Draft:Temple Christian College

• Comment: Primary sources do not establish notability per WP:ORG. DoubleGrazing (talk) 09:07, 21 June 2026 (UTC)

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Temple Christian College
Adelaide, South Australia
Information
Type	Independent Christian school
Motto	Pursuing Excellence for the Glory of God
Religious affiliation	Christian
Established	1983
Executive Principal	Marcel Rijken
Mile End Campus Principal	Magan Schaefer
Paralowie Campus Principal	Ben Bleby
Marion Middle School Principal	Henry Engelbrecht
Colors	Green   Red   Gold

Temple Christian College (TCC) is a non-denominational, Christian, co-educational secondary school located in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Operating across multiple campuses, it caters to students in Years 7 to 12 and is governed by Adelaide Christian Schools (ACS), a ministry of Adelaide Christian Centre.

History

Temple Christian College traces its origins to the Christian education vision of the Adelaide Christian Centre (formerly the Adelaide Crusade Centre), founded in 1945 by Pastor Leo Harris. Harris was a prominent figure in Australian Pentecostalism and founded the CRC Churches International movement, which grew into a significant Pentecostal network across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. The Adelaide Christian Centre later established Sunrise Christian School in 1978, a primary school created to provide education based on Christian values and biblical teaching.

Following requests from families for a Christian secondary education pathway, plans began for the establishment of a secondary school. The vision was strongly supported by Bruce Robson, a former Deputy Headmaster of Pulteney Grammar School, who desired to create a Christ-centred and Bible-based secondary school. After working with Adelaide Christian Centre leadership, including Pastor Ian Simpson and Pastor David Rodway, the first Temple College Council was formed to oversee the creation of the school.

Temple Christian College opened in 1983 with 35 Year 8 students, two full-time teachers, and three part-time teachers. The school initially operated from rented facilities at Tabor Bible College in Unley Park, before purchasing the Thomas Hardy & Sons building at 2 Henley Beach Road, Mile End, in 1984. This site became the school’s founding campus and remains the location of its senior campus.

The school expanded throughout its early years, adding additional year levels until its first Year 12 graduating class completed studies in 1987. In 1994, the school changed its name from Temple College to Temple Christian College. Further development during the 1990s included expansion of facilities at Mile End, the introduction of student leadership programs, and preparation for future campus growth.

In 2001, Temple Christian College opened a second campus in Adelaide’s northern suburbs at 17 Countess Street, Paralowie. Originally known as the Bethany Campus, the site was established to provide Christian secondary education for families in the northern suburbs and initially offered Years 7 and 8. The campus later became known as the Paralowie Campus.

In 2006, Adelaide Christian Schools (ACS) was formally established, bringing Temple Christian College and Sunrise Christian School under unified governance while maintaining their shared Christian foundation. The organisation was created to strengthen collaboration between the schools and support their continued growth.

Following the retirement of long-serving Principal Brian Hagger in 2006, Marcel Rijken was appointed Principal in 2007. Under his leadership, the school underwent significant development, including improvements to facilities, technology, student opportunities, and mission programs. During this period, students began participating in international service experiences, including trips to Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.

From 2019, Temple Christian College began operating a Middle School program at the Sunrise Christian School Marion Campus, providing a local Years 7–9 pathway before students transition to the Mile End Campus for senior schooling.

Today, Temple Christian College continues to operate as part of Adelaide Christian Schools, with campuses at Mile End, Paralowie, and Marion. The school’s vision remains focused on “Pursuing Excellence for the Glory of God”, with an emphasis on developing students in character, service, and influence.

Governance and Affiliation

Temple Christian College is a member school of Adelaide Christian Schools (ACS), the governing body that oversees a network of schools in South Australia and internationally. ACS currently governs nine Australian schools, including Sunrise Christian School campuses in Adelaide and Whyalla, along with Sunrise Bethel Christian School in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

ACS is itself a ministry of Adelaide Christian Centre, the parent church affiliated with CRC Churches International, a Pentecostal denomination operating in multiple countries across the Asia-Pacific.

The college's Board of Governors consists of the Elders of Adelaide Christian Centre, supported by local Advisory Groups and Committees to ensure community input at each campus.

