“The missionary work of the churches is regulated by the General Synod in a mission order” —Article 51, D.K.O.

Convening an Early Synod

Frequency of Meeting If the rule of Article 50 of the Church Order were ob­served, our Synod would meet every other year instead of every year as it does now. Joh. Jansen tells us that the Reformed Churches had originally desired an annual synod but due to disturbed civil conditions…

In our previous writing we began to discuss the 49th article of our Church Order; an article that treats the sub­ject of the appointment of synodical committees. Today the provisions of this article apply to all of the committees which are appointed by the Synod whereas originally it applied specifically…

Inasmuch as different languages are spoken in the churches, the necessary translations shall be made in the ecclesiastical assemblies, and in the publication of recommendations, instructions, and decisions. Church Order, Article 52 The original article Article 52 is the last article in the section of the Church Order that deals with the…

The branch of study that is denoted by the above caption is one that is extremely wide in scope. The average reader undoubtedly thinks of Church Polity in terms of the eighty-six articles of our own accepted Church Order. The scope, however, of this subject is far broader than this.…

Method In proceeding to discuss the content of our Church Order, the selection of a proper method becomes a matter of great importance. Several methods, good and bad, effective and deficient, are possible. There is, for example, the legalistic method according to which the Church Order is regarded and treated…

“To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God”. Psalm 50:23

In our last installment we introduced the first art­icle of our Church Order. At that time we wrote on the subject of Good Order in general and pointed out that the Word of God repeatedly calls us to live order­ly lives. Such a life is one that is in all…

Among other things the first article of our Church Order speaks of the necessity of assemblies in the church for the maintenance of good order. By these assemblies is not meant the gathering of the congre­gation in divine worship but rather the meetings of such ecclesiastical assemblies as the Consistory,…

It would be better if the second article of our Church Order were revised so that the word “four” were changed to “three” and the phrase “of the pro­fessors of theology” were elided altogether, or if it is desirable to retain that phrase the following redaction might be suggested as…

“No one, though he be a professor of theology, elder or deacon, shall be permitted to enter upon the minis­try of the Word and the sacraments without having been lawfully called thereunto. And when anyone acts contrary thereto, and after being frequently ad­monished does not desist, the classis shall judge…

Thomas Nichols said, “We believe that the gospel ministry is the noblest and most exalted office to which man can aspire. But not everyone is qualified to preach.” This is another way of saying that one is un­able to put himself into the office of the ministry of the Word.…

The fourth article of our church order defines the lawful calling of candidates to the office of the min­istry of the word. In this respect it is to be disting­uished from the next article which speaks of the cal­ling of ministers who are already in the office. Later articles in…

The last time we were discussing the first part of the fourth article of our church order. We wrote about some of the methods that are employed in nomi­nating and calling a minister of the gospel. It was observed that our churches do not follow the letter of the church…

A. Its Meaning

F. The Exhortations

Article 5

“No minister shall be at liberty to serve in institu­tions of mercy or otherwise, unless he be previously admitted in accordance with the preceding articles, and he shall, no less than others, be subject to the church order.” Article 6

The above caption is a Latin title by which a group of self-appointed itinerant preachers of the sixteenth century were called. The phrase means, “walking Levites.” It rather appropriately fits this class of itinerant preachers because they refused to be ministerially connected with any particular church but travelled about from…

To every rule there is an exception! And to the exception there is a rule! This is what we find in the eighth article of our Church Order. We have the rule governing the exception. The exception is the admission of certain persons into the ministry in a way different…

The last time we wrote that it was possible, though not advisable, for men endowed with special gifts to be admitted to the ministry of the word without the usual prescribed course of study in the theological school. This time we purpose to write a few lines about the gifts…

Article 9—“Preachers without fixed charge, or others who have left some sect, shall not he admitted to the ministry of the church until they have been declared eligible, after careful examination, by the classis with the approval of synod.”

