The Ruling Elder and the Public Worship of God

Introduction

Concepts of representation and visibility often come up in social and political discussions about equity, inclusion, fairness, or justice. These concepts can be wrongly or unwisely imported into the church, a spiritual body with her own ethics, processes, standards, and constitution. Yet there is a pressing need to pursue and prioritize a certain kind of representation and visibility in the church precisely because the church is a society with a particular polity.

The last several years have seen a growing appreciation and promotion of ruling elder involvement in the Presbyterian Church in America. Articles have been written and organizations have been formed to encourage, aid, and inform ruling elders who desire to attend and serve in the higher courts of the church. More and more ruling elders are learning to act as shepherds in their local churches and are being disabused of notions that they are little more than directors on corporate-type boards. For all this progress, there is yet another part of church ministry in which all ruling elders ought to be ready to assist—leadership of corporate worship. Representation and visibility are two reasons they ought to embrace this role. Let me try to explain.

What Is Representation In Presbyterian Church Government?

Presbyterian polity (and PCA polity in particular) strikes a wonderful balance between top-down clericalism and bottom-up congregational anarchy. The biblical middle way is that of rule and service by elders (presbyters) of two classes (ruling and teaching), all of whom are elected by (not imposed upon) the members of the church. Teaching elders are also accountable to and approved by the regional presbytery—not just the local session and congregation—for even greater accountability. Ruling elders, like teaching elders, represent and embody Christ’s provision for his church as part of the “ministry of men.” They are part of the “delivery system” for Gospel benefits. We read of this in the preface to the PCA Book of Church Order:

It belongs to His Majesty from His throne of glory to rule and teach the Church through His Word and Spirit by the ministry of men; thus mediately exercising His own authority and enforcing His own laws, unto the edification and establishment of His Kingdom.

Elders represent Christ as they rule and teach, speaking and judging for him. Though they do this mediately, not immediately, and fallibly, not infallibly, they still represent Christ to the church as ordained leaders. Ruling elders, being chosen from the local church, represent the membership of the local church in the courts of the church and ensure that the church members have a voice and advocate. (1)

Representation In Worship First Reflects The Object of Our Worship

So it is because of who they represent (both Christ and the people) that ruling elders ought to visibly and actively participate in the leadership of public worship, the church’s most important weekly activity. When ruling elders call the congregation to worship, lead prayers and confessions, read scripture, and assist in the administration of the sacraments the people are reminded that they have several pastors, not just one. Ruling elders do not preach (the most important part of worship), but their leadership of most other parts of the service can remind the people that there is more to worship than the sermon and that there are more shepherds to serve and lead them than the senior pastor.

Not surprisingly, there is a type of representation and inclusion displayed in some PCA churches that seems to be influenced more by social and political trends than by high esteem for the officers of the church. It’s not hard to find PCA worship services where unordained members or staff lead many elements of worship, including calls to worship, invocations, confessions of faith and sin, words of absolution or pardon, pastoral prayers, and scripture readings. It is even possible to find PCA worship services where unordained persons (obviously so because they were women) led every part of worship from call to benediction except for the reading of the sermon text and the sermon itself. Thus, the role of trained, examined, ordained(2) elders in worship was diminished to the bare minimum. Where–members might wonder–are our elders and what are they for?

Therefore, What Are Ruling Elders There For?

Ruling elders leading worship are tangible reminders of the government and care Christ has ordained for his church, so let’s consider what roles they might properly and commonly take by way of examples:

Doing pre-service announcements, call to worship, and announcing the first psalm or hymn
Pastoral prayers (since elders are supposed to pray “with and for the people)
Reading scripture or leading in confessions
Assisting in the Lord’s Supper (distribution) and baptisms (praying for the subjects or families)

Note the range of involvement ruling elders might have in worship leadership. Some may not be as able as others to lead long pastoral prayers or read extended scripture passages, but all ought to be willing to assist as they are able. And all ought to seek to develop these gifts of leadership.

It may be surprising, but the role of ruling elders in distributing the elements of the Lord’s Supper has even diminished in favor of broader “representation and visibility.” In many churches unordained persons and even children serve the elements; thus the elders’ important role of knowing who is and who is not participating in the Supper is lost.

Representation In Corporate Worship Affects Ruling Among The Congregation

Regularly assisting in worship has other benefits besides increased visibility and emphasized representation. It can also prepare ruling elders to take larger roles when necessary, including leading most of the worship service when guest preachers are employed or even leading an entire service (not preaching but exhorting [3]) when no minister is available. (4) The necessary preparation for leading worship also sharpens the theological acumen of ruling elders as they prayerfully and carefully consider scripture and the biblical elements of worship. And when ruling elders assist in worship it helps them take the “ownership” and oversight of worship that chapter 12 of Book of Church Order gives to the session—not just to the pastor alone.

The assistance of ruling elders also benefits pastors. Leading worship is hard, draining work, especially for those solo pastors who lead two services most Lord’s Days. As Aaron and Hur held up the arms of an exhausted Moses, so can ruling elders relieve weary pastors. Serving side by side in all parts of ministry can only increase the camaraderie and mutual sympathy which is so important in a local church session.

If ruling elders leading in worship is good for the members, for the elders themselves, and for pastors, why wouldn’t we encourage it in our churches? Let us honor Christ who “gave gifts to men” by employing the ordained officers he has graciously provided in every appropriate way. And let us expect blessings to follow as we rely on his provision.

(1) Ruling elders vote their conscience in church courts. They “represent” church members by virtue of being members of the local churches they serve.

(2) There are two ordained offices in the PCA, elder and deacon. Deacons may rightly lead offertory prayers and collect the offerings.

[3] The Book of Church Order refers to sermon-like teaching by unordained men as “exhortation.” Ordinarily and whenever possible teaching elders or those training for ministry should preach in corporate worship.

(4) Book of Church Order 4-5: “Churches without teaching elders ought not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, but should be convened by the Session on the Lord’s Day, and at other suitable times, for prayer, praise, the presenting and expounding of the Holy Scriptures, and exhortation, or the reading of a sermon of some approved minister.”

Note from the Editor (Rev. Wilson Van Hooser):

Terry Johnson has done much good for the church in promoting reformed worship. In his book The Pastor’s Public Ministry, he rightly emphasizes the need for the pastor to fulfill his responsibilities in corporate worship. Not only should the pastor fulfill his role in corporate worship (which rightly goes beyond merely preaching), but Johnson’s opinion is that the only leaders of corporate worship ought to be the ordained ministers. “The minister himself should lead the service. Leave the leadership of worship in the hands of the ordained minister. We confess to being uncomfortable with the growing practice of turning over the leadership of worship to ‘worship teams’ made up of unordained musicians and others. Can this discomfort be justified as anything other than unwarranted clericalism? We think so. The restriction can be justified in precisely the same way in which regular preaching is restricted to those who have been examined both in theology and character and approved for licensure or ordination in a presbytery.”

Johnson goes on to explain that this restriction also applies to ruling elders.

“Even though ruling elders are examined theologically and for their character and spiritual maturity, they may not administer the sacraments because they have not been educated or examined at the level at which the ministers have. They are not qualified to explain the subtleties of our sacramental theology or to fence the table. What is true of preaching and the sacraments ought also be recognized of the other elements of worship and of the service as a whole.” (Terry Johnson, The Pastor’s Public Ministry, 20-21).

While corporate worship ought always to be pursued with excellence, Brad Isbell has raised the point that Ruling Elders ought also to play a part in leading corporate worship. In the Editor’s opinion, it is a worthy conversation to be had about the roles of the teaching and ruling elders in corporate worship.