Mission and Values

The college's guiding vision - "Pursuing Excellence for the Glory of God" - has remained unchanged since the school's founding in 1983. The mission is centered on three core pillars:

• Character - developing Christian character through a growing relationship with God
• Service - fostering a heart for serving others and the community
• Influence - equipping students to be a Christ-like influence in their school, workplace, and broader community

These pillars are supported by a set of values that includes Faith, Community, Integrity, Resilience, Creativity, Learning and Empathy.

Staff and Ethos

All staff at Temple Christian College - including full-time and part-time teachers, temporary relief teachers, and instrumental and vocal teachers - are required to be practicing Christians, capable of modelling Christian life for students. Temple Christian College was notably the first school in South Australia to include a Christian Ethos Statement for Staff in a school enterprise agreement.

Student Community

The college is home to approximately one thousand students annually across its campuses. The school community emphasizes participation in co-curricular activities, including regular Chapel services and faith-based activities, as an integral part of campus life.

Notable People

Alumni

Temple Christian College has produced graduates who have gone on to pursue careers in a variety of fields including business, education, ministry, sport, and the arts. The school's Old Collegiate Association (TOCA), established in 2020, serves as the official alumni association for former students and graduates.

• Simela Petridis: singer, music educator, and Australian Idol contestant. Petridis attended Temple Christian College and later gained national recognition as a finalist on the 2026 season of Australian Idol, where she reached the Top 8. She has also worked as a secondary school music and arts teacher in South Australia.

Staff

Australian singer Guy Sebastian, who rose to national prominence as the winner of the first season of ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, taught vocals at Temple Christian College prior to his music career. Sebastian also worked as a recording engineer and studied music technology at the University of Adelaide's Elder Conservatorium during this period.

News and controversies

Same-sex marriage postal survey

In September 2017, Principal Marcel Rijken wrote to school families urging them to vote "no" in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey. Rijken argued that legalizing same-sex marriage would threaten the school's ability to teach a traditional Christian view of marriage, describing the notion that the Constitution would adequately protect religious freedom as "patently absurd". He stated that resolving the issue might require "expensive litigation through to the High Court" that the school would not necessarily be able to fund. The letter was reported by The Advertiser.

Public transport dispute

In November 2013, Principal Marcel Rijken publicly criticised the South Australian government for altering public transport timetables without consulting affected schools. Changes to the 3.22pm Belair service from Mile End station extended some students' journeys home by up to 45 minutes, causing them to miss after-school activities. Rijken stated that parents were "not happy with the lack of consultation" and that attempts to resolve the matter with Adelaide Metro and Transport Minister Chloe Fox had been unsuccessful. SA Opposition transport spokeswoman Vickie Chapman described the department's conduct as "ignorant".

NAPLAN performance

An independent analysis of NAPLAN results conducted by The Advertiser covering the period 2014 to 2018 found that Temple Christian College ranked seventh among Year 9 schools in the Adelaide West and Beaches region, with an average yearly score of 2895.4.

COVID-19 vaccination dismissals

In November 2021, following a South Australian Police Commissioner Emergency Management Direction mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for school workers, Principal Marcel Rijken emailed all 196 staff requiring proof of vaccination within six days or face termination. By the deadline, 42 employees had not confirmed their vaccination status and were subsequently dismissed.

Stewart Robertson, a legal studies and workplace practices teacher who had worked at the college for more than 15 years, successfully challenged his dismissal through the South Australian Employment Tribunal in 2024. Deputy President Magistrate Katherine Eaton found that while Robertson's refusal to be vaccinated constituted a failure to comply with a lawful direction, it did not amount to serious and wilful misconduct justifying summary dismissal. The tribunal ruled he was entitled to five weeks' pay in lieu of notice under the Fair Work Act, and found the college had contravened the Act by failing to pay this amount and by not issuing a termination letter on the day of dismissal.

In October 2025, five further former staff members - Adrian Siegfried, Mark Treloar, Karen Chang, Andrea Mitchell, and Christopher Pappas - sought penalties against the college and Rijken through the SA Employment Tribunal, alleging breach of the school's enterprise agreement. The application claimed the staff were entitled to payment in lieu of 12 weeks' notice. Magistrate Eaton declined to strike out the claims of Siegfried and Treloar, finding more evidence was required to determine whether prior settlements barred further action.