Chapter 24 : Election, Ordination and Installation of Ruling Elders and Deacons

Paragraph 6 : Installation

24-6. The day having arrived, and the Session being convened in the presence of the congregation, a sermon shall be preached after which the presiding minister shall state in a concise manner the warrant and nature of the office of ruling elder, or deacon, together with the character proper to be sustained and the duties to be fulfilled. Having done this, he shall propose to the candidate, in the presence of the church, the following questions, namely :
1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?
2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will, on your own initiative, make known to your Session the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?
3. Do you approve of the form of government and discipline of the Presbyterian Church in America, in conformity with the general principles of biblical polity?
4. Do you accept the office of ruling elder (or deacon, as the case may be) in this church, and promise faithfully to perform all the duties thereof, and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your life, and to set a worthy example before the Church of which God has made you an officer?
5. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord?
6. Do you promise to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the Church?
The ruling elder or deacon elect having answered in the affirmative, the minister shall address to the members of the church the following question:
Do you, members of this church, acknowledge and receive this brother as a ruling elder (or deacon), and do you promise to yield him all that honor, encouragement and obedience in the Lord to which his office, according to the Word of God and the Constitution of this Church, entitles him?
The members of the church having answered this question in the affirmative, by holding up their right hands, the candidate shall then be set apart, with prayer by the minister or any other Session member and the laying on of the hands of the Session, to the office of ruling elder (or deacon). Prayer being ended, the members of the Session (and the deacons, if the case be that of a deacon) shall take the newly ordained officer by the hand, saying in words to this effect:
We give you the right hand of fellowship, to take part in this office with us.
The minister shall then say:
I now pronounce and declare that _________________________________ has been regularly elected, ordained and installed a ruling elder (or deacon) in this church, agreeable to the Word of God, and according to the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in America; and that as such he is entitled to all encouragement, honor and obedience in the Lord: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
After which the minister or any other member of the Session shall give to the ruling elder (or deacon) and to the church an exhortation suited to the occasion.

[Historical Summary : Changes instituted in BCO 24-6 date to 1988 [M16GA, 16-10, Item 13, p. 104]

Background and Comparison :
PCA 1973, 25-5, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, PP. 142-143
[In its consideration of the Proposed Book of Church Order, the First General Assembly made one change in BCO 25-5, such that Question #1 read as follows: "1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?" Otherwise the text was unchanged from the proposed text.]

Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, 25-5, Proposed text, pp. 33-34
The day having arrived, and the Session being convened in the presence of the congregation, a sermon shall be preached, if convenient; after which the presiding Minister shall state in a concise manner the warrant and nature of the office of Ruling Elder, or Deacon, together with the character proper to be sustained and the duties to be fulfilled. Having done this, he shall propose to the candidate, in the presence of the church, the following questions, namely :
1. Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible and inerrant rule of faith and practice?
2. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures; and do you further promise that if at any time you find yourself out of accord with any of the fundamentals of this system of doctrine, you will, on your own initiative, make known to your Session the change which has taken place in your views since the assumption of this ordination vow?
3. Do you approve of the form of government and discipline of the __________________________, as being that which conforms to the general principles of Biblical polity?
4. Do you accept the office of Ruling Elder (or Deacon, as the case may be) in this church, and promise faithfully to perform all the duties thereof, and to endeavor by the grace of God to adorn the profession of the Gospel in your life, and to set a worthy example before the church of which God has made you an officer?
5. Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord?
6. Do you promise to study the peace, unity, edification, and purity of the Church?
The Ruling Elder or Deacon elect having answered in the affirmative, the Minister shall address to the members of the church the following question, namely:
Do you, members of this church, acknowledge and receive this brother as a Ruling Elder (or Deacon), and do you promise to yield him all that honor, encouragement and obedience in the Lord to which his office, according to the Word of God and the Constitution of this Church, entitles him?
The members of the church having answered this question in the affirmative, by holding up their right hands, the Minister shall proceed to set apart the candidate with prayer and the laying on of hands of the Session, to the office of Ruling Elder (or Deacon). Prayer being ended, the members of the Session (and the Deacons, if the case be that of a Deacon) shall take the newly ordained officer by the hand, saying, in words to this effect: "We give you the right hand of fellowship, to take part in this office with us." The Minister shall then say:
" I now pronounce and declare that A.B. has been regularly elected, ordained and installed a Ruling Elder (or Deacon) in this church, agreeably to the Word of God, and according to the Constitution of the _________________________; and that as such he is entitled to all encouragement, honor and obedience in the Lord: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." After which he shall give to the Ruling Elder (or Deacon) and to the church an exhortation suited to the occasion.

PCUS 1933,
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PCUS 1879,
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PCUS 1869 draft,
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PCUS 1867 draft,
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