Presbyterian polity

Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of Assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Elders make decisions for the local church in a body called the Kirk Session or Church Session. Groups of local churches are governed by higher assemblies of elders, called church courts, known as Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assemblies. Specific roles in church services are reserved for an ordained minister known as a teaching elder, a ruling elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.

It was developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops (Episcopal polity.) 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. It is strongly associated with Swiss and Scottish Protestant Reformation movements, and with the Reformed and Presbyterian churches.

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. 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.
  • Pastoral care, discipline, leadership and legislation are committed to the care of ruling Assemblies of presbyters among whom the ministers and other elders are equal participants.
• 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.

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.

Presbyterianism is also a 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.) 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. 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 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 or Church Session. The members of the Session are the minister (sometimes called a "teaching elder"), and the other elders (sometimes called "lay elders" or "ruling elders"). The elders are persons chosen from among the congregation and ordained for this service. Beyond that, practices vary: sometimes elders are elected by congregation, 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.

Ministers are teaching elders and are therefore 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, and usually chair or preside over the Session. In theory, the minister is not the head of the Session - typically enjoying only a casting vote. In reality though, the minister is often regarded as 'the leader'. There are sometimes further distinctions between the minister and the other elders. Some denominations of Presbyterians enrol the minister as a member of their congregation, where as others enrol the minister as a member of the regional Presbytery.

The office of deacon has different meanings among different Presbyterian churches. 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 administers the other material business of the congregation.

The Presbytery

In Presbyterianism congregations are united in accountability a regional body called the Presbytery, or sometimes a classis. Presbyteries are made up of a minister and an elder from each parish, as well as theological college lecturers and retired ministers. When there is a larger number of ordained ministers than elders additional elders are appointed to redress the imbalance. The commissioners of the Presbytery exercise their own judgement and are not required to vote how their congregation would wish them to.

The officers of a Presbytery are a Moderator and a Clerk. The Moderator acts as chairman 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. The Moderator is addressed as "Moderator" during meetings, but their position has no bearing outside of the Presbytery meeting and affords them no special place in other courts, although typically the Moderator 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 regularly than the Presbytery.

Some Presbyterian churches have no intermediate court between the Presbytery and the General Assembly.

The General Assembly

The General Assembly 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 the Moderator of the General Assembly, who elected to a one year term. They are addressed as Moderator during meetings, but like the other Moderators, their position has not bearing outside of the Assembly meeting and affords them no special place in other courts. He or she presides meeting 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 ministry

Until the 20th century, only men had been eligible for the office of "teaching" elder (minister of the word and sacrament) or "ruling" elder, world-wide. This is widely not the case any longer; although, it is usually considered a demarcation issue, distinguishing "liberal" from "conservative" churches with Presbyterian government.

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.

See also

• Ecclesiastical Polity
  • Episcopal polity
  • Congregationalist polity
• Congregational church
• Moderators and clerks in the Church of Scotland
• Federalism
• Presbyterianism
• Reformed churches

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

External links

• World Alliance of Reformed Churches