Edge Church (formerly Southside Christian Church) is a Pentecostal Christian church affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, the Assemblies of God in Australia. The church is currently pastored by Jonathan and Rebecca Fontanarosa.
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Establishment
Edge Church International was originally called Southside Christian Church when it was established in 1994. Danny Guglielmucci established Edge Church South in May of that year, with just 80 people in a small building at O'Halloran Hill.
During the next 18 months the church prospered and grew at an incredible rate. Filled to capacity, new premises were desperately needed. The church relocated to what had previously been the Old Reynella Markets in Old Reynella. In 2001, over A$640,000 was given by the congregation in one offering enabling the purchase of the property.
Church growth
In 2001 a second congregation called Edge Church City was established. Initially meeting at the Wonderland Ballroom in Hawthorn, the City congregation was forced to move seven times in two years as it experienced rapid growth. Finally, in 2003 the church took up residence in the former Investigator Science & Technology Centre building at the Adelaide Showgrounds.
Westside Assembly of God at Findon became Edge Church West in 2006. Edge Church has an association with Tabor College Adelaide, as Gugliemucci was involved in its foundation.The Church also established a congregation in the United Kingdom in January 2008, led by Nick Resce and Jason Gowland. After two years, Resce moved back to Australia and left Edge Church. In 2014, Gowland, too, left the organisation and moved to another church in the UK. Edge Church Bristol UK has already seen growth.
Community involvement
Edge Church has grown into a large Pentecostal church that operates through partnership on several projects with many other churches across Adelaide. For example, the church has worked with over 30 other churches to renovate Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital and the Adelaide Women's Prison.
Finances
In its 2007 annual report the church recorded a 12 per-cent rise in revenue to $5.53 million. In addition, the 2007 annual report showed a net asset-base of $11.56 million, up from $4.01 million the previous year, including a $4.5 million donation of the land and property of Findon-based Westside Christian Church.
Attendees of the church contribute a tithe (one tenth) of their income to support the church. Church members contributed $3.12 million in tithes in the 2007 financial year, up from $2.64 million the previous year.
"General Tithes" for Edge Church International in the 2009/10 financial year decreased by 10% from the previous year and totaled $3.41 million.
Membership
The Reynella church has a database of 3400 people and the Findon, South Australia location has a congregation of more than 250.