We have a distinct identity, rooted in a distinct theology. It is a complex theology, articulated in complex documents, which is why we have a chapter at the beginning of the Book of Order exploring the Book of Confessions and its functions.
“The Church and Its Confessions” has five sections. The first tells us what our confession of faith is for; what our denomination’s polity asks our confession of faith to do (F-2.01). The second section clarifies the relationship between the Book of Confessions and the Bible. It establishes which is more basic and which is secondary (F-2.02). Sections three through five point out that the documents in the Book of Confessions identify the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as Christian (F-2.03), more specifically, Protestant (F-2.04), and yet more specifically, a part of the Reformed tradition (F-2.05).
What is the Book of Confessions, and what does our polity ask it to do? An answer to that question is found on the very first page of that Book, which says, “The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Part I. Book of Confessions.” It’s easy to miss the importance of this. The Book of Confessions is constitutional. It constitutes us as a distinct denomination.
The first paragraph of “The Church and Its Confessions” offers a strong statement of what our confession of faith is to do in our life together: “In these statements the church declares to its members and to the world who and what it is, what it believes, and what it resolves to do” (F-2.01). That’s a statement ready for unpacking.
The tense of the verbs in this sentence is important: They are all in the present. In the Book of Confessions, we are declaring who we are, what we believe and what we resolve to do. We are not simply saying what someone else, in the present or the past, said about who they were. Nor are we simply saying what someone else believed, nor what someone else resolved to do to live out the faith we share with them.
In considering this strong statement, don’t lose the words “to its members and to the world.” Our confession of faith is both inward- and outward-directed. Inward is teaching us who we are. And outward is shaping and strengthening our proclamation to the world in both word and act.
“What it resolves to do” is filled in by the verbs in this section: the documents in the Book of Confessions identify, guide, summarize, direct, equip and strengthen. They do things, things that are critical in our life together. In all these ways our confession of faith grounds our living of the faith.
Of course, it’s complicated. While the confessional documents in the Book of Confessions have a present-tense power and function, they are also documents produced by others: Christians in varied times, places and circumstances. They are both universal and particular. They are universal in their articulation of the faith in Jesus Christ that we share with all Christians. And they are particular to the context in which they were developed and written. The second paragraph of chapter two seeks to balance the universal and the particular character of the documents that make up our confession of faith: “They appeal to the universal truth of the Gospel while expressing that truth within the social and cultural assumptions of their time” (F-2.01).
The third paragraph of chapter two is also marked by careful balancing. “These confessional statements are subordinate standards in the church, subject to the authority of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as the Scriptures bear witness to him” (F-2.01). They are subordinate, and they are standards. They cannot be lightly dismissed. The church cannot ignore ordained people who entirely reject the faith those documents seek to articulate. That’s because the confessions give us a relationship with one another. We are joined together in our distinctive PC(USA) way of understanding the faith and faithfulness. Wholesale rejection of our confession of faith disrupts those relationships.
For reflection:
- In what ways is your congregation and its ministries “a community of people known by its convictions as well as by its actions”?
- What is your favorite passage in the Book of Confessions? How does that passage help you understand who and what the church is, what it believes and what it intends to do?
- The Book of Confessions is a complex document. What practices can help us gain a better knowledge of it?
Additional Resources for the Book of Confessions:
- Book of Confessions: Study Edition, Revised
- Readings from the Book of Confessions are included in the Daily Prayer app, which is available in both Apple and Android versions.
Barry Ensign-George is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He has served as a pastor in Iowa and at the denominational level in the Office of Theology & Worship.
Throughout 2025, monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles will focus on the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity as included in our Book of Order. Ruling elders can benefit from these reflections as they consider their own ministries and call to serve as leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
© 2025 Barry Ensign-George
Work licensed for publication in “Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Series for Serving Faithfully.” Congregations and mid councils may print copies for educational use. Permission is needed for any other use, including copying and reprinting.
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