Today, many Presbyterians no longer accept all of Calvin’s teachings. Indeed, there is now a wide range of views on religious matters within the Presbyterian Church.
Organisation From the beginning, the Presbyterian Church rejected the idea of having a pope or a bishop as its leader. This was because Calvin claimed that he could not find a basis for the roles of pope or bishop anywhere in the New Testament. Instead, Calvin developed a system of church government where a congregation (i.e. a parish community) is led by a council of elders. Each elder is elected to that position by his/her fellow parishioners.
The council of elders is responsible for selecting a suitable minister. The minister’s job is to look after the needs of the kirk.
REMEMBER! Kirk is the name given to both a local Presbyterian community and its place of worship.
Any Presbyterian who wants to become a minister in Ireland must first study at Union Theological College in Belfast. Both men and women are entitled to become ministers.
Every minister is expected to:
ò Lead the community in celebrating the only two sacraments recognised by the Presbyterian Church, namely: Baptism and Eucharist.
ò Give sermons explaining how the teachings of the Bible can be applied to our daily lives.
The general Assembly
At national level, the general Assembly is the chief decision-making body of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Each year it elects a new moderator.
The moderator acts as chairman of the General Assembly. The moderator also acts as the Presbyterian Church’s principal spokesperson throughout the following year.
The moderator does not decide the Presbyterian Church’s policy or direct its activities. These remain the responsibility of the General Assembly.
