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About Us

IREC (GRII) Springvale is a church plant initiated by IREC (GRII) Melbourne, which has been faithfully serving the Melbourne community since 1997. As part of the global movement of the International Reformed Evangelical Church (IREC), headquartered in Jakarta, we are one of over 80 branches both in Indonesia and internationally.

Founded and led by Reverend Dr. Stephen Tong, IREC’s vision is to restore a theology grounded in the revelation of God through the Holy Scriptures, as pioneered by the Reformers, and to ignite the spirit of evangelism to preach the Gospel and introduce the power of salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ.

At IREC Springvale, we embrace this same vision. Our purpose is to reach students, families, workers, and the communities in Melbourne’s East and South East suburbs, which are rapidly growing and increasingly diverse.

Our desire and mission is for every individual to be a disciple deeply rooted in Christ, continually growing in His Word, and sharing the love, peace, and joy that He has graciously given us through His sacrifice on the cross. We aim to build strong, vibrant communities that will, in turn, impact the world for the glory of God.

Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.

On the third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

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.

Amen.

Nicene-Constantinople Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
begotten from the Father before all ages,
God from God,
Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made;
of the same essence as the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven;
he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,
and was made human.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried.
The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life.
He proceeds from the Father and the Son,
and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
He spoke through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and to life in the world to come. Amen.

Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church Creed

God

We believe in the only living and true God, everlasting and His existence depends upon himself, which transcends and precedes all creation; who in eternity exists in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God; Who created the universe out of nothing by His powerful Word; who sustains and governs all things that have been created by Him and maintain His eternal statutes.

The Bible

We believe that the Old Testament and the New Testament is the perfect revelation of God that is inspired by the Holy Spirit to the authors thus the Bible is completely inerrant in the original manuscripts. The Bible gives testimony of the Holy Spirit, and is the sole and absolute authority for faith and life, both for individuals, churches, as well as communities. We believe that the Bible is inerrant of all the things that it taught, including matters concerning the history and science.

Human

We believe that human beings was created uniquely in God’s image, created with holiness, justice and true recognition; and was commanded by God to understand and to live up to God’s thoughts as a devout convenant custodian: he was entrusted to govern and rule over God’s other creations for the glory of God. We believe that all aspects of life must be lived under the commandment of God as an expression of obedience to God’s laws.

Sin

We believe that what has happened in Adam as representative of humanity, results in the entire human race falling into sin and death; spiritually dead, deserving the just wrath of God, without hope and without help for salvation, either from himself or from outside himself or even from the world.

Covenant of Grace

We believe that God in eternity has made covenant with his chosen people, with Jesus Christ as the Head; that through the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ and His death as a substitute for man on the cross, Christ has satisfied the demands of God’s wrath against his people.
Through the power of the resurrection of Christ, God continually calls and gather His people from all ages and all nations to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation for His glory.

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Triune God, true God and true man, the only savior of mankind; which has been conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; lived a sinless life, was crucified to death and rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father to intercede for his people as the High Priest, the victorious and full of understanding; that He will come again in his glorious body, visually and suddenly to judge the living and the dead.

The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Triune God, the Divine inspirator of the Bible, that convicts people of their sins through His Word, regenerating them, so that the growing faith and repentance to Jesus Christ bring people to salvation; He equips believers with the power to obey God’s laws; He gave the Church of Jesus Christ gifts for ministry of the saints; He intercedes for believers with unspoken groaning for and until the day of the glorification of God’s people.

Church and Mission

We believe in one holy universal Church, composed of all the elect of God of all times which are now partially absorbed in the local churches; The local church should be an expression of the nature of holy and universal Church by maintaining purity in accordance with the teachings of the Bible, by giving precedence to unity based on truth in the bond of love between the various local churches and denominations that exist, to radiate the glory of God.

Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church Evangelism Creed

  1. I believe in the Gospel as the power of God to save everyone who believes.
  2. I believe in one God in Three Persons, the Creator of man and the world, Supreme Judge for all the sins and the source of human salvation.
  3. I believe the fall of man as a historical fact that pollutes human nature in total. Therefore, human beings are not able to save themselves.
  4. I believe in the grace of a sovereign God to human beings who are not worthy to receive salvation, who has chosen His people in His supreme wisdom is supreme by His eternal decree, and act in a dynamic process of history, to redeem them in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
  5. I believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ through the virgin birth, His sinless life, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension are historical facts that make up the essence and message of the gospel, as the only means to obtain God’s salvation.
  6. I believe in the power of the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses, contained in his sacrifice that is the substitution, propitiation, redemption, and atonement, which gives new life to human beings.
  7. I believe that the Gospel is the only good news, which provides the basis for a joyful life and eternal hope for mankind. Evangelism is:
    • The testimony of true Christians who submit to the commands of God
    • Creating personal encounters between sinful people and God, through Jesus Christ
    • The reason that leads to saving faith in human heart
    • The key to church growth and joy in His eternal presence
  8. I believe in repentance as evidence of new birth in the Holy Spirit which produces true faith in Jesus Christ and produces fruits of new life.
  9. I believe in the anointing of the Holy Spirit in Evangelism in the forms of courage, wisdom, strength, and joy of bearing witness, to those who obey the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
  10. I believe in the finality of the Gospel, that it is perfect in itself, and cannot be replaced or compared, be it with religious thoughts, philosophy, and worldly good deeds (qualitatively different), or with cultural mandate and social concerns in the faiths of the Orthodox and Evangelicals (only as a complement of pre- and post-evangelization), or with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the miracles and signs in the Bible (that are sometimes used by God to bear witness to the Gospel). We must maintain the perfection of the Gospel.
  11. I believe in the never-changing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that is able to sustain the Elect and change society through the Elect’s testimonies until the day of the fulfillment of glorification on the day of Jesus’ second coming.

