This list was intentionally short in order to help preserve the unity of the church around the essentials of the faith in theology, church government, and evangelism. Not every church in our presbytery will be able to plant a church, but every church in our presbytery can play a part in planting a church. The pca has its roots in theological controversies over liberalism in christianity and neoorthodoxy that had been a point of contention in the presbyterian church in the u. Brochures and cards bulletin inserts forms and applications liturgy and worship aids manuals and policies video, audio and multimedia publications and periodicals posters and fliers reports and study guides prayer cards.
This 3 ring binder is designed to fit the pages of the book of church order. The foundations of presbyterian polity, the form of government, the directory for worship, and the rules of discipline. Every effort has been made to make this as accurate as possible, using the. Church planting in the epc is under the auspices of the church planting team cpt, led by veteran church planter and pastor tom ricks. The book of church order includes bylaws that detail the form of church government and other areas of church organization. The bible, the westminster confession of faith, together with the larger and shorter catechisms, and the book of church order. The book of church order of the presbyterian church in america includes all amendments approved up to and including the 47th general assembly, in dallas, texas june 2428, 2019 published by the office of the stated clerk of the general assembly of the presbyterian church in america distributed by committee on discipleship ministries. It is characterized by a blend of reformed practice and broad evangelicalism. Epconnection informing and inspiring the epc family. Book of church order evangelical presbyterian church.
These courts are the session, governing the local church. Pastor designates any of the epc teaching elders in a church, whether pastor, associate, or assistant. God alone is lord of the conscience and has left it free from any. The book of church order presbyterian church in the united. Volume 1 the book of order including rules for assembly, acts of assembly, and forms for discipline. Featuring books by presbyterian and refomred authors. The evangelical presbyterian church epc is an american church body holding to presbyterian governance and reformed theology, expressed in an orthodox, conservative vein the motto of the evangelical presbyterian church is in essentials, unity. Introduction to the report on divorce and remarriage. What is the presbyterian church of america pca, and what. Training men for the ministry through apprenticeship.
How to tell the difference between the pca and pcusa. To navigate the volume online, use the bookmarks panel on the pdf. The presbyterian church in america pca was formed in 1973 to be a denomination that is faithful to the scriptures, true to the reformed faith, and obedient to the great commission. Church when capitalized, refers to the universal church defined in book of government, chapter 1 2.
Comparison of basic beliefs and viewpoints of three. As presbyterians, our churches intentionally connect and engage together on a regional basis. Book of discipline and rules of discipline procedures for the exercise of discipline in the epcew rules of discipline of the epcew. The book of order book of government, book of discipline. Faith presbyterian epc presbytery of the southeast. The book of church order, incorporating parts 14 as above, is also. The book of order of the evangelical presbyterian church. The book of order is part ii of the constitution of the presbyterian church u. The pote first missions workshop has been rescheduled to saturday, may 2nd. The book of church order pages are sold separately. The pca is reformed in theology, presbyterian in government, and active in missions.
Quickly get a headstart when creating your own epc diagram. To assist them in implementing their book of order responsibilities, many sessions provide for the development of a personnel committee. The presbyterian church in america pca is the second largest presbyterian church body, behind the presbyterian church usa, and the largest conservative reformed denomination in the united states. Thank you for your interest in pursuing the pastoral ministry in the presbyterian church in america. Book of order 20052007 memorial presbyterian church. Church order protestant reformed churches in america. We believe that we can better fulfill the mission of god by supporting, helping, and being accountable to each other. The book order process along with documents and information needed to order book are visualized at length. The constitution of the presbyterian church in america, which is subject to and subordinate to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, the inerrant word of god, consists of its doctrinal standards set forth in the westminster confession of faith, together with the larger and shorter catechisms, and the book of church order, comprising the form of government. The local church is the primary building block in the epc. Amendments to the confession of faith and catechisms of this church may be nlade only in the following manner.
One of these churches is the presbyterian church in america pca. Click here to get a flier to print and post in your church. The book of church order presbyterian church in the united states 19801981. As a presbyterian church, eco adheres to reformed theology and presbyterian polity. Book an epc since 1st october 2008 landlords and vendors offering property for rent or sale have been required by law to provide prospective tenants or buyers with an energy performance certificate. The book of confessions contains the nicene creed, the apostlescreed, the scots confession, the heidelberg catechism, the second helvetic confession, the westminster. Click here to order or call the pca bookstore at 180028357. On this page you can access a wide variety of epc documents and forms, including the book of order, general assembly minutes, position papers, as well as a wide variety of epc forms such as those used in approving candidates and calling ministers. The national leadership team approved the motion and the date and time of the called meeting on tuesday morning, april 14. An epc response to the pca report on women serving in the.
Jun 21, 2015 the book of order consists of four parts. The epc is also more tolerant of the charismatic movement than the pca. Preliminary principles the presbyterian church in america, in setting forth the form of government founded upon and agreeable to the word of god, reiterates the following great principles which have governed the formation of the plan. A along regional lines at the beginning of the civil war. The cpt trains, nurtures, and equips epc church planters, as well as helps congregations, networks, and presbyteries get the right church planters in the right places. Presbyteries are the church court consisting of ministers and ruling elders representing churches from a geographic region. We read of the glorious culmination of this in the book of revelation, where gods people, the redeemed, are brought into the presence of god to live rev. Strategic priorities evangelical presbyterian church. In addition the book of order, consisting of the foundations of presbyterian polity, form of government, directory for worship, and rules of discipline, was completely revised. The book of confessions contains the nicene creed, the apostles creed, the scots. The fifth general assembly 1977 of the presbyterian church in america affirmed its understanding of the biblical position on homosexulaity which stated that.
Refers only to a teaching elder duly called by an epc church as pastor, associate pastor, or assistant pastor as per the book of government. The book of church order presbyterian church in the united states 19801981 office of stated clerk of general assembly on. Stated clerk of the evangelical presbyterian church the epc, like the pca, is a denominational member of the wrf. Local church an entity composed of its duly received members with specifically. The traditional version with epcapproved amendments is available for download. Shortterm mission director grace community church, cherokee, nc listing 1272b.
Part one is the book of confessions, and part two, the book of order, consisting of the foundations of presbyterian polity, form of government, directory for worship, and rules of discipline. The book of order evangelical presbyterian church constitution. The following amendments to the book of church order bco, rules of assembly. Church order 86 essentially, this is the church order of dordrecht, adopted by the great synod of dordrecht in 16181619.
The first general assembly of the church met at ward presbyterian church in livonia, michigan in late 1981, drafting a list of essential beliefs. It was established in 2012 by former congregations and members of the presbyterian church usa, abbreviated pcusa. Pastors open to a new call pca administrative committee. The book of church order, incorporating parts 14 as above, is also available as a single pdf document for viewing and printing. Chapter 24 of marriage and divorce is the pcus version as amended by the epc. Resources welcome to the epc presbytery of the alleghenies. Like other presbyterian churches, the presbyterian church of america practices a representative form of church government. Church order book of church order the constitution of the orthodox presbyterian church, subordinate to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, consists of its standards of doctrine, government, discipline, and worship, namely, its confession of faith, larger and shorter catechisms, form of government, book of discipline, and directory for the public worship of god. Jesus, the mediator, the sole priest, prophet, king, saviour, and head of the church, contains in himself, by way of eminency, all the offices in his church, and has many of their names attributed to him in the scriptures. The current book of order contains rules for assembly, acts of assembly, and forms for discipline as amended through the 39th general assembly 2019. Incorporating amendments made in 2000, 2005, 2011, 20.
The book of church order, commonly referred to as bco, is part of the constitution of the presbyterian church in america, which is subject to and subordinate to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, the inerrant word of god. Pca bookstore provides bilbical and reformed books at discounted prices. The heavens and the earth will pass away and be radically transformed 2 pet. They are not meant to be rules or mandates and will need to be adapted to fit each individual situation. This 260page pdf document is volume 1 of the epc constitution and includes amendments to the book of order and rules for assembly ratified by the 36th general assembly 2016, as well as acts of the 36th general assembly. If applicants come from other denominations, the presbytery shall examine them thoroughly in knowledge and views as required by the book of church order 214 and require them to answer in the affirmative the questions put to candidates at their ordination. Churches seeking a pastor pca administrative committee. Faithful to the scriptures, true to the reformed faith, and obedient to the great commission. This 260page pdf document is volume 1 of the epc constitution and includes amendments to the book of order and rules for assembly ratified. Presbytery information pca administrative committee. As you consider the relationship between session and trustees, keep in mind that the session of the church, its active ruling elders, are responsible and hold jurisdiction over the entire ministry of the church, with the exception of those very few aspects reserved for teaching elders. The pca is an evangelical denomination in that we proclaim the gospel of salvation through faith in jesus christ. Volume 2 the westminster confession of faith and catechisms epc modern language version volume 1 is reprinted annually and available both in print and online at.
