Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a Church or Christian denomination. Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations then a synonym of episkopos (which has now come to mean Bishop Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. ^[1] Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis; presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Specific roles in church services are reserved for an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.

Presbyterian polity was developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops (episcopal polity), but also differs from the congregationalist polity in which each congregation is independent. Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a Bishop (Greek Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent In contrast to the other two forms, authority in the presbyterian polity flows both from the top down (as higher assemblies exercise considerable authority over individual congregations) and from the bottom up (as all officials ultimately owe their elections to individual church members). This theory of government developed in Geneva under John Calvin and was introduced to Scotland by John Knox after his period of exile in Geneva. Geneva (Genève is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and is the most populous city of Romandy (the French -speaking John Calvin (or Jean Calvin) (10 July 1509 – 27 May 1564 was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. John Knox (c 1510 – 24 November 1572 was a Scottish clergyman and leader of the Protestant Reformation who is considered the founder of the Presbyterian It is strongly associated with Swiss and Scottish Reformation movements, and with the Reformed and Presbyterian churches. The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland was promoted initially by Huldrych Zwingli, who gained the support of the magistrate (Mark Reust and population of The Scottish Reformation was Scotland 's formal break with the Roman Catholic Church in 1560 and the events surrounding this The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity

Contents 1 Basis 2 Offices 2.1 The Elder 2.2 The Minister 2.3 The Deacon 3 Governing bodies 3.1 The Session 3.2 The Presbytery 3.3 The Synod 3.4 The General Assembly 4 Cultural influences 5 Beyond Presbyterianism 6 See also 7 References and notes 8 External links

Basis

Presbyterian polity is constructed on specific assumptions about the form of the government intended by the New Testament:

• A bishop is the highest office of the church (there is no Patriarch or Pope over bishops),
• "Bishop" (Koine Greek "episcopos") and "elder" (Koine Greek "presbyteros") are synonymous terms. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in Episcopos means literally overseer and describes the function of the elder, rather than the maturity of the officer.
  • Preaching (the ministry of the Word) and the administration of the sacraments is ordinarily entrusted to specially trained elders (known as ministers of the Word and Sacrament, sometimes called a "teaching elder") in each local congregation, approved for these tasks by a governing presbytery, or classis, and called by the local congregation. A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active
  • Pastoral care, church discipline, leadership and legislation are committed to the care of ruling assemblies of presbyters among whom the ministers and other elders are equal participants. Church discipline is a response of an ecclesiastical body to some perceived wrong whether in action or in doctrine
• All Christian people together are the priesthood (see priesthood of all believers), on behalf of whom the elders are called to serve by the consent of the congregation. The universal priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, as it would come to be known in the present day is a Christian doctrine believed to be derived from several

Presbyterianism uses a conciliar method of church government (that is, leadership by the group or council. ) Thus, the presbyters (elders) govern together as a group, and at all times the office is for the service of the congregation, to pray for them and to encourage them in the faith. The elders together exercise oversight (episcopacy) over the local congregation, with superior groups of elders gathered on a regional basis exercising wider oversight.

Presbyterians typically have viewed this method of government as approximating that of the New Testament and earliest churches. However, sometimes it is admitted that episcopacy was a form of government that was used very early in the church for practical reasons. Some Presbyterians are more adamant, that prelacy is in itself corrupt and rebellious against the Word of God. A prelate is a high-ranking member of the Clergy who either is an Ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries

Presbyterianism is also distinct from congregationalism, in that individual congregations are not independent, but are answerable to the wider church, through its superior courts (presbyteries, synods and assemblies. Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent ) Also, the ordained ministry possesses a distinct responsibility for preaching and sacraments. Congregational churches are sometimes called "Presbyterian" if they are governed by a council of elders; but the difference is that every local congregation is independent, and its elders are accountable to its members, and congregationalism's wider assemblies are not ordinarily empowered to enforce discipline. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Thus these are ruled by elders only at the level of the congregations, which are united with one another by covenants of trust. Reformed Baptist churches are sometimes organized to be governed by elders, on the congregationalist model. The name Reformed Baptist refers both to a distinct Christian denomination, and to a description of theological leaning

