DESCRIPTION:

The course is designed to give students preparing for ordination in the Reformed Church in America a knowledge of the polity and governmental practices of the RCA. The course will prepare students for the classis examination in governance and The Book of Church Order.

All ministers in the Reformed Church in America are expected to have a working knowledge of the governance of the denomination in order to administer effectively in the local church and within the structures of the RCA.

The class will meet weekly for a two-hour session for lectures and discussion. Case studies in polity will be utilized. As appropriate, denominational executives will be invited to participate in the class. Major denominational issues, as presented in The Church Herald and The Minutes of the General Synod will be dealt with.

The Book of Church Order. Reformed Church in America, latest edition.

Janssen, Allan J. Constitutional Theology. Eerdmans, 2000.

Meeter, Daniel. Meeting Each Other. Eerdmans, 1993.

Robert's Rules of Order. Current edition.

Regular reading assignments in The Book of Church Order, Minutes of the General Synod, and related materials. Case studies will be utilized for written responses and class discussion. A quiz will be given at the end of each major section of The Book of Church Order.

None.

Meets the M. Div. core requirement in Pastoral Ministry and Theology (MIN 6), 2 units.

None.