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THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH (U.S.A.)
The Bible is the basis of our life
together. Beyond the Bible, the constitution of the
Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.) is composed of two documents: The
Book of Confessions and the Book of Order.
Copies of both books are available upon request.
PART I: The Book of Confessions
The Book of Confessions is the doctrinal part of our constitution.
It includes documents from the early centuries of the Christian
era, the time of the Reformation, and the twentieth century.
One helpful way to see The Book of Confessions is as a
family picture album, showing the changing face of the catholic
and Reformed faith across the centuries. They reveal who we are,
what beliefs we hold dear, and how we understand the call of
God in the face of secular culture. They are as follows:
- The Nicene Creed
- The Apostles’ Creed
- The Scots Confession
- The Heidelberg Catechism
- The Second Helvetic Confession
- The Westminster Confession of
Faith
- The Shorter Catechism
- The Larger Catechism
- The Theological Declaration of
Barmen
- The Confession of 1967
- A Brief Statement of Faith—
Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.)
PART II: Book of Order
The Book of Order is the part of our constitution that deals with
polity or church government. It is composed of three sections:
- Form of Government
- Directory for Worship
- Rules of Discipline
Presbyterian Church Government
The government of the Presbyterian Church is connectional in nature.
Each congregation is part of the presbytery, which is made up of all
the congregations in a given geographic area. Each presbytery, in turn,
is part of a larger geographic area called the synod. And all the congregations,
presbyteries, and synods make up the General Assembly. The Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) is made up of congregations, presbyteries, and synods. |
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