When people hear the word Presbyterian, they often think of a denomination, a style of worship, or perhaps a particular historical tradition. But Presbyterianism is more than a denominational label. It is a conviction about what Jesus Christ has taught concerning his church. Many Christians approach church government pragmatically, asking, ”What works?” or “What is most effective?” Yet the church does not belong to us. Christ purchased the church with his own blood, and Christ alone has the authority to determine how his church is governed. He is king and head. For that reason, Presbyterians, who are presbyterian by conviction, believe that church government is not a matter of preference, it is a matter of biblical obedience.
At the Great Commission, Jesus commands his disciples to go out, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). The church is free to do what Christ commands, but it is not free to invent what he has not commanded. The church’s mission, worship, doctrine, and government are all to be regulated by the Word of God. This principle lies at the heart of Presbyterianism. We call it jus divinum, it is by divine law.
The Importance of the Church
Modern American Christianity often overemphasizes individual experience. Personal conversion, private devotion, and individual spirituality are important. Yet Scripture never presents the Christian life as a solitary endeavor, the church is the heartbeat of all of those experiences. Christ saves individuals, and he gathers those individuals into a people. He builds a church. The church is the household of faith, the family of God, the body of Christ, and the bride of the Savior.
Throughout the New Testament, conversion is connected to incorporation into the visible church. The apostles did not simply call people to believe; they called people into fellowship, worship, discipleship, and accountability within the church of Jesus Christ. This is why church membership matters. Christianity is not merely a private relationship with Christ. It is participation in the covenant community that Christ Himself established.
The fourth vow of church membership of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) says, “Do you promise to submit in the Lord to the teaching and government of this church as being based upon the Scriptures and describe in substance in the Constitution of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America? Do you recognize your responsibility to work with others in the church and do you promise to support and encourage them in their service to the Lord? In case you should need correction in doctrine or life, do you promise to respect the authority and discipline of the church?”
What is the government of the church?
Understanding the Church
Before discussing Presbyterian government specifically, it is helpful to understand how Scripture speaks about the church.
Visible and Invisible: The Westminster Confession teaches that there is both a visible and an invisible church. The invisible church consists of all God’s elect throughout history. It includes every true believer who has been, is, or will be united to Christ by faith. The visible church consists of all who profess the true religion together with their children. This distinction helps explain a reality we all recognize. Some people belong outwardly to the church while lacking true faith. Jesus himself spoke of wheat and tares growing together until the final harvest. Therefore, we acknowledge that there is an outward membership in the church and an inward spiritual reality known perfectly only to God.
Universal and Local: The church is both universal and local. There is one church throughout the world united under Christ. Scripture declares that there is “one body” and one Lord. Yet that universal church manifests itself in local congregations. The Orlando Reformed Presbyterian Church is not the whole church. It is one local expression of Christ’s universal church. This distinction is important because no single congregation can fulfill every ministry. Individual congregations are limited, but together the church participates in a much larger work. Through regional and broader church connections, local congregations cooperate in missions, theological education, church planting, and other ministries.
Organism and Organization: The church is both an organism and an organization. As an organism, the church is a living body. Christians share life together. They encourage one another, bear one another’s burdens, pray together, and serve one another. As an organization, the church has officers, public worship, responsibilities, and structure. Christ appointed leaders within his church. The New Testament speaks of elders, deacons, discipline, and oversight. Scripture never presents a choice between spiritual life and church order. The church is both a living body and an ordered institution.
Militant and Triumphant: The church is also both militant and triumphant. The church militant consists of believers still engaged in spiritual warfare on earth. We battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The church triumphant consists of believers who have died in Christ and entered glory. Their warfare has ended, and they now enjoy the presence of God. Together these realities remind us that the church is much larger than any one congregation, generation, or denomination.
What Is Presbyterianism?
The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbyteros, meaning elder. At its simplest level, Presbyterianism means government by elders. But Presbyterianism involves more than merely having elders. It teaches that Christ has established a particular form of church government in which qualified elders oversee congregations and remain connected to one another through broader assemblies of the church.
Historically, three major forms of church government have existed.
Episcopalian Government: Episcopalian (from the Greek for bishop) government is rule by bishops. In this system, authority flows downward from bishops who exercise oversight over ministers and congregations. This structure is found in traditions such as Anglicanism, Methodism, and various Lutheran bodies.
Congregational Government: Congregationalism places final authority in the local congregation and in the individual. It is church by pure democracy. The congregation votes on major decisions and remains independent from other churches. While churches may cooperate voluntarily, no broader church court possesses binding authority. Many Baptist and independent churches follow this model.
Presbyterian Government: Presbyterianism teaches that Christ governs his church through elders. These elders are chosen by the congregation, ordained to office, and joined together in broader assemblies known as presbyteries and synods (and general assemblies). Authority is exercised collectively rather than individually. No single pastor rules the church. Rather, a plurality of elders shepherd the congregation together under the authority of Christ.
The Reformed Presbyterian Testimony (25.7) says, “Christ has appointed in His Word a particular form of government for the visible church. It is government by elders (Greek: presbyters) and is therefore called presbyterian. Each congregation should be ruled by a session of ordained elders, elected by the membership of the congregation.”
