Terminology
The following terminology is derived from the Directory for Church Government in the RPCNA's church constitution:
- Baptized member: a member, almost always the child of communicant members, who has been baptized but has not yet professed Christian faith. Baptized members may not receive the Lord's Supper or vote in congregational business meetings.
- Communicant member: a member who has professed Christian faith and adherence to denominational standards. Communicant members may receive the Lord's Supper and vote in congregational business meetings.
- Elder: a man elected and ordained to lead a congregation. This includes both ruling elders (laymen) and teaching elders (clergy), which are considered equal in status but different in role. Under normal circumstances, each ruling elder is a member of his congregation's session, as is every active pastor. However, an ordained minister who is not currently active as a pastor may serve only as a ruling elder in his congregation. Each congregation must have at least two elders in order to be legitimately constituted.
- Presbytery: a group of several congregations in a specific area, governed by the ministers in that area along with one or more ruling elders from each of those several congregations.
- Session: a governing board in each congregation, composed of the elders in that congregation and the congregation's pastor(s).
- Synod: a governing body above the presbytery, composed of all ministers and one or more elders from each congregation in the denomination.
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