Are the vows under which they were ordained and made ministers now to be formally abandoned and a new set taken by them? The Vows: These usually take the form of the Ordinand or Minister to be inducted answering a series of questions. They may give some guidance to a minister even though they are contradictory in some places, but they are not in any way to be considered as an expression of the system of doctrine set forth in the Holy Scriptures. There is a proper sense in which all the property of the United Presbyterian Church, built and gathered under the ordination vows which committed the church to the Bible as the infallible Word of God and to a system of doctrine, properly and rightfully belongs to that element which still professes the same faith. Almost every church that ... send a Commission to renew the ordination of all the Elders … How can a man who truly believes the two vows that are being rejected subscribe to the two new vows that are supposed to take their place? It is the unbelief that has entered into the church through the years that we shall discuss as we move along in this presentation, the unbelief that has brought about this condition, that made men take their ordination vows, as it was said, with their fingers crossed, and which Time magazine in its report on the new confession said would relieve ministers from a schizophrenic experience in pledging that which they knew they did not believe. The next phrase in the question, “And by the Holy Spirit God’s word to you,” leaves the entire situation in a most uncertain position. It is only the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ that one may see in these Scriptures that would be God’s word to you. Let us look now at the vows that take their place. PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly, OGA. Commitment to this glorious truth, that the Scriptures are indeed the only infallible and inspired Word of God, forever binds the church to this special revelation-true, pure, holy. MISSION CHURCH. In the Presbyterian system, the act of ordination is usually accompanied by the laying on of hands, a helpful and traditional symbol of the ARPC, though this is not necessary to effect the act. The joy of the occasion and the solemnity of the vows taken … In order to be ordained as a pastor in the PCA (or other NAPARC churches), a man must pass a thorough examination by the men of the presbytery. In each I sincerely and honesty subscribed to certain ordination questions. It is this broad, vague, generalizing type of thinking that is necessary to cover up the contradictions and especially the lack of true faith in the Christ of the Holy Scriptures. By means of vows people give their money and leave their legacies to a church, believing that the faith is protected and that their means will advance the faith in which they have believed and which they have sought to honor with their lives when they were on the earth serving the Lord. The one relative to the Scriptures reads: “Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church catholic, and by the Holy Spirit God’s word to you?”. That, of course, is a good thing. It is nice indeed to be instructed by them, but these confessions which have been added to what they call the book of confessions are not binding upon the church. That the reference to the “word” in no way means all of the Scriptures is clear in that the word is spelled with a small “w” and this is in direct contrast to the use of the capital “W” in the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is spelled out in such detail in Chapter I, “Of the Holy Scriptures.” No longer can the church be united as to what as the Word of God. There is a design here to give every man comfort in his unbelief or the measure of subscription which he feels that he may be able to give. This is exactly the case, as we shall see when we come to the section dealing with Jesus Christ in our study of the new confession itself, especially when we look at the deliberate action in leaving out any reference to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. But men who truly believe the Bible to be the Word of God and still confess that there is a revealed system of doctrine holy, clean, pure, and righteous-are the men who will indeed find themselves in the greatest of difficulty before God. In this vow ministers are promising that they will take guidance and instruction from something that does not exist and that they themselves have never even had an opportunity to study. First, they abandon the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God, and second, they abandon the system of doctrine that the Holy Scriptures teach. When once the authority of Scripture as an infallible rule is laid aside, the authority of the church arises with greater sanctity. In the Autumn of 2013 I went through the process of transferring my ordination to the Presbyterian … The reference to Jesus and the early church is a sobering reminder that it is possible for a man to be an effective Gospel communicator without vows or oath or ordination at all. It seems that we now have a very visible test of whether or not a Presbytery, Synod or the PCUSA in general … They, therefore, have been instrumental in changing the doctrines, changing the ordination vows, changing Jesus Christ, the Head of the church. CROMWELL, Conn. — A teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been found not guilty by the Southern New England Presbytery’s Permanent Judicial Commission of violating his ordination vows … DEFINITION OF RULING ELDER FROM THE BOOK OF ORDER (G-2.0301) “As there were in Old Testament times elders for the government of the people, so the New Testament church provided persons with particular gifts to share in discernment of God’s Spirit and governance of God’s people. And even the new Confession of 1967 in its action provisions is designed to help the cause of world-wide socialism as we shall see when we discuss that section of the new confession. Minister of the Word and Sacrament, elder, deacon. It sounds good. The difference between the hireling and shepherd comes down to whether