Australia Ministry
serving in the “land down under”
Ministry History
In 1993, at the invitation of key Christian leaders, Mr. Gothard presented the first live
Australian Basic Seminar in Adelaide. From that time, the seminar ministry has expanded
to include presentations not only of the Basic Seminar, but also of the Advanced Seminar,
Anger Resolution Seminar, Financial Freedom Seminar, and Children’s Institute
annually. Selected seminars have been held in major cities, including Perth,
Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra, and in smaller community settings. Besides continuing
to staff and host these seminars, IBLP staff members at the Yarra Training Centre
also send seminar publications and other materials ordered from
the online
store
.
Since 1993, several teams have traveled from the United States and Canada to Victoria, working to establish a branch of IBLP in Australia. In 1999, the government of Victoria invited the Institute to begin a juvenile rehabilitation program in Australia. That same year, the Yarra Training Centre in Lilydale (on the eastern edge of Melbourne) was obtained for coordinating the work. The Willow Grove Training Centre, about two hours from Yarra, is an additional site prepared to host young men in training. In 2000, IBLP Australia was incorporated as an official ministry.
Besides these exciting developments, nearly 50 Australian families have now enrolled in the ATI program. Staff members at the Yarra Training Centre host an ATI Conference for these families annually, and they host other training events for them at the Training Centre.