BCO 19:1-6

19-1.  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.  An ordained teaching elder who is a member in good standing of another presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America may be licensed after being examined as to his views, according to the provision of BCO 13-6.  This license shall immediately become void if the minister’s own presbytery administers against him a censure of suspension from office or the sacraments, or deposition from office, or of excommunication (in the event of such censures, the presbytery with jurisdiction shall always notify the licensing presbytery).  A ruling elder, a candidate for the ministry, a minister from some other denomination, or some other man may be licensed for the purpose of regularly providing the preaching of the Word upon his giving satisfaction to the presbytery of his gifts and passing the licensure examination.  (See also BCO 22-5 and 22-6.)

 

19-2.    Examination for Licensure.

The examination for licensure shall be as follows:

a.   Give a statement of his Christian experience and inward call to preach the Gospel in written form and/or orally before the presbytery (at the discretion of the presbytery).

b.   Be tested with a written and/or oral examination by the presbytery (at the discretion of the presbytery) for his:

1.         basic knowledge of Biblical doctrine as outlined in the Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Presbyterian Church in America.

2.         practical knowledge of the Bible content.

3.         basic knowledge of the government of the Presbyterian Church in America as defined in The Book of Church Order.

c.   Be examined orally before presbytery for his views in the areas outlined in part b above.

d.   Provide his written sermon on an assigned passage of Scripture embodying both explanation and application, and present orally his sermon or exhortation before presbytery or before a committee of presbytery.

 

No presbytery shall omit any of these parts of examination except in extraordinary cases; and whenever a presbytery shall omit any of these parts, it shall always make a record of the reasons therefore, and of the trial parts omitted.

 

19-3.  Questions for Licensure. 

If the presbytery be satisfied with the trials of the applicant, it shall then proceed to license him in the following manner:

 

The moderator shall propose to him the following questions, namely:

1.   Do you believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, to be the inerrant Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

2.   Do you sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and the Catechisms of this Church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scripture?

3.   Do you promise to strive for the purity, peace, unity and edification of the Church?

4.   Do you promise to submit yourself, in the Lord, to the government of this presbytery, or of any other into the bounds of which you may be called?

 

19-4.  The applicant having answered these questions in the affirmative, the moderator shall offer a prayer suitable for the occasion, and shall address the applicant as follows:

 

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by that authority which He has given to the church for its edification, we do license you to preach the Gospel in this presbytery wherever God in His providence may call you; and for this purpose may the blessing of God rest upon you, and the Spirit of Christ fill your heart.  Amen.

 

Record shall be made of the licensure in the following or like form:

 

At                      , the              day of                                 , the                                      presbytery, having received testimonials commending                                                  , proceeded to submit to him to the prescribed examination for licensure, which was met to the approval of the presbytery.  Having satisfactorily answered the questions for licensure,                was licensed by the presbytery to preach the Gospel within the bounds of this presbytery.

 

19-5.  When any licentiate shall have occasion to remove from the bounds of his presbytery into those of another, the latter presbytery may, at its discretion, on his producing proper testimonials from the former, repeat any portion of the previous presbytery’s examination it desires.  The presbytery into whose bounds the licentiate is moving, however, must at least examine the man concerning:

a.  his Christian experience,

b.  his call to preach the Gospel,

c.  his views in theology,

d.  his Bible content,

e.  church government.

This presbytery then may license him to preach within its bounds.

 

19-6.  The license to preach the Gospel shall expire at the end of four years.  The presbytery may, if it thinks proper, renew it without further examination.  The licentiate must apply for renewal prior to expiration.  If the license expires, the stated clerk shall report the expiration to the presbytery and to the individual’s Session, and such action shall be recorded in the minutes.  The procedures of BCO 19-2 must be followed for re-licensure and such fact shall be recorded in the minutes.  The license may be terminated at any time by a simple majority vote of the issuing presbytery.  The presbytery shall always record its reasons for this action in its minutes.