The Book of Order is composed of three parts, entitled Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline. It is for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PCUSA), and it is designated "Part 2" of the PCUSA Constitution, with "Part 1" being the Book of Confessions

Book of Confessions

The Book of Confessions is the book of doctrinal statements of the Presbyterian Church and is designated "Part 1" of the PCUSA Constitution, "Part 2" being the Book of Order. The BOC consists of eleven ecumenical, Reformed, and modern statements of the Christian faith. These are the updated...

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Organization

The Book of Order does not have page numbers. Instead, the three parts of the Book of Order are abbreviated by the use of capital letters:

• G – Form of Government
• W – Directory for Worship
• D – Rules of Discipline

Chapters and sections in each part of the Book of Order are represented by decimal numbers in the form (0.0000). For example, "Full Inclusion", which describes the inclusion of all types of people in Christian worship, is found in G-4.0304. This means that Form of Government, Chapter 4, section .0300, part .0004 contains the section "Full Inclusion".

Form of Government

The Form of Government describes the polity

Ecclesiastical polity

Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or Christian denomination. It also denotes the ministerial structure of the church and the authority relationships between churches...

 of the PC(USA), which is their adopted form of presbyterian polity

Presbyterian polity

Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...

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Directory for Worship

The Directory for Worship includes the theological guidelines for worship within PC (USA) churches. In order to allow for a diversity of expression in worship, the Directory for Worship does not provide set orders for worship, but instead suggests the boundaries of worship that is in line with Reformed Christianity and the Scriptural warrants for worship. It is concerned more with standards and norms than any particular way or formulation of a liturgy or order of worship.

Rules of Discipline

The Rules of Discipline provide the standards for discipline within the church for matters that the secular judicial system does not address. The Rules of Discipline concerns itself with matters of preserving the purity of the church, achieving justice and compassion for all participants involved, correcting or restraining wrongdoing, upholding the dignity of those who have been harmed by disciplinary offenses, restoring the unity of the church by removing the causes of discord and division, and securing the just, speedy, and economical determination of proceedings.

External links

• The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (USA) (Portable Document Format)