Offices

The Elder

There are two types of elder; the teaching elder (see The Minister below) and the ruling elder. The teaching elder is also a ruling elder. An excerpt from Miller (1831) expands this. ^[2]

In every Church completely organized, that is, furnished with all the officers which Christ has instituted and which are necessary for carrying into full effect the laws of his kingdom, there ought to be three classes of officers, viz: at least one Teaching Elder, Bishop, or Pastor — a bench of Ruling Elders — and Deacons. The first to "minister in the Word and Doctrine," and to dispense the sacraments ; — the second to assist in the inspection and government of the Church ; — and the third to "serve tables;" that is, to take care of the Church's funds destined for the support of the poor, and sometimes to manage whatever relates to the temporal support of the gospel and its ministers.

The elders are persons chosen from among the congregation and ordained for this service. Beyond that, practices vary: sometimes elders are elected by the congregation, ^[3] sometimes appointed by the session, some denominations ordain elders for life, others have fixed terms, and some churches appoint elders on a rotation from among willing members in good standing in the church.

In addition to sitting on the session and other church courts, ruling elders have duties as individuals. Again, Miller (1831) explains, ^[4]

It is their duty to have an eye of inspection and care over all the members of the congregation; and, for this purpose, to cultivate a universal and intimate acquaintance, as far as may be, with every family in the flock of which they are made "overseers. "

The Minister

See also Holy Orders#Presbyterian churches

A presbytery sets apart one or more teaching elders, or ministers of the word and sacrament'. In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. ^[5] Usually they are known as pastors or ministers, and serve as clergy for the church. A pastor is an official person within a Protestant group of people and related to the positions of Priest or Bishop within the Anglican, Roman Catholic In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion.

Ministers may be considered equal in status with the other elders, but they have a distinct ordination and distinct function. They are the primary preachers and teachers, celebrants of sacraments. There are sometimes further distinctions between the minister and the other elders. Some Presbyterian denominations enroll ministers as members of their respective congregations, while others enroll the minister as a member of the regional presbytery.

Until the 20th century, only men had been eligible for the ministry or eldership world-wide. This is widely not the case any longer; although it is usually considered a demarcation issue, distinguishing "liberal" from "conservative" churches that practice presbyterian government. See also: Ordination of women

The general assembly of a denomination often decides on what grounds a person may be ordained, but the ordination of ministers is the right of the presbytery, and the right to extend a call to a minister is the privilege of the members of the parish or congregation. In general religious use Ordination is the process by which a person is consecrated (set apart for the administration of various religious rites ^{[5] [3] [6]}

The Deacon

The office of deacon has different meanings among different presbyterian churches. Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions In some churches, deacons exercise responsibility for practical matters of finance and fabric, either separately or together with the elders. In some cases deacons administer the welfare matters of the congregation, while a separate board of management or trustees administers the other material business of the congregation, such as its endowments, salaries and buildings. Trustee is a Legal term that refers to a holder of property on behalf of a beneficiary.

Governing bodies

The Session

Elders make decisions for the local parish through a ruling body called the session (Latin. sessio from sedere "to sit"), sometimes the Kirk session, church session, or (in Continental Reformed usage) consistory. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Reformed churches are a group of Christian Protestant Denominations formally characterized by a similar Calvinist system of doctrine historically The members of the session are the minister (sometimes called a "teaching elder"), and the other ruling elders (sometimes called "lay elders"). In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy.

The minister will usually chair or preside over the session. All elders have an equal vote in the session. ^[4] In theory, the minister is not the head of the session; he or she typically enjoys only a casting vote. In reality, though, sessions often regard the minister as 'the leader'.

The Presbytery

In presbyterianism, congregations are united in accountability to a regional body called the presbytery, or, among Continental Reformed bodies, the classis. Presbyteries are made up of a minister and an elder from each parish, as well as other clergy such as theological college professors, chaplains, and retired ministers. When there is a larger number of ordained ministers than ruling elders, additional ruling elders are appointed to redress the imbalance. The commissioners of the presbytery are expected to exercise their own judgement and are not required to vote according to the whims of a majority (or minority) in their congregations.

