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The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), a Christian church, is a Presbyterian denomination with churches throughout the United States, in Canada, and in Japan. Its beliefs place it in the conservative wing of the Reformed family of Protestant churches. Below the Bible—which is held as divinely inspired and without error—the church is committed to several "subordinate standards", together considered with its constitution: the ''Westminster Confession of Faith'' and ''Larger'' and ''Shorter Catechisms'', along with its ''Testimony, Directory for Church Government, Book of Discipline'', and ''Directory for Worship''. All communicant members "believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life", according to the first of several vows required for such membership. Primary doctrinal distinctions which separate the RPCNA from other Reformed and Presbyterian denominations are: 1) its continued adherence to the historical practice of the Church, contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith, of singing the Psalms exclusively in its worship, and 2) its continuing affirmation of Jesus, the Christ, as mediatorial King, ruling over all nations. Prior to the 1960s, the RPCNA refused to vote or participate in government in the United States due to its not directly acknowledging Christ's authority over it, and since has continued (at some times more heavily than others), to lobby the federal government to expressly submit to the authority of Jesus Christ in the U.S. Constitution. The RPCNA has a long history, having been a separate denomination in the United States since colonial days. Furthermore, in Scotland (where the denomination originated), Reformed Presbyterians have been a separate denomination since the late 17th century, and prior to that, a part of the original Presbyterian Church of Scotland that came out of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. As its name suggests, the RPCNA is governed through the Presbyterian system (which the denomination considers to be the only divinely-appointed method of church government), with each individual congregation being governed by two or more elders. As with most Presbyterian denominations, the RPCNA is divided into several presbyteries, but unlike several other smaller Presbyterian denominations, the supreme governing body is a single synod, not a general assembly. Each congregation may send one elder delegate (two for larger congregations) to its presbytery meeting, as well as to the annual Synod meeting. Each minister, whether serving as the pastor of a congregation or not, is automatically a delegate to his presbytery and to Synod. ==Terminology== The following terminology is derived from the Directory for Church Government in the RPCNA's church constitution:〔(The Constitution of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America ), RPCNA, 2004 edition, pp. 170-214. Accessed 2011-12-10.〕 *''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. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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