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COHc Connections
Module 4
Church Roots & Relationships
Church History:



In which branch of Christ’s Church
did our church develop?
What denominational affiliation does COHc
share?
Does Scripture teach and model a particular
leadership structure for local churches?
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4.1
OUR PAST CONNECTIONS- What Are Our Historical Roots?...
EARLY CHURCH:
Jerusalem Council
(Acts 15; AD 48)
PROTESTANT
R_______________:
Luther, Calvin, Knox
(1500s)
AMERICAN
WESTMINSTER
ASSEMBLY
PRESBYTERIANISM
(1643-1647)
(1672-present)
 The “Church-as-__________” Analogy: One helpful way to understand God’s
work in building His Church is to compare it to a mighty river, much like the Mississippi
in the U.S. or the Amazon in South America. There
are lots of twists and turns, and at some points, the
river appears motionless, but its upstream force is
so powerful that the river is merely changing
direction or reproducing itself into multiple streams
going in various directions. Such is Christ’s Church:
it has ebbed and flowed in world history yet continues to prevail; in fact, Time Magazine
reported that 33% of the world’s 7 billion people profess Christianity (Oct 2011). So we
see that The Church flows in many streams and in many directions, yet its strength
comes from the same Source: Christ and His powerful Spirit.
 The “Presbyterian” Story: Just as the stories we tell about ourselves can reveal the
beliefs, practices and values we cherish, so too with the stories of the church heritage we
claim. There are at least 6 major __________that tell the story of the PCA as it
interweaves with the history of The Church. These events have had a profound influence
on the way we “do” church, each exhibiting some of the beliefs and practices we hold
dear:

The Jerusalem Council (AD 48/49)- an international conference of Apostles
and elders was called in Jerusalem to resolve the first theological dispute in the early
church. Acts 15 retells the story for us. Of special significance to us is how The
Church operated as one entity in a “general assembly,” a collective collaboration to
decide important matters concerning the life and practice of The Church.
“The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion…”
(Acts 15.6-7a)
4.2

The Protestant Reformation (1500s) - Martin Luther (1483-1546)
rediscovered the doctrine of justificationby-faith-alone; subsequently a massive
movement to reform the Church was
accompanied by a spiritual revival fueled
by the translation of the Scriptures into
the common languages of the people.
John Calvin (1509-1564) wrote his
Institutes of the Christian Religion,
which stands as a masterpiece of
The Reformation Wall (in Geneva):
Farel, Calvin, Beza, Knox
Christian theology even today. Calvin, a
pastor in Geneva, Switzerland, emphasized both Word-and-Deed ministry, inspiring
a social welfare movement in that city, helping to soften the increasing displacement
of the poor and sick from war, plague and famine; this, in turn, also spurned a
“general hospital” movement. John Knox (1514-1572) wrote the Scots Confession
in 1560, which along with his Book of Common Order, became the prequel to the
Westminster Confession.
These church leaders did not see themselves as
“innovators,” but as “reformers,” pointing out that their changes had precedence in
the early church.

The Westminster Assembly (1643-1647) - This series of __________ was
called by English Parliament for the purpose of bringing about doctrinal and
liturgical uniformity among churches in what is known today as the United Kingdom.
Meeting in London, England, the Assembly established theological “standards” for
ordaining ministers as well as discipling and educating its members.

The Birth of American Presbyterianism (1672) - The first Presbyterians,
affiliated with the Church of Scotland, arrived in the second major wave of American
immigration. The formation of Princeton Seminary in 1812 was the direct result of
the Second Great Awakening; this seminary would not only train ministers, but was a
major ministry center for conservative, Bible-believing Christians in America for over
120 years.

The Battle for the Bible (early 20th Century) - A movement of sophisticated
unbelief began to make an impact on American churches, including Presbyterian
ones. “Theological __________” taught that faith was only an existential
experience without any factual basis in reality. In other words, that there was no
God! They taught that He had not spoken and that the miracles of the Bible were just
legends. Sadly, this false teaching even infected Princeton Seminary. Consequently,
J. Gresham Machen, a champion of theological conservatism, helped found
Westminster Seminary in 1929 in order to provide theological training to ministers
that presupposed the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible. Machen then left the
mainline Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) to form the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in
1935. Our own denomination, the PCA, also originated as a departure from the same
mainline Presbyterian denomination in 1973.
OUR ASSOCIATION: i.e. Our Denominational Affiliation
What is the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)?
CHRISTIAN
PROTESTANT
EVANGELICAL
REFORMED
PRESBYTERIAN
PCA
The PCA’s Identity, from more general to more specific is…
“EVANGELICAL, REFORMED & PRESBYTERIAN”
 PCA MISSION: The mission of the Presbyterian Church in America is to glorify and enjoy
God by equipping and enabling the churches of the PCA to work together to fulfill the Great
Commission by making disciples of all nations, so that people will mature as servants of the
triune God, will worship God in spirit and truth, and will have a reforming impact on
culture.
 PCA VISION: The PCA is a community of churches that are attempting to plant and build
healthy churches through the priorities of Biblical truth and Christian unity.
As one communion in the worldwide church, the Presbyterian Church in America
exists to glorify God by extending the kingdom of Jesus Christ over all individual lives
through all areas of society and in all nations and cultures. To accomplish this end the
PCA aims to fill the world with churches that are continually growing in vital worship, in
theological depth, in true fellowship, in assertive evangelism and in deeds of compassion.
The distinctiveness of the PCA lies in our stress on both reformation and
revival. Without an emphasis on revival, "reformation" may become either a mimicking
of political ideologies or sterile doctrinalism. Without an emphasis on reformation,
"revival" may become a shallow pietism or mysticism. Only reformation and revival
together can accomplish the Great Commission of our Lord.
 PCA COMMITMENTS: The PCA is but one branch of Christ’s Church that is seeking to
be…
“Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed Tradition and Obedient to
the Great Commission”



