raekwon
Puritan Board Junior
(I almost titled this "TERMINAL LICENSURE!!" for impact, but anyway...)
So, some of you may know that I've been studying (on and off) toward being licensed to preach by my presbytery. Those plans were necessarily put on hold a few times, but over the past month or so, I've been both internally compelled and externally encouraged to go ahead and get it done. Over the past year and a half, I've had opportunities in both my own church and other churches in the presbytery to preach the Gospel, and would love to be able to do so "regularly" (more than 12 times/year, as our presbytery has defined it), and to do that, I must be licensed (BCO 19-1).
Right now, though, there's a sticking point in my mind -- ordination as a Teaching Elder is not currently on the horizon for me (though, as we well know, God can change what we think is on the horizon quickly). There's a sentiment in at least some parts of the denomination that the sole (or at least primary) purpose of licensure is to test a man's giftings before he moves on toward ordination as a TE. I agree with that, insofar as the "man" isn't already ordained as an elder, but... I'm already ordained as an elder.
Anyway, after reading a position paper on the PCA History site (particularly section "D" there), I'm now wondering if this is something that I should pursue. Or maybe God is indeed drawing me toward pursuing ordination as a Teaching Elder? I don't know. (Of course, if we were truly a two-office denomination, this wouldn't be an issue. )
I'm seeking your advice, friends.
(It was pointed out to me that, though the position paper says that the "testing period" for potential TEs has developed into licensure, that period is actually now what we call "internship". I don't know whether or not internship was developed after that report was written.)
So, some of you may know that I've been studying (on and off) toward being licensed to preach by my presbytery. Those plans were necessarily put on hold a few times, but over the past month or so, I've been both internally compelled and externally encouraged to go ahead and get it done. Over the past year and a half, I've had opportunities in both my own church and other churches in the presbytery to preach the Gospel, and would love to be able to do so "regularly" (more than 12 times/year, as our presbytery has defined it), and to do that, I must be licensed (BCO 19-1).
Right now, though, there's a sticking point in my mind -- ordination as a Teaching Elder is not currently on the horizon for me (though, as we well know, God can change what we think is on the horizon quickly). There's a sentiment in at least some parts of the denomination that the sole (or at least primary) purpose of licensure is to test a man's giftings before he moves on toward ordination as a TE. I agree with that, insofar as the "man" isn't already ordained as an elder, but... I'm already ordained as an elder.
Anyway, after reading a position paper on the PCA History site (particularly section "D" there), I'm now wondering if this is something that I should pursue. Or maybe God is indeed drawing me toward pursuing ordination as a Teaching Elder? I don't know. (Of course, if we were truly a two-office denomination, this wouldn't be an issue. )
I'm seeking your advice, friends.
(It was pointed out to me that, though the position paper says that the "testing period" for potential TEs has developed into licensure, that period is actually now what we call "internship". I don't know whether or not internship was developed after that report was written.)
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