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. The elders and deacons shall serve two or more years according to local regulations, and a proportionate number shall retire each year. The retiring officers shall be succeeded by others, unless the circumstances and the profit of any…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “The consistory shall take care that the churches, for the possession of their property and the peace and order of their meetings, can claim the protection of the authorities; it should be well understood, however, that for the…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. Four kinds of ecclesiastical assemblies shall be maintained: the consistory, the classis, (the particular synod), and the general synod. Church Order, Article 29

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. In all assemblies there shall be not only a president, but also a clerk to keep a faithful record of all important matters. Church Order, Article 34 Ecclesiastical Functionaries This article requires that there be two officers at…

Obviously the texts of Ephesians 5:18, 19 and Colossians 3:16cannot be used as a Scriptural basis for the introduction of hymns in the worship of the church. One reason for this is that the term “hymn” in these passages does not have the same meaning as is commonly given to that word today.…

Further expressions of the consistories on the above subject are continued in this article. The consistory of Hope Church expressed: “Without entering into the question as to whether an official radio broadcast of the Word by a Protestant Reformed Church is on the same level with divine worship in the…

B. If the majority of the consistory becomes worthy of discipline, no consistory remains to call a neighboring consistory and with that neighboring consistory to exercise discipline upon those that have made themselves worthy of it.  One can then expect no action from such a consistory and also the congregation…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Since it is proper that the matrimonial state be confirmed in the presence of Christ’s church, according to the form for that purpose, the consistories shall attend to it.  Church Order, Article 70. Historical Background Article 70 concerns…

In the final major argument against the doctrine of the separation of Church and State, the editor of theContender reasons that the Old Testament nation of Israel is an example to the nations of the world and, “from the beginning the national life and the religious life of the Israelites were…

In our previous articles, dealing with the subject matter of the twenty-first Article of our Church Order, we have attempted to make clear the following: (a) The origin and history of this article, (b) That good Christian schools are those that thoroughly furnish the child of God unto every good…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. In these assemblies ecclesiastical matters only shall be transacted and that in an ecclesiastical manner. In major assemblies only such matters shall be dealt with as could not be finished in minor assemblies, or such as pertain to…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. If anyone complain that he has been wronged by the decision of a minor assembly, he shall have the right to appeal to a major ecclesiastical assembly, and whatever may be agreed upon by a majority vote shall…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. The proceedings of all assemblies shall begin by calling upon the name of God and be closed with thanksgiving.  Church Order, Article 32 An Article of Long Standing Article 32 calls for prayer at the beginning and conclusion…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “As Christian discipline is of a spiritual nature, and exempts no one from civil trial or punishment by the authorities, so also besides civil punishment there is need of ecclesiastical censures, to reconcile the sinner with the church…

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. “To those who remove from the congregation, a letter or testimony concerning their profession and conduct shall be given by the consistory, signed by two; or, in the case of letters which are given under the…

Prof. Cammenga is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. Previous article in this series: October 1, 2008, p. 11. “The ministers of the Word, elders, and deacons shall before the celebration of the Lord’s Supper exercise Christian censure among themselves, and in a friendly spirit…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. In case any one errs in doctrine or offends in conduct, as long as the sin is of a private character, not giving public offense, the rule clearly prescribed by Christ in Matthew 18 shall be followed.  Church…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. The classis shall authorize at least two of her oldest, most experienced and most competent ministers to visit all the churches once a year and to take tied whether the minister and the consistory faithfully perform the duties…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. Instructions concerning matters to be considered in major assemblies shall not be written until the decisions of previous synods touching these matters have been read, in order that what was once decided be not again proposed, unless a…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “Persons who have not pursued the regular course of study in preparation for the ministry of the Word, and have therefore not been declared eligible according to Article 4, shall not be admitted to the ministry unless there…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. It shall be the duty of the church in which the classis and likewise the (particular) synod or general synod meets to furnish the following meeting with the minutes of the preceding. Church Order, Article 45 Furnishing Previous…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “Preachers without fixed charge, or others who have left some sect, shall not be admitted to the ministry of the church until they have been declared eligible, after careful examination, by the classis with the approval of synod.” …

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Granville, Michigan. (Every year [or if need be oftener] four or five or more neighboring classes shall meet as a particular synod, to which each classis shall delegate two ministers and two elders. At the close of both the particular…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “The Lord’s Supper shall be administered at least every two or three months.” Church Order, Article 63 “The administration of the Lord’s Supper shall take place only there where there is supervision of elders, according to the ecclesiastical…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church of Grandville, Michigan. At the close of the classical and other major assemblies, censure shall be exercised over those, who in the meeting have done something worthy of punishment, or who have scorned the admonition of the minor assemblies.  Church Order,…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. In the ceremony of baptism, both of children and of adults, the minister shall use respective forms drawn up for the administration of this sacrament.  Church Order, Article 58  Adults are through baptism incorporated into the Christian church,…

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. The general synod shall ordinarily meet once every two years unless there be urgent need to shorten the time. To this synod three ministers and three elders out of every classis shall be delegated. If it becomes necessary…