.

The Historical Development of the PCA Book of Church Order

Preface to the Book of Church Order

I. King and Head
of the Church
II. Preliminary Principles
III. The Constitution Defined
         

Section 2 : The Preliminary Principles
Unnumbered Concluding Paragraph

If the preceding scriptural principles be steadfastly adhered to, the vigor and strictness of government and discipline, applied with pastoral prudence and Christian love, will contribute to the glory and well-being of the Church.

Historical Summary: The current text arose as a recommendation from the Ad Interim Committee on Judicial Procedure (AICJP) which was adopted and sent down to the presbyteries for advice and consent by the Twenty-fourth General Assembly (1996) [M24GA (1996): 72]. The proposed change was then adopted by the Twenty-fifth General Assembly (1997) after forty-four Presbyteries voted in favor of the revised text. Five Prebyteries voted against revision. [M25GA (1997): 112-113]. The adopted change also included the addition of an unnumbered concluding paragraph.



©PCA Historical Center, 12330 Conway Road, St. Louis, MO, 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter Index [links to Par. 1 of each chapter]:
FoG..
1
2
3.
4
5.
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
I. King & Head of Church
.§1.
§4
§5
RoD
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
II. Preliminary Principles
§1
§2
§3
§4
§5
§6
§7
§8
DfW
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
[FoG = Form of Government ; RoD = Rules of Discipline ; DfW = Directory for Worship]