Jesus is Lord >>>> God is Love

BELIEFS

God is Love >>>> Jesus is Lord

Mission Statement  †  Nature of the Church  †  Membership  †  Standards  †  Government  †  Courts  †  Sacraments

What Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia says about PCI

THE PRESBYTERIAN MISSION STATEMENT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN IRELAND, as a Reformed Church within the wider body of Christ is grounded in the Scriptures, and exists to love and honour God through faith in His Son and by the power of His Spirit, and to enable her members to play their part in fulfilling God's mission to our world. GOD CALLS US TO A SHARED LIFE in which we love, honour and are reconciled to one another whilst respecting our diversity within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. We are called to encourage the exercise of the gifts of every member of the Body for the work of ministry and, seeking the renewal of the whole Church, to co-operate with other parts of Christ's Church without betrayal of our convictions. GOD CALLS US TO WORSHIP HIM with our whole lives, meeting together in groups large and small and gathering especially on the Lord's Day for the preaching and study of His word, the celebration of the sacraments and the offering of prayer and praise with reverence and joy, using language, form and music appropriate both to Scripture and to our time and culture. GOD CALLS US TO MISSION as witnesses to Christ through both evangelism and social witness challenging the values of the world in which we live with the values of God's kingdom and winning men and women to faith and discipleship. This mission is to be pursued amongst all the people of Ireland and the peoples of the European Community and the whole world: those with whom we feel comfortable, those from whom we feel alienated and those who are in any way distant from us in culture and faith. WE OURSELVES ARE CHALLENGED with a biblical discipleship which is radical in its self denial, simplicity of lifestyle, stewardship of money, faithful relationships, prayerfulness, concern for the world which God has created and love for its people whom he loves and for whose salvation He gave his Son.

1.	The one catholic or universal Church of Jesus Christ is both invisible and visible.
2.	The invisible Church consists of all those who have been, are being or shall be gathered into one under Christ, the Head.
3.	(1) The visible Church consists of all those throughout the world who profess to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and to live obedient to God's Word, together with their children.
	(2) The Lord Jesus Christ for the glory of the Father and the advancement of His Kingdom in the world established the visible Church.These great purposes are to be accomplished by the proclamation of the Gospel, by witness- bearing to the truth as it is in Jesus Christ and by the promotion of Christian fellowship and mutual edification among all believers.
4.	(1) Many particular Churches are included in the visible Church. Each of these consists of a congregation of persons who are associated for the administration and observance of ordinances according to the Scriptures or a number of such congregations under a common government.
	(2) The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is thus a particular Church of the visible catholic or universal Church of Jesus Christ.

5.	All who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are called to be members of the visible Church in the fellowship of a congregation, with all the rights and responsibilities attached thereto.
6.	Church members are called to make diligent use of the means of grace, to share faithfully in the worship and work of the Church, to give of their substance as the Lord may prosper them, to render wholehearted service to Christ and His Kingdom throughout the world and to continue in the peace and fellowship of the people of God.
7.	The children of believers are, through God's covenant and promise, called to be part of the visible Church. Hence they are entitled to baptism and to nurture by the Church and pastoral care, to the end that they may personally embrace Christ and claim the benefits of the covenant.
8.	All baptised persons, even though they are adults and have made no personal profession of their faith in Christ, are entitled to the pastoral care and instruction of the Church and are subject to its discipline.
9.	The whole Church, in its ministry and membership, is called to proclaim to all men by word and deed the Christian Gospel of salvation.

10.	The Word of God as set forth in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments is the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and the supreme standard of the Church.
11.	It is the privilege, right and duty of every man to examine the Scriptures for himself, and he is bound to submit to their authority. Having formed a definite conviction as to what the will of God is upon any subject, it is his duty to accept and obey it. In exercising the inalienable right of private judgement the Christian is not to set his reason above the Word of God, or to refuse light from any quarter. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he is to use his reason to ascertain the Divine Will as revealed in Scripture, and he is to refuse to subject conscience to any authority but that of the Word of God. "God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to His Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship" (The Confession of Faith, Chapter XX, Article II.)
12.	The Presbyterian Church in Ireland, as a witness for Christ, has adopted subordinate standards in which is set forth what she understands the Word of God to teach on certain important points of doctrine and worship. These subordinate standards are a testimony for truth and against error, and serve as a bond of union for members of the Church.
13.	The Westminster Confession of Faith (as approved by the Church of Scotland in her Act of 1647), and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, prepared by the Westminster Assembly of Divines, are the subordinate standards of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Accepting these subordinate standards, the Church holds that, although civil rulers are bound to render obedience to Christ in their own province, yet they ought not to attempt in any way to constrain men's religious beliefs, or invade the rights of conscience.
14.	In the Church resides the right to interpret and explain her standards under the guidance of the Spirit of God.

