ARP Polity

Question 1

Who has primary responsibility for calling a congregational meeting?

Answer 1

The Session or Presbytery

Question 2

Who has primary responsibility for preparing a budget?

Answer 2

The Diaconate

Question 3

Who has primary responsibility for organizing a congregation?

Answer 3

The Session

Question 4

Who has primary responsibility for supervising foreign missionaries?

Answer 4

World Witness, the Board of Foreign Missions

Question 5

Who has primary responsibility for ordaining ministers?

Answer 5

The Presbytery

Question 6

Who has primary responsibility for calling a pastor?

Answer 6

The Congregation

Question 7

Who has primary responsibility for amending the Form of Government?

Answer 7

General synod

Question 8

Who has primary responsibility for renovating church property?

Answer 8

The Diaconate

Question 9

Who has primary responsibility for ordaining a deacon?

Answer 9

The Session

Question 10

Who has primary responsibility for overseeing worship services?

Answer 10

The Session

Question 11

Who has primary responsibility for selling church property?

Answer 11

The corporation (congregation) or individual trustees established by the congregation. Members of the Session are the trustees of the corporation unless restricted by civil law.

Question 12

Who has primary responsibility for caring for church cemetery?

Answer 12

The Diaconate

Question 13

Who has primary responsibility for dissolving a pastoral relationship?

Answer 13

The Presbytery

Question 14

Who has primary responsibility for overseeing Erskine College?

Answer 14

The Board of Trustees of Erskine College

Question 15

Who has primary responsibility for hiring director of church extension?

Answer 15

?

Question 16

Who has primary responsibility for receiving a new member?

Answer 16

The Session

Question 17

Who has primary responsibility for overseeing local Christian Education?

Answer 17

The Session

Question 18

Who has primary responsibility for music used in a congregation?

Answer 18

The Session

Question 19

Identify who has original jurisdiction over ordained pastor.

Answer 19

Presbytery

Question 20

Identify who has original jurisdiction over church member.

Answer 20

The Session

Question 21

Identify who has original jurisdiction over Principal Clerk of Synod.

Answer 21

The Presbytery or Session

Question 22

Identify who has original jurisdiction over a missionary.

Answer 22

The Presbytery

Question 23

Identify who has original jurisdiction over a seminary professor.

Answer 23

The Presbytery

Question 24

Identify, define, and discuss quorum for session meeting.

Answer 24

Each Session shall determine the number of its members necessary for a quorum, provided such a quorum be not less than a pastor and an elder, or two elders without a pastor. (FOG 6.17)

Question 25

Identify, define, and discuss forms of church government.

Answer 25

Episcopacy - hierarchical form of government; governed by regional bishops (one man replaces entire presbytery) Congregationalism - seat of church power lies in the congregation only Presbyterianism - church power lies in the church courts made up of officers

Question 26

Identify, define, and discuss membership rolls.

Answer 26

Each church is to maintain rolls of church members. (4.15) There are two rolls, one for communicants and one for non-communicants made of "baptized minor or dependent children of the members of the church who have not yet entered into communicant membership of the church." (4.15B)

Question 27

Identify, define, and discuss members of Synod.

Answer 27

Those entitled to sit as members of this court shall include ARPC: pastors (active or retired), ministers engaged in full-time service or retired from such, ministers involved in Presbytery-approved Christian ministries, military chaplains, ministers with a vocation consistent with their call and certified annually by vote of their presbytery (12.5) WITH: all elders who served as moderator of synod, at least one elder from each congregation (or 2 if congregation exceeds 300 active communicant members) (12.6-8)

Question 28

Identify, define, and discuss number of delegates (Presbytery).

Answer 28

The members of this court include: pastors (active or retired), ministers in full-time service, ministers in presbytery-approved ministries, military chaplains (active or retired), other approved ministers

Question 29

Identify, define, and discuss voting by proxy (congregational meeting).

Answer 29

.

Question 30

Identify, define, and discuss mission developer.

Answer 30

The mission developer is the minister to a church plant, and serves as moderator of its provisional session.

Question 31

Identify, define, and discuss board, commission, and committee.

Answer 31

1) Board - body appointed and empowered by a court of the ARPC to take management of certain specified duties in advancing the mission of the ARPC. 2. Commission - body appointed and empowered by a court of the ARPC to examine, consider, and conclude certain designated business. 3. Committee - body appointed by a court or agency of the ARPC to study matters committed to it, to recommend appropriate action, and to carry into effect specific directions or decisions made by the appointed court or board. (Types of committee are: moderator's, special, and standing)

Question 32

Identify, define, and discuss biblical basis for infant baptism.

Answer 32

.

Question 33

Identify, define, and discuss ruling elder.

Answer 33

.

Question 34

Identify, define, and discuss deacon.

Answer 34

.

Question 35

Identify, define, and discuss ordained minister.

Answer 35

.

Question 36

Identify, define, and discuss minister voting at session.

Answer 36

.

Question 37

Identify, define, and discuss instructing delegate how to vote.

Answer 37

.

Question 38

Identify, define, and discuss officers of the general synod.

Answer 38

1. Moderator 2. Vice Moderator 3. Principal Clerk 4. Reading Clerk 5. Bill Clerk 6. Assistant Clerk 7. Treasurer 8. Historian 9. Parlimentarian

Question 39

Identify, define, and discuss union with another denomination.

Answer 39

.

Question 40

Identify, define, and discuss congregation leaving denomination.

Answer 40

.

Question 41

Identify, define, and discuss church censure.

Answer 41

Five ascending degrees of censure: 1. Admonition 2. Rebuke 3. Suspension 4. Deposition 5. Expulsion

Question 42

Identify, define, and discuss appeal in judicial proceedings.

Answer 42

1. Appeal is a legal proceeding by which a case is brought from a lower to a higher court for rehearsing 2. Appeal may be made only by an accused party who has submitted to a regular trial 3. Appeal may only be made to next higher court 4. Appeal may be made either from a definite sentence or from any particular part of the findings 5. Appeals must be made in writing 6. Appeals must be lodged with the clerk of the next higher court

Question 43

Identify, define, and discuss marriage of a divorced person.

Answer 43

.

Question 44

Identify, define, and discuss candidates for baptism.

Answer 44

Candidates for baptism include adults giving a credible profession of faith, and who have not previously received Christian baptism, and their children.

Question 45

Identify, define, and discuss pastor’s duty to perform a marriage.

Answer 45

.

Question 46

Identify, define, and discuss private baptisms.

Answer 46

Baptism is an act of worship and acts as a sign and seal of God's covenant of grace to the participant and the observing congregation. Baptism, therefore, should be conducted as part of a worship service, not privately.

Question 47

Identify, define, and discuss modes of baptism.

Answer 47

Effusion or sprinkling is the proper mode of baptism, and relates to the washings of the OT.

Question 48

Identify, define, and discuss baptism a second time.

Answer 48

Baptism is a one-time signification of God's promise to all who come in faith. Thus, the one who comes to faith after receiving the sacrament need not be baptized again since it is not a sign that one has repented and now believes. Rather than apply baptism a second time, those who return to the church should be received as returning prodigals.

Question 49

Identify, define, and discuss children taking communion.

Answer 49

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