Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance was developed as a rejection of the Episcopal system. It favors the plurality of leaders for each congregation (“presbyteros” is Greek for “elder” and is synonymous with ”episcopos” which we state yesterday was Greek for “bishop”). It is common in Presbyterian and Reformed churches. In this model, each local congregation is overseen by a group, or council, of elders who are typically elected by said congregation to serve for a term (usually about 3 years); in other instances, the elders are elected by the drawing of straws. These elders are then divided into 2 separate groups, teaching elders (ministers or pastors) and ruling elders. Local congregations are also organized into assemblies (sometimes called classis) . Elders from local congregations serve as representatives of the local church at the classical level. The responsibility of these assemblies is to oversee and facilitate cooperation between local congregations. Then each classis sends delegates to a broader committee, usually called a synod. Synods usually meet on a yearly basis to discuss theological practices for the whole denomination. The important thing to note in this model is that each of the ruling boards are filled with people who were first elected by their local congregation and then again elected as delegates for their classis. This allows for the local congregation to be in control of who is their representative and who is their teacher, thus leaving authority essentially in the hands of the church members.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:41:46 +0000
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