they take and mean these vows. Indeed the church usurps power for itself in virtue of its own authority-power which in the Scriptures belongs only to the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, and which must be administered in accordance with the infallible revelation of the Holy Scriptures. It seems that a Pastor in New Jersey has violated that oath: Article from the Presbyterian Outlook . For the Ordinand, the focus of the vows is on declaring his/her faith in God and intention to undertake the ministry of Word and Sacrament. I now pronounce and declare that _____ has been regularly elected, ordained and installed a ruling elder (or deacon) in this church, agreeable to the Word of God, and according to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America; and that as such he is entitled to all encouragement, honor and obedience in the Lord: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. … and within the covenant of the order. That is gone from the church. Ordination vows were never intended to become intrusive, divisive or restrictive, but to give scope and room for biblical evangelism that is according to the mind of Christ. This is exactly what happens when churches break away from the authority-the infallible authority-of the Holy Scriptures. Either way one looks at it, the vows had to be dispensed with. In which respects, popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty, and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no man may entangle himself.” Yet, here they are entangled in a vow that commits them to future confessions as yet unknown, because the church decides to change so as to need a Confession of 1990. The most important of all the vows of the Westminster Confession is, “Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?” Had all the ministers through the years believed in all honesty what this vow requires, there never would have been a movement in the church to lay it aside and to adopt a new one in its place. Share. In recent years the ordination of a minister or an elder or a deacon has not had the importance and the honor in the life of the church that it originally had, and this trend in itself has contributed to the state we have reached in this day when vows can be changed without giving them too much consideration. Do you trust in Jesus Christ your savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? The second vow, the one that takes the place of “the system of doctrine,” reads as follows: “Will you perform the duties of a minister of the gospel in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of the Scriptures, and under under the continuing instruction and guidance of the confessions this Church?”. Subjection to your brethren in the Lord involved a blind obedience to what the General Assembly commanded men to do. The Lord took no ordination vows… These two vows no longer could be honestly subscribed to, and, as the larger number of ministers in the church entered that category, naturally it was the desire that they be relieved from this contradiction and embarrassment to their conscience. EPC Ordination Questions/Vows for Ruling Elders and Deacons 1. Both services begin with a recognition of our common ministry as Christians and a reaffirmation of our baptismal vows. In the Autumn of 2013 I went through the process of transferring my ordination to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). In other words, every single individual may find a different word, or there may be large groups that subscribe to different words. Historically, the power of the church has only been ministerial and declarative, but now, in the process of usurpation and centralization of power in the church by the General Assembly which has been evolving in this century, the church speaks mote in her own name and her word is church law. Share 109. elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and as a Volunteer Chaplain at the Federal Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Will all the ministers of the church be required to take the new ordination vows? Pages 7 and 8 of The Presbyterian Journal, 17 August 1960 What does the Church expect when it asks: “Do you receive and adopt the Confession of Faith?” The Vows of Teaching and Ruling Elders … 1. But all of this, we may say, is shifting the church over into a realm and a concept of authority that is more akin to that which had long been established in the Roman Catholic hierarchy. Is He the Christ revealed to us infallible Scriptures, who would indeed be the one and the same? An entire chapter in the Westminster Confession of Faith is entitled, “Of Lawful Oaths and Vows.” In regard to a vow it states: “A vow is of the like nature with a promissory oath, and ought to be made with the like religious care, and to be performed with the like faithfulness. Petition to Organize, Part 1 . And now the church arises in her power and glory as she restates and reinterprets her faith for different periods, out of different experiences, to find in herself a glory which has come out of her tend and her leadership rather than out of the Holy Scriptures. … These three ministries represent two ecclesial functions: ministries of the Word performed by presbyters (pastors and elders) and ministries of service performed by deacons. Men, of course, have been living under the Westminster Confession and not believing it, and if conscience has troubled them from time to time, they will not have too much difficulty with the varying shades that may be manifest in such problems as these which are now being raised. Again we are confronted with the fact that the nature of this authority, the extent of this authority, and the meaning of this authority, are left to each minister to decide for himself, for it is nowhere confessed or declared in the new confession, while according to the old Westminster Confession the Scriptures were inspired of God, the infallible authority, and were to be received not because of “the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, (who is truth itself,) the author thereof.” Thus we have two different and widely