Session definition in government10/10/2023 ![]() In addition to these ministers, there are also "others … with gifts for government … commonly call "elders" or "ruling elders".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 "teaching elders") in each local congregation, approved for these tasks by a governing presbytery, or classis, and called by the local congregation.A bishop holds the highest office of the church (there is no Patriarch, Prelate or Pope over bishops). Episcopos means literally overseer and describes the function of the elder, rather than the maturity of the officer. " Bishop" ( Koine Greek " episcopos") and " elder" (Koine Greek " presbyteros") are (in this view) synonymous terms.Presbyterian polity is constructed on specific assumptions about the form of the government intended by the Bible: In the Hungarian Reformed Church there remain bishops who have a superintending role. Much of the history of the Church of Scotland and the nation itself is bound up with the relation between Episcopalianism, which the Protestant monarchs favoured, and the Presbyterianism of the reformers. There were also Tulchan Bishops and Archbishops. In the early days of the Scottish Reformation there were Superintendents. The first modern implementation was by the Geneva church under the leadership of John Calvin in 1541. Presbyterianism was first described in detail by Martin Bucer of Strasbourg, who believed that the early Christian church implemented presbyterian polity. iii", 445.Īerius of Sebaste also attacked the episcopal polity in the 4th century. i, 1" and Theodoret (393–457) in "Interpret ad. decreed throughout the world that one chosen from among the presbyters should be placed over the others." This observation was also made by Chrysostom (349–407) in "Homilia i, in Phil. iv, said, "Elder is identical with bishop and before the urging of the devil gave rise to factionalism in religion, so much that it was being said among the people, 'I am of Paul, I of Apollos, I of Cephas', the churches were governed by a joint council of elders. Jerome (347–420) "In Epistle Titus", vol. It is strongly associated with French, Dutch, Swiss and Scottish Reformation movements, and the Reformed and Presbyterian churches.Īmong the early church fathers, it was noted that the offices of elder and bishop were identical, and were not differentiated until later, and that plurality of elders was the norm for church government. ![]() This theory of governance developed in Geneva under John Calvin and was introduced to Scotland by John Knox after his period of exile in Geneva. In contrast to the other two forms, authority in the presbyterian polity flows both from the top down (as higher assemblies exercise limited but important authority over individual congregations, e.g., only the presbytery can ordain ministers, install pastors, and start up, close, and approve relocating a congregation) and from the bottom up (e.g., the moderator and officers are not appointed from above but are rather elected by and from among the members of the assembly). Presbyterian polity was developed as a rejection of governance by hierarchies of single bishops ( episcopal polity), but also differs from the congregationalist polity in which each congregation is independent. Responsibility for conduct of church services is reserved to an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament. Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and presbyteries and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. Presbyterian (or presbyteral) polity is a method of church governance ("ecclesiastical polity") typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders.
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