All Articles For Decency and Order

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 is assurance of their exceptional gifts, godliness, humility, modesty, common sense and discretion, as also gifts of public address. When such persons present themselves for the ministry, the classis (if the particular synod approve) shall first examine them, and further deal with them as it shall deem edifying, according to...

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 Minutes] The main concern of this article is making available the minutes and decisions of the broader assemblies. In Article 34 the Church Order stipulated that “in all assemblies there shall be not only a president, but also a clerk to keep a faithful record of all important matters.” That...

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.”  Church Order, Article 9. Background to Article 9 The original Article 9 is quite different from its present form in our Church Order. The original article read:

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 and the general synod, some church shall be empowered to determine with advice of classis, the time and place of the next synod.)  Church Order, Article 47.  (Each synod shall be at liberty to solicit and hold correspondence with its neighboring synod or synods in such manner as they shall...

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 order, and in a public gathering of the congregation.” Church Order, Article 64 Frequency of Administration Article 63 of the Church Order concerns the frequency of the administration of the Lord’s Supper. It establishes a minimum requirement: “… at least every two or three months.” Nowhere do the Scriptures lay...

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, Article 43 The “Censure” of Major Assemblies The censure referred to in Article 43 is to be distinguished from other forms of censure referred to in the Church Order. The censure of Article 43 is to be distinguished from the censure of Article 35. Article 35 calls for the presidents of...

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, and are accepted as members of the church, and are therefore obliged also to partake of the Lord’s Supper, which they shall promises to do at their baptism. Church Order, Article 59  The names of those baptized, together with those of the parents, and likewise the date of birth and...

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 in the opinion of at least three classes to call a meeting of synod within two years, the local church designated for this purpose shall determine time and place. Church Order, Article 50

Rev. Cammenga is pastor of Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. None shall be admitted to the Lord’s Supper except those who according to the usage of the church with which they unite themselves have made a confession of the Reformed religion, besides being reputed to be of a godly walk, without which those who come from other churches shall not be admitted. Church Order, Article 61 Articles 61-64 of the Church Order deal with the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. These articles lay down the fundamental guidelines that safeguard the administration of the sacrament in Reformed churches. There...

Rev. Cammenga is pastorof Southwest Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan. “The missionary work of the churches is regulated by the general synod in a mission order.” Church Order, Article 51