15.	(1) The Lord Jesus Christ is the sole King and Head of the Church, whether invisible, visible or particular; and He has appointed therein a government distinct from civil authority. The Kingdom of Christ is not of this world, its laws are founded on His authority, they are specially directed to the conscience and their sanctions are spiritual.
	(2) Christ is always present in His Church and governs it by God's Word and Spirit through the ministry of men. This government is both representative and corporate. Accordingly, voting members have the inalienable right to choose their own officers; and such officers are under obligation to serve together in the courts of the Church.
16.	(1) The permanent officers in the Church are Presbyters (that is elders), who in Apostolic times were also called bishops or overseers, and Deacons. In each apostolic Church there was a plurality of Presbyters: all ruled and some also laboured in Word and doctrine, hence the titles Teaching Elder and Ruling Elder.
	(2) The Teaching Elder, who is also called preacher, evangelist, teacher, pastor or minister, in addition to the oversight of the Church which he exercises in conjunction with the Ruling Elders, is commissioned to preach God's Word, to administer the sacraments of the Gospel and to instruct the people, and is set for the defence of the Gospel.
	(3) The Ruling Elder is appointed to watch for souls and to exercise government and discipline in conjunction with the teaching Elder.
	(4) Deacons are appointed to care for those in need and to manage the temporal affairs of the congregation. This office is also discharged by committee.
17.	Calling to office in the Church is an act of God by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. This calling is ordinarily made manifest through the inward testimony of a good conscience on the part of the person, the approval of God's people on the part of the Church and the concurring judgement of a court of the Church.
18.	(1) In discharging their various duties the officers of the Church are entitled to receive the assistance of other members of the Church. Scripture directs Christians to know those who labour, among them and are over them in the Lord, to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake, and to obey them that have the rule over them.
	(2) The authority of any officer in the Church is derived from Christ and belongs not to the officer, therefore any person appointed to office may not assume any spiritual pre-eminence over others, but be only minister, disciple and servant. Teachers or rulers are not warranted on their own authority to publish any doctrine nor to prescribe any ceremony; nor is submission to them obligatory, except in so far as their doctrine and decisions are consistent with the Word of God.

