The
Constitution of the Presbyterian Church has two volumes: Book 1 is the Book of Confessions
(beliefs). Book 2 is the Book of Order
(government). The Book of Order is
actually a collection of four books:
- Foundations of Presbyterian Polity (the principles by which we operate the church)
- Form of Government (how to govern the church)
- Directory for Worship (guidelines and rules for how to structure worship service)
- Rules of Discipline (how to discipline members and hold church courts)
No
page numbers?
You will find that there are no page numbers in the Book
of Order. This is because we change the
Book of Order constantly, and page numbers would quickly become irrelevant and
misleading. In the same way that we
don’t use page numbers in the Bible, but rather book, chapter and verse, the
Book of Order uses a “book, chapter and verse system.”
Take this for example:
G-2.0401.
All references in the Book of Order start with a
letter. In this case, G refers to the
Form of Government. There are three
other parts to the Book of Order: the
Foundations of Church Polity (designated by the letter “F”), the Directory for
Worship (W) and the Rules for Discipline (D).
The first number refers to the chapter, and the following
numbers and letters refer to sections, paragraphs and subparagraphs.
You will find that with very little practice this is easy
to learn.
Language
is important!
In the Book of Order, notice the wording. Some things are
mandated and you MUST follow what the Book of Order says. Some things are not mandated, but are offered
as guidance. How do you know what is
required and what is suggested? Pay
attention to the wording.
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IF YOU SEE THIS WORD or phrase
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THEN THE BOOK OR ORDER MEANS
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“Shall”
or “is to be”
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This
is mandated. You MUST do this to be
obedient to the Book or Order
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“Should”
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Signifies
practice that is strongly recommended
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“Is
Appropriate”
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Signifies
practice that is commended as suitable,
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May
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Signifies
practice that is permissible but not required
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