Thursday, March 16, 2006

Confirmation Session 4: What is a Presbyterian?

Outline of Today’s Class

a. What is a Presbyterian?

1) What is the church?

2) History of the Presbyterian Church

3) Presbyterian Government


What is a Presbyterian?


I. What is the Church?


A. Body of Christ

B. Body of those who have the new life

C. Universal


II. The History of the Presbyterian Church (Interrupt me with questions)


  • Go over the "Bible Rap" Handout
  • Go over "A Visual Sweep of our Church's History" Handout
  • Go over "Our Presbyterian Heritage" Handout


A. Martin Luther


1. Started Protestant Reformation


2. Discuss events of 1517 (Corrupt priests, purchase forgiveness)


3. Protestant church in Germany


4. Spread northward into the Scandinavian countries


5. Lutheran churches

a. Germany

b. Denmark

c. Norway

d. Sweden

e. Finland


B. John Calvin


1. Frenchman


2. Influenced by Luther’s writings


3. Great theologian of the Reformation


4. Geneva, Switzerland (1536-W1564)


a. Emphasize dates in relation to Luther

b. Place of refuge for persecuted Protestants from many lands

c. Calvin the dominant figure in the history of the church.

d. School of Christianity without an equal in the history of the church

e. Reformed Church


C. John Knox


1. Came to Geneva from Scotland


2. Rebellion against the Roman Catholic Church made him unwelcome in Scotland.


3. Strongly influenced by Calvin


4. When he went back to Scotland he carried with him the doctrine and the form of church government he had learned from Calvin in Geneva.


5. Named the Protestant Church in Scotland “Presbyterian”


a. After the form of government

b. Ruled by presbyters = elders

c. Elder comes from “presbyteros”

d. Emphasize derivation of word


6. It is church government that makes the Presbyterian Church distinct


a. Most differences between denomination rest in church government or in the sacraments. (Explain)


b. Theological doctrines run across denominational lines.


III. Presbyterian Polity (How Presbyterian Church Government works)


A. Three types of Church Government


1. Monarchic

a. Characteristics of

1) Roman Catholic Church

2) Episcopal Church

3) Methodist Church


B. Power is invested in certain individuals—bishops


C. Follows pattern of 17th & 18th Century European political structure

1) Absolute monarchy

2) The king rules supreme

3) The Bishop rules

4) He makes the decisions

5) His decisions are binding


2. Town Meeting


a. Characteristic of

1) Congregational Church

2) Baptist Church


b. Power remains with the individual congregation

1) Opposite extreme

2) Entire congregation makes decision

3) No authority outside the local church can dictate to the local congreg.


c. Follows the pattern of the old New England town meeting

1) The entire town would meet periodically

2) Power was not invested in elected representatives

3) The entire town made decisions

4) Likewise all decisions are made by the entire church congregation


3. Representative

a. Characteristic of

1) Reformed Church

2) Lutheran Church

3) Presbyterian Church


b. Review 3 forms of government


c. Power vested in representatives—elders


d. Follows pattern of the U.S. Republican form of government

1) Representatives are elected by the people.

2) Representatives make the decisions

3) These decisions are binding

4) The elders—the presbyters—hold the authority in our church

5) Their decisions are binding


b. Structure of Presbyterian Church Government


1) Congregation

a. Very few things are reserved to the entire congregation

b. Elect its ministers

c. Elect its ruling elders

d. Approve its budget

e. Elect its representatives—-primary responsibility of congregation


2. Session


a. Structure

1) Made up of elected elders

2) 12 in this church

3) Cannot succeed themselves

4) Once a ruling elder, always one (Explain)


b. Governs the local church

(Discuss church boards—we have a bicameral board)

1) Responsible for everything that goes on in the church

2) Admit and dismiss members from the church (Discuss)

3) Responsible for Christian Education

4) Responsible for Worship

5) Look after the total spiritual welfare of its members

6) No other group in the church has power over the session


3. Presbytery


a. Government analogy


1) People of (city name) > City Council > County > State > National

2) Congregation > Session > Presbytery > Synod > General Assembly

3) Congregation: Session = People of (city name): City Council

4) Presbytery parallels county government


b. Presbytery Structure

1) Size

a) Larger than county

b) Explain boundaries of St. Andrew Presbytery

2) Equal numbers of ministers and ruling elders—representative nature


c. Presbytery is the supreme authority in the Presbyterian Church

1) Not

a) Local congregation

b) General Assembly (Refer to U.S. Government)


2) Powers

a) Examine and ordain ministers

b) Judge ministers and depose them

c) Oversight of the local church

d) Forming churches and dissolving churches

e) Owning property


3) Illustration of the power of Presbytery

a) Name of church dissolved

b) Examined me all the way through seminary

c) Approved me for this call


4) Expand fact this is a Presbyterian Church—not a congregational church


4. Synod

a. Structure

1) State

2) Equal number of ministers & laymen

3) Meets annually

b. Judicial body

c. Make recommendations to the Presbyteries & Churches


5. General Assembly

a. Structure

1) Entire country

2) Equal number of ministers & laymen

3) Meets annually


b. Stress that Presbytery is supreme


c. States the church’s position on social problems

1) Race: E.g. “South Africa”

2) Peacemaking: E.g. Peacemaking with former “Soviet Union”


d. Directs church boards

1) Ecumenical missions

2) National missions

3) Christian Education

4) Pension

5. Council on Theological Education

6. Summarize judiciaries & their authority.

7. Stress it is church government which makes us unique.


IV. The Westminster Confession

A. Beliefs summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith

1. Written at the order of the English Parliament

2. 1643 - 1649

3. Meetings held in Westminster Abbey, so named “Westminster Confession”


B. Commission charged by General Assembly in 1958 to write a new confession in contemporary terminology = The Confession of 1967.


C. Characteristic Doctrines

1. Sovereignty of God

2. Importance of Scripture

3. Laity (Discuss all being ministers)

4. Social Concerns

posted by Jon Burnham @ 6:09 PM   0 comments