19.	(1) The Presbyterian Church in Ireland shall be governed by Presbyters in representative assemblies, otherwise known as the courts of the Church. These courts comprise Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods and the General Assembly.
	(2) Each congregation and each member of a congregation (except members of Kirk Session) in all matters of doctrine, discipline, worship and order, is under the immediate jurisdiction of the Kirk Session of the congregation; each Kirk Session, in these matters, is under the immediate jurisdiction of the Presbytery; each Presbytery is similarly under the jurisdiction of the Synod and each Synod is similarly under the jurisdiction of the General Assembly.
	(3) The Moderator of each Church court shall preside at its meetings as the first among equals.
	(4) Any member of the Church may be present at proceedings of Church courts; but when a court deems it expedient, and no law of the Church interferes, it may transact its business in private, excluding all but members of the court and any others whose attendance the court considers necessary (but see also the following sub-paragraph).
	(5) Meetings of Kirk Session shall normally be held in private and all discussions kept in confidence.
20.	(1) A superior court may, subject to this paragraph - (a) direct any court subordinate to it (in this section referred to as an "inferior court") to investigate any matter properly falling within the jurisdiction ot the inferior court; (b) remove any matter from an inferior court and itself or by a commission with the powers of the superior court investigate and adjudicate thereon; (c) call for and examine the records of an inferior court; (d) amend those records or pronounce such judgement on the actions of the inferior court and give that court such directions, conformable with the law and standards of the Church, as the superior court deems right; (e) exercise all the powers, authority and jurisdiction of an inferior court and, in particular, may - (i) confirm, reverse or vary any decision, determination or pronouncement of the inferior court; or (ii) remit any appeal to it from an inferior court, or any matter arising thereon, to the inferior court with such declaration or directions as the superior court may think proper; (f) appoint one or more of its ministers or of the ruling elders within its jurisdiction to be a member or members of an inferior court for the purposes of any matter arising before the inferior court, but an appointment under this paragraph shall not prejudice any right of appeal or reference exercisable in relation to the inferior court.
	(2) Before pronouncing judgement or making any declaration with respect to any decision, determination or pronouncement of an inferior court or giving any direction to an inferior court, the superior court shall have before it the inferior court or representatives of that court together with the inferior court's records or authenticated copies thereof. The inferior court shall comply with any direction given to it.
	(3) The Assembly, or any commission or committee with Assembly powers, shall not adjudicate in any matter of discipline except by way of reference or on appeal; and if, before or on the hearing of any such reference or appeal, fresh charges or complaints emerge, they shall be remitted for investigation in the first instance to the appropriate inferior court.
21.	(1) An inferior court may refer any matter, or any point of difficulty arising in connection with any matter, coming before it to the next superior court for directions or determination or advice. Such a reference may be without the expression of any opinion on the matter by the inferior court. The inferior court shall comply with any direction given to it.
	(2) In addition, an inferior court may petition or complain to a superior court with respect to the proceedings of any court exercising co-ordinate or lower authority over which the superior court has jurisdiction.
	(3) A petition or complaint shall not lie under sub-paragraph (2) unless, at least ten days before the superior court meets, written notice of intention to petition or complain, together with particulars of the subject-matter of the petition or complaint, shall have been given to the Clerk of the co-ordinate or lower court by the Clerk (or, if he is unavailable, by a member) of the court complaining.
	(4) Except to the extent provided for in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), No inferior court has a right to review the proceedings of a superior or co-ordinate court.
	(5) An inferior court, or a committee thereof shall not meet during any sitting of a superior court to which it is subordinate without leave of that court.
22.	(1) The acts of a Church court shall be treated as valid, subject to sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), notwithstanding - (a) any defect that may afterwards be discovered in the appointment or qualification of a member of the court; unless it shall be shown that the vote of such a member was decisive, particularly in cases of discipline; (b) any accidental omission to give notice of a meeting to a member of the court, or non-receipt by a member of a notice duly sent; or (c) the presence at any sitting of a court of a person not entitled to be present.
	(2) Where, on the ground of irregularity arising by reason of any such defect or failure as is mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), an appeal is made to set aside the proceedings in which the defect or failure occurred, any step taken in connection with or in consequence of those proceedings, the court appealed to may either - (a) grant the appeal upon such conditions; or (b) allow amendments to be made; or (c) make such other orders or issue such directions. with respect to the proceedings generally, as the court may, in all circumstances and in keeping with the rules of natural justice, think just and proper.
	(3) An appeal under sub-paragraph (2) shall not be allowed unless it is made before the party appealing has taken any fresh steps after becoming aware of the irregularity.
23.	(1) Any Church court may appoint a commission or committee, the latter being sometimes called a board, for such purposes as the court may determine, or may resolve itself into a committee of the whole court.
	(2) In every case the commission, committee or board shall report to the court.
	(3) Nothing in sub-paragraph (2) shall operate to prejudice any powers conferred on commissions of the Assembly under paragraphs 126-130.
24.	Rules may make such provision as the Assembly shall think proper for the holding and functioning of Church courts, including provisions for - (a) the appointment, powers and duties of commissions, committees, boards or members or officers of such courts and the fixing of a quorum for, or the appointment of an assessor to, any such court, commission, committee or board, (b) the practice and procedure to be followed in or in connection with proceedings before such courts, commissions, committees or boards, or on appeals or references arising therefrom; or (c) the records to be kept and reports to be made by such courts, commissions, committees or boards.

1.	The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.
2.	A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.
3.	The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.
4.	Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.
5.	Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.
6.	The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace.
7.	It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.