An Essential Summary of Our Book of Church Order (Presbyterian Church in America)

Our denomination has a book that governs the operation of our church on all levels. Personally, I think it is probably too long and complicated, even though I agree with the principles in it. I think we would be better served to simply have something like the following. This is a summary of our Book of Church Order that I use to give a simple explanation of what I believe are all the key points of the book.

The System of Government of the Church

Church Government:

1. Jesus Christ is the King and Head of the Church. He defines the doctrine, government, discipline, worship, and ethics of the Church.
2. The visible church consists of all who profess faith in Christ, together with their children.
3. Believers are ordinarily called to belong to particular local churches.
4. A local church is a community of professing believers and their children who gather for worship, mutual edification, pastoral oversight, and the advancement of the gospel.
5. The power of the church is spiritual, ministerial, and declarative: the church may proclaim, administer, and enforce the law of Christ, but it may not bind the conscience apart from Scripture.
6. The official leadership of the church consists of elders and deacons.
7. Elders govern, teach, oversee, and shepherd the church. Some elders are called and trained especially for the ministry of Word and Sacrament and are called teaching elders or ministers.
8. Deacons serve the church by caring for those in need, encouraging liberality, receiving and distributing gifts, and caring for the property of the congregation under the oversight of the Session.
9. Churches should live in connection with one another for mutual accountability, common government, and shared ministry. In Presbyterian government, this connection is expressed regionally in presbyteries and nationally in the General Assembly.
10. Elders govern the church jointly in courts. These courts are the Session for the local church, the Presbytery for the regional church, and the General Assembly for the whole denomination.
11. Church courts are not independent tribunals but are related to one another, with lower courts subject to the review and control of higher courts.
12. No one may simply take office in the church by his own choosing; officers must be lawfully called, examined, elected or approved, ordained, and installed.
13. Ordination is the solemn setting apart of a qualified man to church office by prayer and the laying on of hands.
14. Pastors are called by congregations and examined, ordained, and installed by presbyteries; ruling elders and deacons are elected by congregations and examined, ordained, and installed by Sessions.
15. The official relationship between a pastor and a congregation may be dissolved only through the proper action of the congregation and Presbytery.
16. The congregation does not govern as a church court, but it exercises important powers, especially in electing officers, calling pastors, approving major property matters, and giving counsel or consent where the BCO requires it.

Church Discipline:

1. The purpose of discipline is to glorify God, preserve the purity and peace of the church, build up the congregation, and seek the spiritual good of the person under discipline.
2. Discipline includes both the church’s general pastoral oversight of its members and the narrower judicial process used when an offense must be formally adjudicated.
3. An offense is something in the doctrine or practice of a church member that is contrary to the Word of God and can be proved from Scripture.
4. The governing body with jurisdiction over a member or minister may inquire into any matter that could bring scandal or injury to the church.
5. Individuals may seek to resolve issues through church courts, but they must ordinarily first seek to win their brother.
6. When a matter cannot be resolved informally, the governing body may enter judicial process through careful inquiry, charges, evidence, and judgment.
7. When formal charges are brought, the accused must answer the charge; if he confesses guilt, the court may proceed to judgment and impose an appropriate censure, but if he denies guilt, the court must conduct a trial.
8. A trial ordinarily proceeds by reading the charge, hearing the accused’s answer, examining the witnesses for both sides, hearing the parties’ arguments, deliberating, voting, announcing the verdict, and entering judgment.
9. If the court finds the person guilty, it may impose a censure: admonition, suspension from the Lord’s Supper, suspension from office, deposition from office, or excommunication.
10. If someone comes and confesses, the court may impose a censure, but it must be clear that the person intends to confess for that judicial purpose.
11. Some matters may be handled without process, such as certain removals from office, transfers, withdrawals, or erasures from the roll, but these are still acts of pastoral discipline.
12. If someone attempts to remove himself from the church, the court should warn him of the spiritual consequences and seek to dissuade him; in some cases, the court may retain jurisdiction and proceed.
13. The proceedings of lower courts come under higher courts by review and control, reference, appeal, and complaint.
14. A complaint challenges an act or decision of a court, but once judicial process has begun, objections in the case are preserved for appeal rather than handled by complaint.
15. If a complaint or appeal is rejected or decided adversely, the matter may be carried to the next higher court according to the BCO.