Why We Believe Presbyterianism Is Biblical
Presbyterians do not merely argue that their system works well. They believe it is taught in Scripture. The Book of Acts repeatedly shows organized churches under recognized leadership. Following Pentecost, new believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, worship, and prayer. They were not isolated Christians. They became part of an identifiable community. Acts also demonstrates that churches maintained recognized membership. Luke tells us that “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Membership was not an abstract concept. People were being added to a known body.
The New Testament also presents elders as shepherds entrusted with particular flocks. Peter writes: “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers.” A shepherd cannot shepherd an undefined flock. The language assumes responsibility, accountability, and recognized relationships. Similarly, Hebrews commands believers to “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls.” Such commands only make sense if identifiable leaders possess responsibility for identifiable people.
John Girardeau, a Southern Presbyterian from the 19th century preached a sermons called “The Discretionary Power of the Church” (1875). In that sermon he said:
“The call of the gospel is to be addressed to all the sons of men, and when they accept it, and are gathered into the fold of the church, she is to teach them all things whatsoever Christ has commanded. There are obviously a positive and a negative aspect of this charge to the church, — positive, in that she is directed to teach all that Christ has commanded; negative, in that she is implicitly prohibited from teaching anything which He has not commanded. The negative duty is a necessary inference from the command which enforces the positive. Here, then, we have the principle tinctured with the blood of our Puritan, Covenanter and Huguenot forefathers — that what is not commanded, either explicitly or implicitly in the Scriptures, is prohibited to the church. She can utter no new doctrine, make no new laws, ordain no new forms of government, and invent no new modes of worship. This is but a statement of a fundamental principle of Protestantism; that the Scriptures, as the word of Christ, are the complete and ultimate rule of faith and duty.”
The church must not invent forms of government, but submit to the intimate rule of faith and duty.
The Plurality of Elders
One of the distinguishing features of Presbyterianism is the plurality of elders. Throughout the New Testament, churches are governed by elders rather than by a single individual. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church. The church at Philippi had multiple officers. The churches addressed by Peter were shepherded by elders. This plurality provides wisdom, accountability, and stability. One of the dangers facing many churches is the concentration of authority in a single charismatic leader. Presbyterianism deliberately resists that tendency. Christ alone is King of the church. Pastors and elders serve together under his authority.
The Connectional Nature of the Church
Presbyterianism also emphasizes that congregations are connected. Acts 15 provides the classic example. A doctrinal controversy arose concerning Gentile converts. The issue was not left entirely to local congregations. Instead, elders and apostles gathered to deliberate. After reaching a decision, they communicated that decision to the churches. This event demonstrates that churches are not isolated entities. They share responsibility, accountability, and fellowship. For that reason, Presbyterian churches participate in broader church courts such as presbyteries and synods. These courts help preserve doctrinal unity, provide accountability, and resolve disputes.
They also give members the right of appeal. If a local session acts unjustly, members may appeal to a higher court of the church. A later article will describe church discipline, but the right of appeal and complaint are intimately connected to discipline.
The Authority of Elders
Presbyterianism teaches that elders possess real authority, but that authority is limited and delegated by Jesus Christ. James Bannerman wisely described church officers as ministerial rather than magisterial. A king makes laws. A minister serves laws already given. Elders do not possess authority to create new doctrines, invent new worship practices, create holy days, or impose new obligations upon God’s people. Their authority exists only insofar as it reflects the teaching of Scripture. This principle protects both the church and her members. The church is not governed by personal preference, cultural trends, emotional pressure, or human tradition or innovation. It is governed by the Word of God. Faithful elders continually return to the same question: “What has Christ commanded?” or “Hath God said?”
The Role of Deacons
Alongside elders, Christ has appointed deacons. Deacons assist the church through ministries of mercy, stewardship, and service. They care for practical needs and help ensure that the church’s ministry reflects the compassion of Christ. While elders oversee the spiritual government of the church, deacons serve the congregation through works of mercy and administration. Together these offices contribute to the health and flourishing of the church.
Christ the Head of the Church
Ultimately, Presbyterianism is not primarily about elders, sessions, presbyteries, or constitutions. It is about the kingship of Jesus Christ.
The Westminster Confession insists that Christ alone is the head of the church. No pope, bishop, pastor, elder, congregation, or denomination may assume that role. Christ rules his church through his Word. He governs through officers whom he appoints and limits. He gathers his people through the ministry of the gospel. He preserves his church through the work of his Spirit.
Therefore, when we say that we are Presbyterian, we are not merely describing a historical tradition. We are confessing our conviction that Christ has revealed in Scripture how his church is to be governed. We submit ourselves to that government not because elders are infallible, nor because denominations are perfect, but because we believe Christ loves his church and has provided for her good. Presbyterianism seeks to honor that provision. It seeks to keep Christ as King, Scripture as the supreme authority, elders as servants rather than rulers, and the church as the household of faith gathered under the lordship of Jesus Christ.