The officers of a presbytery are a moderator and a clerk. The Church of Scotland maintains a presbyterian polity and is thus governed by a hierarchy of Church Courts. The Church of Scotland maintains a presbyterian polity and is thus governed by a hierarchy of Church Courts. The moderator acts as chair of presbytery meetings and has a casting, but not deliberative, vote. As with the moderators of synods and assemblies, the moderatorship is a primus inter pares position appointed by the presbytery itself. Primus inter pares ( Latin) or First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people The moderator is addressed as "moderator" during meetings, but his/her position has no bearing outside of the presbytery meeting and affords him/her no special place in other courts, although typically the moderator (if a member of the clergy) will conduct worship at ordinations and other ordinances which are seen as acts of the presbytery.

The clerk takes minutes and deals with the correspondence of the presbytery, and is often appointed for an indefinite term.

Presbyteries meet at a regularity between monthly and quarterly.

The Synod

In denominations too large for all the work of the denomination to be done by a single presbytery, the parishes may be divided into several presbyteries under synods and general assemblies, the synod being the lower court of the two.

Often all members of the constituent presbyteries are members of the synod. Like the commissioners to presbyteries, the commissioners to synods do not act on instruction from their congregations or presbyteries, but exercise their own judgement. A synod also has a moderator and clerk, and generally meet less often than the presbytery.

Some presbyterian churches have no intermediate court between the presbytery and the general assembly.

The General Assembly

The general assembly (or general synod) is the highest court of presbyterian polity. Each presbytery selects a number of its members to be commissioners to the general assembly. The general assembly is chaired by its own moderator, who is usually elected to a one-year term. He or she is addressed as moderator during meetings, but like the other moderators, his/her position has no bearing outside of the assembly meeting and affords him/her no special place in other courts. He or she presides over meetings of the assembly, and may be called on in a representative function for the remainder of the year.

The clerk and deputy clerk of the general assembly administer the minutes, correspondence, and business of the assembly. In some cases a separate business convenor is appointed to deal with the agenda. General assemblies meet less regularly than their subordinate courts, often annually.

The powers of the general assembly are usually wide-ranging. However, they may be limited by some form of external review. For example, the rules of the Church of Scotland include the Barrier Act, which requires that certain major changes to the polity of the church be referred to the presbyteries, before being enacted by the general assembly. The Church of Scotland (Eaglais na h-Alba known informally by its Scots language name The Kirk, is the National church of Scotland. In the Ecclesiastical law of the Church of Scotland, the Barrier Act is a provision which prevents the General Assembly from taking decisions which might

Cultural influences

• Robert Burns published a brief irreverent poem, On A Celebrated Ruling Elder, as an elegy for a Scottish Presbyterian. Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796 (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, the Bard of Ayrshire ^[7]

Beyond Presbyterianism

As a form of church governance, small-p "presbyterian" polity is not limited to those denominations that call themselves Presbyterian. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity The term has been used to describe representative democracy in churches. Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives

See also

• Federalism#Christian Church
• Presbyterianism
• Reformed churches
• Congregational church
• Moderators and clerks in the Church of Scotland
  • General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
  • Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

• For a full list of individual denominations see List of Christian denominations#Reformed and Presbyterian Churches

References and notes

External links

• World Alliance of Reformed Churches
• Catholic Encyclopedia 1914, Presbyterianism by J. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia A. MCHUGH. Online edition
• Samuel Miller, 1831. Samuel Miller may refer to Samuel Miller (theologian (1769-1850 professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and author of The Ruling Elder An Essay, on the Warrant, Nature and Duties of the Office of the Ruling Elder, in the Presbyterian Church (New York). Book in the public domain, available online at Bible Presbyterian Church and CRTA. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• Westminster Assembly, 1645 "The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government" online at reformed.org

The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England.

---

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic