Vol. 13, No. 1 ORDAINED SERVANT Published by The Committee on Christian Education of THE ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH January, 2004 ORDAINED SERVANT Statement of Purpose Ordained Servant exists to provide solid materials for the equipping of office-bearers to serve more faithfully. The goal of this journal is to assist the ordained servants of the church to become more fruit- ful in their particular ministry so that they in turn will be more capable to prepare God's people for works of service. To attain this goal Ordained Servant will include articles (both old and new) of a theoretical and practical nature with the emphasis tending toward practical articles wrestling with perennial and thorny problems encountered by office-bearers. Editorial Policy 1. Ordained Servant publishes articles inculcating biblical presbyterianism in accord with the constitu- tion of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and helpful articles from collateral Reformed traditions; how- ever, views expressed by the writers do not necessarily represent the position of Ordained Servant or of the Church. 2. Ordained Servant occasionally publishes articles on issues on which differing positions are taken by officers in good standing in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Ordained Servant does not intend to take a partisan stand, but welcomes articles from various viewpoints in harmony with the constitution of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. All material in this periodical is subject to U.S. and International copyright laws and may not be re- produced without prior written approval. Interested parties are invited to obtain permission to re- produce material found in this publication by writing to the editor. Copyright by the Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. All rights reserved. Published for the Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church under direction of the Subcommittee on Resources for Church Officers Contents: Vol. 13, No. 1 Editorial Notes............................................................................................................................................................3 The Duties of Elders, by Daniel R. Hyde................................................................................................................4 What does it mean to Subscribe to the Westminster Standards? by the Editor.......................................................8 On Being a Confessional Church, by Gregory E. Reynolds.................................................................................11 Some Thoughts on Term Eldership, by John R. Sittema.....................................................................................14 Turning Points in American Presbyterianism, Part Three, by D.G. Hart and John R. Muether..........................17 Book Reviews...........................................................................................................................................................20 CD Review - The Puritan Bookshelf and The Reformation Bookshelf.................................................................23 Please send materials intended for possible publication in Ordained Servant to the Editor, G. I. Wil- liamson, 406 Normal College Ave., Sheldon, IA 51201. (Or you can send a text file, by Email to: william- [email protected]). 2 Ordained Servant — Vol. 13, No. 1 EDITORIAL NOTES hree of the ordination vows a “blatant breach of trust, of the too high a position?” The answer T taken by office bearers basic principle of honesty” or in to this is really quite simple: “No, of the Orthodox Presbyterian other words it is “moral perjury, it is not anything of the sort if Church are the same for Minis- and that in one of the most sacred they actually are a faithful sum- ters, Elders and Deacons. These relations that exists in this mary of the teaching of Scrip- vows are as follows: world.” ture.” And that is exactly what we said we believed when we (1) Do you believe the Scrip- “Can you say that there is no subscribed to them in the first tures of the Old and New relation between a man's position place. We said we sincerely re- Testaments to be the Word in the realm of doctrine and his ceived and adopted the Confes- of God, the only infallible principles of life and conduct?” sion and Catechisms as faithful rule of faith and practice? asked Murray. “No; they are one expressions of what the Bible because they concern truth and teaches. No, we did not say we (2) Do you sincerely receive and the sanctity of truth. Truth is one, believed they were infallible or adopt the Confession of and it is a moral and psychologi- inerrant. We affirmed that to be Faith and Catechisms of this cal impossibility for a man's be- true only of the Scriptures. So, if Church, as containing the lief with respect to what consti- we—for some reason that we now system of doctrine taught in tutes Christianity to be heterodox find compelling—come to