All Articles For Decency and Order

Ronald L. Cammenga is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Loveland, Colorado. “No one shall be called to the ministry of the Word, without his being stationed in a particular place, except he be sent to do church extension work.” Church Order, Article 7. Article 7 stands closely connected to the preceding articles. Article 2 specifies the number and nature of the special offices in the church. Article 3 requires that those who preach the gospel must be lawfully called to this office. Articles 4 and 5 stipulate that this calling to the ministry is to proceed from the...

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “The reconciliation of all such sins as are of their nature of a public character, or have become public because the admonition of the church has been despised, shall take place (upon sufficient evidence of repentance) in such a manner as the consistory shall deem conducive to the edification of each church. Whether in particular cases this shall take place in public shall, when there is difference of opinion about it in the consistory, be considered with the advice of two neighboring churches or of the classis.” Church...

Although the eleventh article of our church order literally speaks only of supporting the ministers of the word, it goes without saying that implicit in this is the obligation of every member of the church to support, according to their ability, the church or cause of Christ in the world in all her needs. This duty is rather clearly defined in the thirty-eighth Lord’s Day of the Heidelberg Catechism. In discussing the requirement of the fourth commandment of the law this thought provoking answer is given: 

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “The reconciliation of all such sins as are of their nature of a public character, or have become public because the admonition of the church has been despised, shall take place (upon sufficient evidence of repentance) in such a manner as the consistory shall deem conducive to the edification of each church. Whether in particular cases this shall take place in public, shall, when there is a difference of opinion about it in the consistory, be considered with the advice of two neighboring churches or of the classis.”...

The tenth article of our Church. Order reads as follows: “A minister once lawfully called, may not leave the congregation with which he is connected, to accept a call elsewhere, without the consent of the consistory, together with the deacons, and knowledge on the part of the classis; likewise no other church may receive him until he has presented a proper certificate of dismissal from the church and the classis where he served.” 

“The churches shall exert themselves, as far as necessary, that there may be students supported by them to be trained for the ministry of the Word.”Article 19, D.K.O.

The last time we emphasized the duty of the churches to exert themselves toward obtaining suitable men for the ministry of the Word. This necessity arises from the churches constant need of more ministers. Through sickness, emeritation, apostasy, and death her number is constantly diminished. In addition the establishment of new congregations increases the demand for more ministers and unless this demand is supplied the future of the church is jeopardized. Further, the office of Professors of Theology cannot be retained without students to be instructed.

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “If any one, having been admonished in love concerning a secret sin by two or three persons, does not give heed, or otherwise has committed a public sin, the matter shall be reported to the consistory.” Church Order, Article 74. Article 74 of the Church Order concerns reporting sins to the consistory. The article deals with such questions as: What sins must be reported to the consistory? Who must make these reports? What reports must a consistory receive? And how must a consistory act on reports it receives?...

In former installments we wrote that it is not the task of the consistory to establish, maintain and supervise the Christian school. Even though she may and, also, should be greatly interested in and deeply concerned about the school, she has no right to exercise any ruling authority in an institution such as the school which stands outside of the domain of her rule. The establishment of the Christian school is the sole responsibility of the parents. Theirs is the mandate to maintain it with or through proper supervision.

“Among the ministers of the word equality shall be maintained with respect to the duties of their office, and also in other matters as far as possible, according to the judgment of the consistory, and if necessary, of the classis; which equality shall also be maintained in the case of the elders and deacons.”—Art. 17, D.K.O.