John Hodge, in his What is Ecclesiastical Law as Defined by the Church Courts? wrote, “When the relation of a Stated Supply to a church is continued beyond the emergency, it is an irregularity, an evil, and is inconsistent with our polity” (p. 48).

Christ Himself gave pastors and teachers to the Church to build up the Church, teach her the truth, and defend her from error (Eph. 4:11–16). Consequently, it is necessary that every congregation should have a pastor and seek these particular gifts from Christ in order to obtain the benefits that Christ has for her.

The Presbyterian Church has always recognized that this is the case, and they have emphasized that no one other than a minister should take this role upon themselves. Hence, our (the PCA) Book of Church Order (BCO) states that “every church should be under the pastoral oversight of a minister, and when a church has no pastor it should seek one without delay” (20-2).

It is of the utmost importance that no one except a minister or someone licensed to that purpose should take up the regular preaching duties in the Church, since this is the central purpose of the ministry. Our BCO states explicitly that “to preserve the purity of the preaching of the Gospel, no man is permitted to preach in the pulpits of the Presbyterian Church in America on a regular basis without proper licensure from the Presbytery having jurisdiction where he will preach” (19-1).It is important to remember, however, that even when someone is licensed to preach, this is not something that is designed to be permanent. The goal is always what is stated in 20-2 (see above).

Consequently, though a Church may establish a temporary relationship with a stated supply, it “will be for no longer than one year, renewable at the request of the Session and at the review of the Presbytery” (22-6). The understanding here is that of an emergency situation and not a permanent relationship.

John Hodge, in his What is Ecclesiastical Law as Defined by the Church Courts? wrote, “When the relation of a Stated Supply to a church is continued beyond the emergency, it is an irregularity, an evil, and is inconsistent with our polity” (p. 48). The reason is that continuing Stated Supply indefinitely would have the effect of creating two orders of ministers.

All too often in our day, these principles are violated. Some take up perpetual preaching duties who are not called to it, and very often there is regular pulpit supply by those who are not licensed. This often leads to extending the process of looking for a pastor to much greater lengths than should be allowed. No, the teaching office is necessary in the Church, and we should pray that God would sent out these ministers into His harvest field. On the other side, we should heed the warning and “not let many of us become teachers” (Jas. 3:1).

Wes White is a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is currently serving as the Pastor of New Covenant Spearfish Presbyterian Church, Spearfish, South Dakota. This article originally appeared on his web site http://weswhite.net and is used with permission.