believe the Holy Scriptures? and his beliefs with respect to that they are not in actual fact true what constitutes the norm of to the Bible we have two options. (3) Do you approve of the gov- Christian life to be orthodox.” We can leave the OPC and join a ernment, discipline, and denomination that has a creed we worship of the Orthodox “The primal necessity is truth can agree with. Or, if our disa- Presbyterian Church? in the inward parts, and error with greement is relatively minor, we respect to God, Christ, sin and re- can bring a revised creedal state- In later issues we hope to de- demption cannot co-exist there ment to my Session or Presbytery vote attention to other vows as with a true standard of moral obli- in order to seek to persuade our well, but in this issue of Or- gation. Modernism in doctrine fellow office-bearers that the sec- dained Servant we want to focus and modernism in ethics are ulti- ondary standards need improve- attention on the second vow. As mately one.” (The quotations are ment. This has actually been done suggested in the editorial of the from Collected Writings of John in our history, and should be done previous issue of this journal, it is Murray, Vol. 1, pp. 194,195.) wherever it can be shown to be our conviction that we, as a con- needed. In the mean time, while fessional church, need to mani- We are not Modernists, of this process is going on, it is our fest a greater degree of integrity course. But, as Murray went on to solemn duty to abide by the pre- in our adherence to the form of show in the essay quoted above, it cept of the Psalmist (Psalm sound words that we have sol- is by no means impossible that 15:4b). The man acceptable to emnly confessed to be a faithful “earnest men, believing men” can God is he who, when he finds out expression of “the system of doc- nevertheless “appear to be out of that there is pain involved in trine taught in the Holy Scrip- sympathy with some of the dis- keeping vows, accepts that pain tures.” As John Murray once said tinctive doctrines of that commun- because of his ethical integrity. with respect to signers of the Au- ion whose doctrines they have burn Affirmation, these “ men… solemnly vowed to believe and There is no more urgent need solemnly vowed belief in and ad- maintain.” in the OPC today than Ministers, herence to these great verities Elders and Deacons who are will- which they…either denied or Now some will immediately ing to honor their vows in the branded as mere theories.” Pro- ask the question: “But isn’t this to manner spoken of by the Psalm- fessor Murray rightly called this put these man-made documents in ist. Ordained Servant — Vol. 13, No. 1 3 THE DUTIES OF ELDERS by Daniel R. Hyde Almost 60 years ago, J.L. many of our churches rise and fall may be practiced.They shall see Schaver lamented the deplorable with the congregation. To remedy to it that their fellow-elders, the condition of the eldership in Re- this and bring stability into a local minister(s) and the deacons formed and Presbyterian church- church, a solid group of elders is faithfully discharge their offic- es, which “were sleeping at the needed to safeguard the congrega- es. They are to maintain the switch.”1 It is always a delicate tion from the minister, and to safe- purity of the Word and Sacra- matter when one wants to sound guard the minister from the con- ments, assist in catechizing the an alarm without sounding as an gregation. In my own experience I youth, promote God-centered alarmist. I do want to sound an witnessed a solid Consistory (Ses- schooling, visit the members of alarm, not that there is any specif- sion) not only keep a church afloat the congregation according to ic errors we are guilty of, but to when its pastor retired, but actual- their needs, engage in family always keep us alert and sober, ly see the church grow as they visiting, exercise discipline in which is a Biblical virtue. searched for a year and a half for a the congregation, actively pro- new pastor. mote the work of evangelism As Reformed and Presbyterian and missions, and insure that churches, we need to ask our- What follows is a part of my everything is done decently and selves the question, “What are we elder-training manual that I am de- in good order (paragraph divi- doing to ensure that our churches veloping in my congregation. It is sion mine). will stay orthodox in doctrine and an exposition of article 14 of the vibrant in witness for the next Church Order of the URCNA, The Elders’ Purpose generation?” There are countless which I pray will benefit my col- ideas and topics that can fit under leagues in the URCNA, but also in The goal and reason the elder- this question, but I want to focus the OPC as these principles apply. ship exists is “in order that purity on one, namely, training up a new This article may also serve to fur- of doctrine and holiness of life generation of elders to rule, to ther our common bond of fraterni- may be practiced.” The elders are teach, to shepherd, and to counsel.