New Essay on the Role of Presbyteries

New Essay on the Role of Presbyteries

Dr. David Dawson, Executive Presbyter of the Shenango Presbytery (PA), authored a paper exploring the evolving role of presbyteries after Christendom. Read it here.

One Response

  1. Rev. Donald Wehmeyer says:

    An excellent paper, very informative – I learned a great deal! I would like to add two things which were not commented upon because to a degree they are not part of the history of American presbyteries and mission boards. First, careful consideration should be given to how we might use the clerical orders identified by Calvin: pastor, elder and deacon. If these were taken seriously the Church (local congregation, presbytery and general assembly) would have natural organizations for the distribution of the whole work of the Church. Would not much confusion about who is to lead mission endeavors be clarified if we would recover the order of deacons to function locally, nationally and internationally?

    Secondly we urgently need to recover the use of the”koinonia” or permanent (24/7) communities that later became monasteries in the fourth century. The local congregation that gathers and disperses is not enough to meet all the different mission needs of today. The “koinonia” were like local congregations where the members lived and served together communally…. a church with open doors all the time!

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