Get to know your Ministers

Rev. Budy Setiawan, M.Div.

“God’s wrath against sin is so great it takes His sacrificial love to cease it, God’s love to sinners is so great it can cease the wrath of the all powerful God.”

Rev. Budy Setiawan is the senior pastor of IREC Melbourne from 2006 until now. Previously he served as Rev. Stephen Tong’s assistant in IREC Singapore. Teaching and growing together with God’s people are the passions of his life. To equip and build God’s people to glorify God in all aspects of life is God’s call for him. He enjoys reading, outdoor, and playing table tennis. With his wife Lusi they are blessed with two teenage daughters, Valerie and Charissa.

Vic. Lim Yi Jin, M.Div.

“The gospel is no truth, and gives birth to no faith, without exclusivity; for truth never fails to offend lies.”

In 2014, Vic. Lim Yi Jin first came to Melbourne as an international student from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since then, he has been attending the International Reformed Evangelical Church (IREC) of Melbourne as a church member.

He then graduated from the University of Melbourne (B. Sci. in Microbiology and Immunology, 2016) and went on to complete his pastoral training at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (M. Div. with Pastoral Emphasis, 2020). He is now serving in IREC Melbourne and Auckland as the assistant pastor under the leadership of Rev. Budy Setiawan.

Having experienced both the Eastern and Western cultures firsthand, Vic. Yi Jin is passionate about serving the bicultural minority, local and international alike, in this multicultural city.

Maria Lusiana, M.A.

“Change is moving in the right direction. It’s not about speed, distance, or perfection, but direction. – David Powlison”

Maria Lusiana began to think with her calling as a counselor when she was studying in the field of food processing. At that time, she experienced and saw the complexities and difficulties of human life in a sinful world. God’s clear call for her, has led to a step of obedience to pursue in the field of ‘soul processing’, by completing the M.A. in Clinical Psychology. She started serving in the field of Christian counseling to Indonesian-speaking congregations since 2000.

Elder Paul Tirtha

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms – 1 Peter 4:10”

Paul’s formal education is Bachelor in Architecture of Technical University Mainz-Germany. Having more than 20 years experience as an Architect and Interior Designer, in the year 2000 Paul migrated to Australia and founded his own company.

Since 2005 Paul has become a registered migration professional. Paul has extensive knowledge and experience in immigration matters and an in-depth understanding of government policy. Paul has a passion for helping people settle in Australia to experience a better life.

Paul is a Public Officer and Elder of the International Reformed Evangelical Church in Melbourne and participates actively as a Children Advocate of Compassion Australia. Paul married Meisy Sujudi and has 4 adult children and 5 grandsons and 4 grandaughters (2021).

Elder William Kwe

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom – Psalm 90:12”

William is a former Registered Building Practitioner (RBP) and Professional Engineer of Engineers Australia (MIEAust). He migrated to Australia in 2008 and was ordained as one of the church Elders in 2017, currently serving as an active minister in the church. He was recently involved in the renovation of IREC Melbourne whilst serving as a carer in a nursing home. In his spare time, he is a badminton player, a chess player, a cooking and gardening enthusiast. He is married to Lily and is blessed with three children – Jason, Janet and James.

Our Story

A Movement is not an organization. A movement is a burning zeal that rests upon a group of people,
which consequently influences other individuals to understand, profess, and accomplish
a significant task that would change the course of history

Est.2025

Scroll to know more about the second church branch and how GRII Springvale came to be

3
1989

The IREC (International Reformed Evangelical Church) Synode was established by Rev. Dr. Stephen Tong and Colleague in Jakarta, Indonesia

1996

IREC expanded to Melbourne and was founded with a small congregational fellowship

1997

The first official Sunday Service in IREC Melbourne was held

1998

First generation of baptism, confirmation of faith, and attestation

2006

Rev. Budy Setiawan and his family was sent to minister in IREC Melbourne

2007

The Language Interpretation Ministry for the Sunday Service began

2015

Inauguration of the IREC Melbourne church building in 552 City Road, South Melbourne

2016

The first English Service was held with live pulpit interpretation

2019

Initiatives and planning for expanding the church building were introduced

2020

Commencement of the first construction phase for building expansion

2020

Official appointment of Vic. Lim Yi Jin as assistant pastor in IREC Melbourne