separated views as to what constitutes the authority of the Scriptures. It is usually delivered by the Convener MSB of the Board of Nomination. Here are questions that arise: Who is this Jesus Christ who is now to be obeyed? Subjection to your “brethren in the Lord,” which one always thought meant subjection to your brethren as long as they counseled you in accordance with the Word of God, was interpreted in The Independent Board Mandate of 1934 and the trials which followed to mean that you had to be in subjection to your brethren when they told you to do anything because they were in the Lord in that command, whether you accepted it or not. It is at this point that a great chasm has been created between the church under the Westminster Confession and the church which now has another confession and another set of vows, as they relate to these two main considerations. I have had the privilege of serving in three presbyterian denominations, the Church of Scotland, The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and the Free Church of Scotland. Ordination is a time for fearing the Lord, trembling in His holy presence even as we expect His lavish grace. Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s word to you? Moreover, the word “belief” is removed entirely and we have the word “accept” in its place. 5:1-2; Titus 1:5-7). Nor were they ever intended to close the door on fellowship with those who cannot make our creedal subscription, or assent to our mode of worship. There are other questions: What are the duties of a minister in obedience to Jesus Christ? Church power is now supreme, above the Scriptures, rather than the Scriptures being above the churches. Should not all the ministers of the church be bound by the same set of vows, or will it take a number of years until all those who took the old vows have passed on before the church will be united in its allegiance to the present vows of the 1967 reorganization? What is this “authority of the Scriptures” that is mentioned in the second question? The church session ordains deacons and elders. These phrases, however, whatever they may mean, do not describe a Book which is infallible, inspired by the Holy Ghost, inerrant, and the divine revelation that God has given to man. Petition to Organize, Part 2 . … Those of you who have been ordained in the PCA know that the process can be rather grueling. Those called to an ordained office in the church are subjected to a four-stage process of admission to that office. Before we move on, there is still another factor that presents itself in relationship to these vows which is of the greatest moment. The word “authoritative” can refer to many things-law books, dictionaries, texts used in schools, etc. This also illustrates the standard shown by Jesus in his ministry, as he came "not to be served but to serve." Petition to Constitute, Part 2 . and is exercised in covenant with the whole church . I discuss this at great length in the chapter dealing with The Independent Board Trials, Chapter 18. Becoming an Elder in The Presbyterian Church in Canada . Christmas Eve and Drive-In Service at 4:00 PM; Church-Wide BBQ with Charlestowne Southern Methodist and friends on June 7, 2020, at 11:15 AM “Drive-In Church” for Palm Sunday and Easter at CPC -PLUS – … Back to Top . Lou served as an intern under Mr. David Sabella at Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Cynthiana, Kentucky. The church now confirms your … Will the action of the General Assembly in finally amending the constitution and formally instituting the new vows and the new creed automatically mean that all are under the new whether they take it verbally or not? “Drive-In Church” for Palm Sunday and Easter at CPC -PLUS – CPC premiers on YouTube April 5, 2020 at 9:00 AM! The Vows of Teaching and Ruling Elders Following is a letter written in February, 1833, by the Rev. Or will these new vows be taken only by the clergymen who enter the denomination after 1967? There are several vows that are not changed. Tweet. CPC 5 Year Anniversary Celebration and Luncheon. The Ordination and Installation of a Teaching Elder. We truly mean this in the EPC; ... prepares Elders to take the Ordination Vows of the EPC. Where is the man who will arise and say that he cannot conscientiously take these new vows since he is already committed to the original ones and he still believes them to be true? To read more about what Presbyterians believe about ordination… deacons are set apart through ordination.3 The ordination is carried out with prayer and with the laying on of hands and focuses on Christ and the joy and responsibility of serving him through the mission and ministry of the Church. The Presbyterian Church recognizes the Biblical principle that we each have different talents or gifts, as given in I Corinthians 12:431, and that we should utilize the talents we have. Neither may any man bind himself by oath to any thing but what is good and just, and what he believeth so to be, and what he is able and resolved to perform.”. If the church were not being changed there would be no need for new vows. It is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone: and, that it may be accepted, it is to be made voluntarily; out of faith and conscience of duty; in way of thankfulness for mercy received; or for obtaining of what we want: whereby we more strictly bind ourselves to necessary duties; or to other things, so far and so long as they may filly conduce thereunto.”, We are familiar with marriage vows and oaths that are taken by witnesses in court, but the vows that are made by ministers and elders in the church bind them under God in the most direct and solemn way to the ministry and witness of the church. It differs according to each man, to each preacher. B. has been regularly elected, ordained, and installed a Ruling Elder, (or Deacon,) in this Congregation, agreeably to the Word of God, and according to the Constitution of the Presbyterian … At this point there will develop a great deal of confusion. One can see it there when he studies the developments of these past three decades. What is it in the Holy