outreach. In the June/July 1984 issue of the Voice of Revival Magazine, Lloyd Longfield wrote an editorial claiming that Jesus Christ would return to earth no later than 17 September 2001. Simon Longfield publicly acknowledged this error: "We need to keep a faith focus in our ministry and take care not to make unbiblical claims or statements. There was a time in the early ‘80s where the careful editorial scrutiny of Voice of Revival was lost for a time and some unwise things were published. One of these ‘chickens has come home to roost’. It was claimed that the Lord would return at a specific date and time. This has appeared on the Internet to our detriment."Simon Longfield, Plenary Address to the "We believe ..." Pastor's Conference, Vodaphone Arena Melbourne, Saturday 9th June 2001 (published Minutes)