Abstract
This article attends to the relationship between minor and major assemblies as prescribed by the foundational principles of Reformed church polity proposed by Mary-Anne Plaatjies-Van Huffel. It reviews the limited autonomy of local congregations and the authority of broader assemblies in the Church Order of Dordrecht (1618/19), the touchstone of Dutch Reformed church polity. It considers the challenge to historic Reformed church polity posed by the ecclesiology of the Doleantie, a secession from the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk (NHK) in 1886 under the leadership of Abraham Kuyper. Finally, it evaluates a contemporary church order (of the United Reformed Churches in North America), that explicitly codifies Doleantie ecclesiology. The church order fails to embody the principles of Reformed church polity set forth by Plaatjies-Van Huffel. This article concludes that it cannot be considered a Reformed church order.
Highlights
Are there foundational principles of Reformed church polity to which all Reformed churches must adhere? Mary-Anne Plaatjies Van Huffel (2014:29) noted that “a blurriness of different systems of church governance is evident in Reformed churches,” which makes it “problematic to obtain an overarching definition of Reformed church polity principles.” Even so, Plaatjies Van Huffel proposed seven foundational principles of Reformed church polity: (1) Self-government under the sole headship of Christ; (2) the limited autonomy of the local congregation; (3) denominational ties serve the well-being of the church; (4) the restricted power and responsibilities of ecclesial assemblies; (5) the necessity and nature of Christian discipline; (6)
This article attends to the relationship between minor and major assemblies as prescribed by the foundational principles of Reformed church polity proposed by MaryAnne Plaatjies-Van Huffel
It reviews the limited autonomy of local congregations and the authority of broader assemblies in the Church Order of Dordrecht (1618/19), the touchstone of Dutch Reformed church polity
Summary
Are there foundational principles of Reformed church polity to which all Reformed churches must adhere? Mary-Anne Plaatjies Van Huffel (2014:29) noted that “a blurriness of different systems of church governance is evident in Reformed churches,” which makes it “problematic to obtain an overarching definition of Reformed church polity principles.” Even so, Plaatjies Van Huffel proposed seven foundational principles of Reformed church polity: (1) Self-government under the sole headship of Christ; (2) the limited autonomy of the local congregation; (3) denominational ties serve the well-being of the church; (4) the restricted power and responsibilities of ecclesial assemblies; (5) the necessity and nature of Christian discipline; (6). Abstract This article attends to the relationship between minor and major assemblies as prescribed by the foundational principles of Reformed church polity proposed by MaryAnne Plaatjies-Van Huffel.
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