We are Presbyterian in church polity, because we believe this is the form of church government seen in the Apostolic Church, with the spiritual leadership of the church found in the representative office of elder, both ruling and teaching. Also referred to in the Bible as bishops, overseers and presbyters, these elders are elected (or called by the congregation in the case of a teaching elder, who is usually given the title ‘minister’ or ‘pastor’), examined by the presbytery and set apart with the laying on of hands by the presbytery to their ruling or teaching office.
A session composed of a minister, and one or more ruling elders, governs each local church. The members of every session in a particular geographic region constitute a presbytery. Once a year, all the elders of the Bible Presbyterian Church gather together, constituting a national presbytery, or more commonly referred to as a Synod. We believe these to be the ecclesiastical courts of the church, as deduced from Scripture.
Should any difference or dispute arise among the members of a particular congregation, and the parties involved are unable or unwilling to resolve the matter according to Matthew 18, the whole matter should be referred to the elders of the church, beginning at the session level, with appeal rights to the local and national presbyteries.