“Faithful to the Scriptures”
“True to the Reformed Tradition”
“and Obedient to the Great Commission”
=
=
=
Standing on Scripture;
Grounded in Grace (in all its Truth);
Mobilized for Mission & Evangelism
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
- The Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20)
19
Axis 1: Doctrinal Emphasis
PCA
Axis 2: Missional Emphasis
PCUSA
The Combination of Sound Doctrine (Axis 1) and Passionate Mission (Axis 2)
in American Presbyterian Denominations
 PCA STATISTICS: The PCA began in 1973 with 260 churches and 41,000 members.
Today, our makeup consists of (2010 Statistics):




4.3
Total Members
346,814
Total Churches
1,455
Total U.S. Mission Churches
302
Total Missionaries
 Long-Term Missionaries
657
 Short-Term Missionaries
5,872
 Total Countries
60
 Total College Campus Ministers
100+
 Total Military Chaplains
270
 … in all 4 Branches of the U.S. Military
OUR CHURCH STRUCTURE: Our Shepherding/Oversight Model
 Presbyterian Church Order: Whereas ‘Evangelical’ identifies our unified stance with
the wider worldwide church, and ‘Reformed’ identifies our stance on theology, Presbyterian
identifies our form of church order and structure- our church’s __________.
πρεσβύτερος (“presbyterios”) = elder or bishop

The term “Presbyterian” simply comes from the Greek word for elder. It simply
points to the fact that Presbyterian churches are led by a team of equals, who serve as
__________ of the flock. Known as elders, these undershepherds are responsible
for the spiritual care of Jesus’ flock.

Elders and bishops are identical. They are one in the same office. Each term
emphasizes a different function of his work: as an elder, he must possess spiritual
maturity; as a bishop, he is charged with oversight of the flock.
 The 3 Most Common Forms of Church Government
Examples:
Base of Authority:
Decisions made
by:
Connection to
other like-minded
churches:
“Congregational”
“Presbyterian”
“Episcopalian”
Baptist
Churches
Presbyterian
Churches
Anglican & Roman
Catholic Churches
__________-Up
“__________And”
__________Down
Individual
Members
Trained & Elected
___________
Appointed
Bishops
None
Officially
Mutual
Accountability &
Cooperative
___________
Strong Association
& Hierarchy
 The 7 Biblical Principles for Presbyterian Church Government…
So who’s in charge in a Presbyterian church?
(Read Col 1.15-18 together)
 The only Head of The Church is none other than the LORD Jesus Christ, the Son of
God and the Good __________of His flock, The Church.
(John 10.1-11~ I Pt 5.4; Eph. 1.10, 22; 4.15; 5.23)
 There was a __________of elders in each church; the pastor is but one elder,
whose jobs are preaching, teaching & shepherding.
(Php 1.1, Tit 1.5 & I Tim 5.17)
 The titles __________ & elder are interchangeable- and thus identical.
In Scripture, a bishop is not a solitary ruler.
(1 Pt 5.1-4)
 There are only two offices in each church. Whereas the elders’ duties are
shepherding and teaching, the __________work is service & mercy.
(Acts 6.1-7)
 There was a network of graded church courts that practiced mutual accountability
and __________ ism.
(Acts 15.1-13)
 The officers of the church were identified and elected by the people according to their
exemplary Christian___________, calling and ministry competence.
(Acts 1.15-26, I Tim 3.1-13 & Titus 1.5-9)
 After a testing period, new officers were set apart by God in prayer and through the
laying on of hands in __________.
(Acts 13.1-2; 1 Tim 3; 2 Tim 1.6)
COHc Connections
Appendix B
Answer Key
Module 4: Church Heritage, Structure & Associations
4.1





Reformation
River
Events
Conventions
Liberalism


Government
Shepherds
4.3
Examples:
“Congregational”
Baptist
Churches
“Presbyterian”
Presbyterian
Churches
“Episcopalian”
Anglican & Roman
Catholic Churches
BOTTOM-Up
Individual
Members
None
Officially
“BOTH-And”
Trained & Elected
ELDERS
Mutual Accountability
& Cooperative
PARTNERSHIP
TOP- Down
Appointed
Bishops
Strong Association &
Hierarchy
Base of Authority:
Decisions made by:
Connection to other
likeminded
churches:







Shepherd
Plurality
Bishop
Deacons
Connectional
Character
Ordination