Vineyard Churches

What's the story?

The Vineyard began in 1974 as a small Bible study in Los Angeles. It quickly grew making it necessary to start other home groups and a Sunday service. In the next few years, thousands of people received Christ and experienced God's moving in many ways during the Sunday service as well as in the small home groups. Shortly after that, many went out to start other Vineyard churches in California, each having the emphasis on worship, relationships, healing and training.

In the spring of 1982, John Wimber and several other pastors joined with the Vineyard. A short time later it became clear that God had called John to oversee, pastor, train and encourage the other pastors under him.In 1987 the various Vineyard churches formed a formal church association called the Association of Vineyard Churches (AVC).

The churches are self-governing, but are overseen and encouraged on a voluntary basis by Pastoral Overseers. At present there are over 1200 Vineyard churches in more than 54 countries. God, however, has shown us not to seek to build the Vineyard, but instead to seek His Kingdom and to build His Church, to bless what He's blessing, to love what He loves, and to give ourselves away freely. Prior to 1995 there had been a number of very successful Vineyard conferences run in Australia. However it was not until 1995 that the first Vineyard churches were commenced in Australia. These were in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.

On the 13th March, 2003 the Vineyard churches of Australia were realeased and recognised as their own national movement and so the Association of Vineyard Churches, Australia was born. On this night Peter and Kathy Downes were commissioned as National Directors of the Vineyard and a new era was begun in the history of the Australian Vineyard.