PRESBYTERIANISM is that form of church government by which the church is governed by presbyters or elders in subjection to the Divine Head. It is thus distinguished from Episcopacy, which holds that the church is governed by “episcopoi” or bishops. In the government of the church Presbyterians recognise two classes of elders—(1) the teaching elder, whose function is mainly to teach or preach the Word, and (2) the ruling elder, whose function is mainly to rule. They are so designated because they exercise spiritual oversight in the Church of Christ. The minister, with the ruling elders elected by the members of the congregation in full communion, constitute the Kirk-Session, which exercises discipline over that particular congregation. According to our recognised church law, each kirk-session every year has a right and is bound to appoint one of its number to represent it in the Presbytery and the Synod. This appointment should take place every year, and must be recorded in the minutes of the kirk-session. The session may re-appoint the ruling elder who acted as their representative the previous year, but the fact that he has been elected a representative elder one year does not make it necessary that he should be re-elected the following year, nor does it give him a higher standing among his brethren in the session. It is one of the recognised principles of Presbyterianism that the elders are equal. A curious opinion is held by some that the elder representing the kirk-session in the Presbytery and Synod has a status above his brethren in the session, and they refer to him commonly as the “ruling elder.” All the elders in the session, with the exception of the minister, are “ruling elders.” The right designation of the Presbytery and Synod elder is “Representative Elder,” but the fact that he is a representative does not place him on a higher plane than his brethren.
Seek to be pardoned, but, above all, seek to be beloved.—Thomas Goodwin