Church Government

Christ Is Head of the Church

We believe that all power in heaven and earth is given to Jesus Christ by Almighty God, who raised Christ from the dead and set him above all, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.  God has put all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and has made Christ Head of the Church, which is his body.

Christ calls the Church into being, giving it all that is necessary for its mission to the world, for its building up, and for its service to God. Christ is present with the Church in both Spirit and Word. It belongs to Christ alone to rule, to teach, to call, and to use the Church as he wills, exercising his authority by the ministry of women and men for the establishment and extension of his Kingdom.

Christ gives to his Church its faith and life, its unity and mission, its officers and order. Insofar as Christ’s will for the Church is set forth in Scripture, it is to be obeyed. In the worship and service of God and the government of the church, matters are to be ordered according to the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In affirming with the earliest Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Church confesses that he is its hope and that the Church, as Christ’s body, is bound to his authority and thus free to live in the lively, joyous reality of the grace of God.

The Great Ends of the Church

The purposes for which the church exists are

1.    the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;

2.    the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;

3.    the maintenance of divine worship;

4.    the preservation of the truth;

5.    the promotion of social righteousness; and

6.    the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

Historic Principles of Church Order

In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) there are 8 historic principles of Church order which have been a part of our common heritage and basic to our Presbyterian system of church government, namely:

1.    Right of Judgment

We believe that “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from any human doctrines and commandments which are contrary to his Word...”  Therefore we consider the rights of private judgment, in all matters that respect religion, as universal.  We do not even wish to see any religious constitution aided by the civil power, except as necessary for protection and security, applying equally to all religious faiths.

2.    Corporate Judgment

Every Church is entitled to declare the terms and qualifications of its ministers and members, as well as the whole system of its internal government.  In the exercise of this right they may mistakenly make the terms of membership either too lax or too narrow; even in this case, if they do not infringe upon the liberty or the rights of others, they are only making an improper use of their own right to make these decisions.

3.    Officers

Jesus Christ, for the building up of the visible Church, appointed officers to

• preach the gospel
• administer the Sacraments
• exercise discipline, and
• preserve both truth and duty.

It is incumbent upon these officers, and upon the whole Church, in whose name they act, to discipline erroneous members, observing, in all cases, the rules contained in the Word of God.

4.    Truth and Goodness

We believe that there is an inseparable connection between faith and practice, truth and duty. Otherwise, it would be of no consequence either to discover truth or to embrace it.

5.    Differences of Views

While all who are admitted as teachers should be of be sound faith, we also believe that there are truths and forms with respect to which people of good characters and principles may differ. And in all these we think it the duty of Christians to exercise mutual forbearance toward each other.

6.    Election by the People

Although the character, qualifications, and authority of Church officers are laid down in the Holy Scriptures, the election of the persons to the exercise of this authority, in any particular society, is in that society.

7.    Church Power

All Church power is only ministerial and declarative.  The Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith.  The decisions of all Church bodies should be founded upon the revealed will of God.  Because all Church councils make mistakes, we believe there is much greater danger from claiming the authority to make new laws than from the right of judging upon laws already made, and common to all who profess the gospel.

8.    Church Discipline

Church discipline has a purely moral or spiritual purpose, and has no civil consequences.  Its only impact is based on its own justice, the approval of an impartial public, and the blessing of Jesus Christ who is Head of the Church universal.

The Historic Principles of Church Government

The principles of Presbyterian church government and discipline are:

1.    The collection of several different congregations of believers comprise one Church of Christ, called emphatically the Church;

2.    A larger part of the Church, or a representation of it, should govern a and settle matters of controversy which arise in a smaller part of the Church;

3.    A majority vote by representatives of the whole should govern every part;

4.    Decisions can be appealed from lower to higher governing bodies, till they be finally decided by the collected wisdom and united voice of the whole Church.

For these principles and this procedure, the example of the apostles and the practice of the primitive Church are considered as authority.