Scriptures that is “God’s word to you”? In the Autumn of 2013 I went through the process of transferring my ordination to the Presbyterian … It is clear that it is not the Holy Scriptures themselves which are accepted as God’s word to you. However, in the Church of Scotland these vows were meaningless for many who took them – they had no genuine commitment to the … (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:1) I covenant to watch over and pray for the flock of God entrusted to my care as one who must give an account. It is inherent in the situation that has been produced. For the Minister to be inducted, the focus of the vows is on declaring his/her Who does the ordaining? Petition to Constitute, Part 1 . That period in church history has passed so far as the Presbyterians in the United Church are concerned. ‘A church built upon this kind of vow in relationship to this “word” (small “w”) as it relates to each separate and individual minister is an entirely different church from a one built upon the original and historic vow, which declares that the Holy Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation written, are indeed inspired of God and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. One “inactive elder” approached a minister whom that elder thought was bending ordination vows. The new vows encompass them all. The second ordination vow, which had to be rejected for the same reasons, reads, “Do you sincerely receive .and adopt the Confession of Faith of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures?” Long ago many laid aside the idea that there was any such thing as a system of doctrine presented in total compass of the Holy Scriptures. and declare that A. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 1. The Scripture Doctrine of the Civil Magistrate, Concerning the Inisible and Visible Church, Section I: Chapters 1-9 – The History of the Vaudois, Section II: Chapters 10-14 – The Reformation in France, Section III: Chapters 15-23 – The Battles for the Faith, Section IV: Chapters 24-36 – Heroism and Tragedy, Theodore Beza, Counsellor of the French Reformation, A Prayer for the Coming of Christ’s Kingdom, The ESV is a Perversion of the Word of God. Ordination vows also involve a contract. These vows have a long history within the church, and during the trials of the members of The Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions in the 1930’s they came to have an entirely different meaning and they gave to the church authority over men’s conscience which has now been established in the law of the church. However, in the Church of Scotland these vows were meaningless for many who took them – they had no genuine … FORMS FOR CONSTITUTING AND ORGANIZING CHURCHES. An entirely different concept of the development of the Bible and of the history of the experience of the Children of Israel has been imposed upon the Bible and upon the church. They are continued. Now the liberals may be comfortable in their varying degrees of unbelief and opinions. We no longer have here a revelation of the one true and living God, who has indeed revealed for us His own self and given to us the knowledge that we need concerning Him, but we have an evolutionary development of the experience of a nomadic people who progressed from stage to stage in their understanding of what they considered to be religious and spiritual and God. All are seated, except the elder candidates and the bishop, who stand facing each other. These vows do two great things. Teaching elder/pastor installation and ordination service March 16, 2016 A suggested service for both installation and ordination of a teaching elder or pastor in the PC(USA). It is not a time for thanking various people or sharing anecdotes; the appropriate time for this is during the speeches after the service. LOCAL CHURCH. Can the General Assembly impose by these new vows this unbelief upon all the ministers of the church? Unless this vow is set alongside of the vow which it replaces, and unless one recognizes what is meant by the “system of doctrine,” the glorious deposit of revelation which gives to us all that God has been pleased to reveal and which we would never have known unless God had given it to us, he simply is misled. In each I sincerely and honesty subscribed to certain ordination questions. The general ignorance that prevails in the church concerning these matters is a great assistance to the revolution that has now taken place. The vows are, after all, promises the candidate for ordination makes before God and his brothers in Christ. The Book of Church Order, commonly referred to as BCO, is part of the constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America, which is subject to and subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word Of God. The word “unique,” of course, is rather vague and general. These new ordination vows are a formula for inclusivism. Third, let us ask, What constitutes the “continuing instruction and guidance of the confessions of this Church”? Book of Government 13.1–13.6. It is synonymous with the biblical word presbuteros, which means “elder” and gives the Presbyterian Church its name. We shall see when we get into the study of the confession that the new terminology which they say we must have to express these ideas of the twentieth century is of such a nature that it may be satisfying to every minister, even though his concepts and ideas concerning Jesus may be different from those of his fellows. There are indeed parallels between the ecclesiastical struggle that has resulted in victory for the liberals and the modernists, and the political struggle in which the Communists and the socialists are moving rapidly toward a victorious conquest. communion is celebrated in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): the ruling elders and deacons serve the members, then they serve the Teaching Elder (clergy), and then Teaching Elder serves the Ruling Elders and Deacons. We truly mean this in the Lord took no ordination vows… in each I sincerely and honesty subscribed certain! 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