Evangelism in The Presbyterian Church (USA) Confessions

I spent a little time reviewing the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order and found these little gems.

Church’s Role in Evangelism

G-3.0300a

The Church is called to tell the good news of salvation by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ as the only Savior and Lord, proclaiming in Word and Sacrament that

• (1) the new age has dawned.
• (2) God who creates life, frees those in bondage, forgives sin, reconciles brokenness, makes all things new, is still at work in the world.

G-3.0300b

The Church is called to present the claims of Jesus Christ,

• leading persons to repentance,
• acceptance of him as Savior and Lord,
• and new life as his disciples.

G-3.0300c

The Church is called to be Christ’s faithful evangelist

(1) going into the world, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all he has commanded;

(2) demonstrating by the love of its members for one another and by the quality of its common life the new reality in Christ; sharing in worship, fellowship, and nurture, practicing a deepened life of prayer and service under the guidance of the Holy Spirit;

(3) participating in God’s activity in the world through its life for others by

• (a) healing and reconciling and binding up wounds,
• (b) ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the powerless,
• (c) engaging in the struggle to free people from sin, fear, oppression, hunger, and injustice,
• (d) giving itself and its substance to the service of those who suffer,
• (e) sharing with Christ in the establishing of his just, peaceable, and loving rule in the world.

The Responsibility of a Church Member

G-5.0102

A faithful member accepts Christ’s call to be involved responsibly in the ministry of his Church. Such involvement includes

• a. proclaiming the good news
• b. taking part in the common life and worship of a particular church,
• c. praying and studying Scripture and the faith of the Christian Church, . . . . .

The Responsibility of the Session

G-10.0102a

The session is responsible for the mission and government of the particular church. It therefore has the responsibility and power

a. to provide opportunities for evangelism to be learned and practiced in and by the church, that members may be better equipped to articulate their faith, to witness in word and deed to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and to invite persons into a new life in Christ, in accordance with G-3.0300