In 1866, Samuel Stone wrote the hymn The Church’s One Foundation. The words underlie a basic understanding of the Church universal that provides a foundational understanding of ecclesiology. The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord She is His new creation by water and the Word From heaven He came and sought her to…
By Mark Jones Despite what you may think, Presbyterian ecclesiology is not primarily defined by churches governed by elders, but by churches governed by presbyteries. Presbyteries can encompass the elders of a local church, a regional church, and what is termed a “general assembly.” This view is established from the oneness of the visible church….
By Jerry L. Van Marter PRINCETON, N.J. – Because the meaning of biblical metaphors for the church are not always commonly shared, conversations about ecclesiology ― the doctrine of the nature and purpose of the church ― might be better served by relying on “foundational” statements, the Rev. Jerry Andrews told the second Moderator’s Colloquium…