The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 62 : Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving

Paragraph 3 : On the Observance of Days

62-3. It should be left to the judgment and discretion of every Christian and family to determine when it is proper to observe a private fast or thanksgiving; and to the church Sessions to determine for particular congregations; and to the Presbyteries, to determine for larger districts. When it is deemed expedient that a fast or thanksgiving should be general, the call for it should be issued by the General Assembly. If at any time the civil power should appoint a fast or thanksgiving, in keeping with the Christian faith, it is the duty of the ministers and people of our communion to pay all due respect to it.

DIGEST: The current text remains unchanged from PCA 1973, and dates to the 1929 PCUS revision of its Directory for Worship.

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON :
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW 16-3 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 161]
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, Proposed text,
and
3. PCUS 1933, XVI, §375.
It should be left to the judgment and discretion of every Christian and family to determine when it is proper to observe a private fast or thanksgiving; and to the church Sessions to determine for particular congregations; and to the Presbyteries to determine for larger districts. When it is deemed expedient that a fast or thanksgiving should be general, the call for it should be issued by the General Assembly. If at any time the civil power should appoint a fast or thanksgiving, as we live under a Christian government, it is the duty of the ministers and people of our communion to pay all due respect to it.

PCUS 1925, XV-4 [§369]
and
PCUS 1894, XV-4
It must be left to the judgment and discretion of every Christian and family to determine when it is proper to observe a private fast or thanksgiving; and to the church sessions to determine for particular congregations, and to the presbyteries or synods to determine for larger districts. When it is deemed expedient that a fast or thanksgiving should be general, the call for them must be judged of by the General Assembly. And if at any time the civil power should think it proper to appoint a fast or thanksgiving, it is the duty of the ministers and people of our communion, as we live under a Christian government, to pay all due respect to the same.