The word deacon is derived from the Greek, diakonos, meaning servant. Deacons are trusted servants, helpers, assistants, and administrators within a well established framework that ministers to many needs within a congregation. The OPC Book of Church Order (BCO), Form of Government (FG), Chapter XI describes the office of the Deacon and his responsibilities as:…

If we go back a few generations, the centrality of the family unit was normal in the cadence of society. Through the industrial revolution the functions of the family unit started to change. With industrialization families moved off from the land and into cities and suburbs. Few today have even faint awareness of the radical…

The work of the deacon was well established in the Old Testament administration. God’s people are unlike those who are outside the household of faith, the Lord God dwells [1] with his people. The Lord God is unlike the gods [2] of the heathen. Their gods are made of the stuff of the earth, their…

Special officers are appointed and charged with various responsibilities that were established by the Lord in the Old Testament administration. The various roles of office were carried forward under the New Testament administration by calling, and appointment of representative offices. This is recognized in Forms of Government (FG) Chapter 1.3 as: “Christ orders his church…

Few Christians step back to carefully consider the nature of the church of Jesus Christ. To be clear, I’m not making reference to a particular organized church by that name but rather to the whole body of which Jesus is the head. In previous articles we have considered the nature of the Session and its…

This series of articles so far has described the nature of oversight within the church, the responsibilities of the three persisting offices in the church, the qualifications for office, and how elders govern the life and conduct of the church. This is the final article in the series, and closes with an overview of the…

Ministers Among those who minister the Word, Scripture distinguishes the evangelist, the pastor, and the teacher. (BCO FG Chapter VI:2). Ministers must be of sound faith, appropriate human learning and preparation for office, able to teach others, and must exhibit a walk of life that fits his calling. Ministers are called by a congregation with…

Regarding the Church The Elder’s Edition two weeks ago considered the Session and its function. Last week’s edition addressed the roles and responsibilities of the two key offices that function as the Session of the local church. This edition will look at the nature of the church and the officers who serve her. The Greek…

Last week’s Elder’s Edition article considered expectations that can arise out of common practices in the use of electronic communications as they might impact how a congregation can interact with the Session. Lastly, the article covered the role and function of the Session as set out in the OPC Book of Church Order (BCO). This…

This is the first of a series on Presbyterian polity and on our doctrine of the Church. A question that has come up time and again in many churches is this: “Why hasn’t the Session/Elder/Minister responded to my issue?” The situation and its circumstances vary, but the essence of the concern usually involves: a) How…