On this page you can access a wide variety of epc documents and forms, including the book of order, general assembly minutes, position papers, as well as a. Volume 1 the book of order of the evangelical presbyterian church the book of government the book of discipline the book of worship including rules for assembly, acts of assembly, and forms for discipline 20142015. With the county at a shelterinplace order, epc has elevated its covid19 response to level 4 all activity held in our church building, including sunday worship service is cancelled and the church building is locked sunday sermons will be posted online and can be found at the sermons page. Please join us for this informative and collaborative time together. Louis, missouri on the campus of covenant theological seminary. The 40th general assembly of the evangelical presbyterian church is rescheduled from june 2326, 2020, at hope presbyterian church, cordova, tennessee, to september 1718, 2020, at hope presbyterian church, cordova, tennessee. A free customizable order book epc template is provided to download and print. We provide a variety of tools and resources for presbyteries to utilize. We believe ministry and mission begins with the local church. The epcew is seeking fraternal relations with the evangelical presbyterian church in ireland epc, the free church of scotland, the reformed churches in the. A covenant order of evangelical presbyterians is an evangelical presbyterian denomination in the united states. Part of the 8 step process in joining the presbytery of the alleghenies is to attend our church vitality seminar. The bco is based on the pcus book of church order declared it in force on may 19, 1879.
Pastor designates any of the epc teaching elders in a church. This is a complete listing of every pca church, as well as complete listings for pca committee and agency main contacts, presbytery wic presidents, stated clerks, and ruf campus ministries. This version is, in main, the american version of the 1647 westminster confession of faith. He is apostle, teacher, pastor, minister, bishop and the only lawgiver in zion. Sep 30, 2015 2 thoughts on 201516 book of order available to download edward eissbake march 7, 2016 at 1. Pcusa, evangelical covenant order of presbyterians eco, and evangelical presbyterian church epc at the request of midcouncil leaders in the presbyterian church usa this comparison chart has been developed. The book of confessions contains the nicene creed, the apostles creed, the scots confession, the heidelberg catechism, the second helvetic confession, the westminster. Home church order book of church order the constitution of the orthodox presbyterian church, subordinate to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, consists of its standards of doctrine, government, discipline, and worship, namely, its confession of faith, larger and shorter catechisms, form of government, book of discipline, and directory for the public worship of god. Have a fouryear college degree and a threeyear degree from an accredited seminary acceptable to the presbytery including appropriate courses in greek and hebrew. Read the book of church order of the pca, which is comprised of the form of government, the rules of discipline and the directory for worship. Evangelical presbyterian church united states wikipedia. Book of church order the book of church order, commonly referred to as bco, is part of the constitution of the presbyterian church in america, which is subject to and subordinate to the scriptures of the old and new testaments, the inerrant word of god. The book of confessions contains the nicene creed, the apostlescreed, the scots confession, the heidelberg catechism, the. Pca bookstore book of church orderpages with 2019 updates.
Preface the constitution of the presbyterian church u. The bco is comprised of the form of government, the rules of discipline and the directory for worship as adopted. Downloadable epc resources evangelical presbyterian church. In order for the face and heart of the pca to change in the future to more fully accomplish our passion for the great commission and the great commandment in the rapidly changing demographic environment of north america, a more effective model was needed for training future ministers of the pca from a new pool of men who would not. A spiralbound printed edition will be available for order soon at.
Congregation a broad term including all who gather for worship, including members and other attendees. At the 2012 general assembly meeting social issues were discussed again. Here is a brief overview of actions on sexuality of past pca general assemblies. In drawing up this book of order the presbytery made use of other books of order. Biblical discipline as reflected in the book of church order. The office of the general assembly is in orlando, florida. The new book of order has a colorful cover featuring three church symbols. An ordination exam study guide for use in the evangelical presbyterian church epc january 30, 2014 may 12, 2019 dsonnenberg study guides. The pca maintains the historic polity of presbyterian governance set forth in the book of church order, namely rule by presbyters or elders and the graded assemblies or courts. Contains the form of government of the pca, rules of discipline, and the directory of the worship of god.