Directory for Church Government

The purpose of the Directory is to provide the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America definitions and procedures to implement the doctrinal statements concerning the nature of the church and its government, as they have been stated in the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Testimony of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. For the purposes of this Directory, “fundamental law” refers to the Westminster Confession and Catechisms and the Reformed Presbyterian Testimony. The “law and order of the church” refers to the Directory for Church Government, the Book of Discipline and the Directory for Worship together with the actions of the Synod.

These definitions and procedures as set down in this Directory are to be received as official statements declaring the law and order of the church. The Directory may be amended by any given Synod by a two-thirds majority vote. If, however, Synod considers that the item before it should have the consideration and discussion of the sessions, it can by a simple majority vote decide to use the procedure of sending proposed amendments down in overture; however, any such amendments must be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Synod before they can be sent down in overture to the sessions. The same amendment process shall be followed for The Book of Discipline and The Directory of Public Worship.