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The Historical Development of the Book of Church Order

Chapter 28 : Discipline of Noncommuning Members
Paragraph 2 : Of the Instruction of Children

28-2. The home and the Church should also make special provision for instructing the children in the Bible and in the church Catechisms. To this end Sessions should establish and conduct under their authority Sunday schools and Bible classes, and adopt such other methods as may be found helpful. The Session shall encourage the parents of the Church to guide their children in the catechizing and disciplining of them in the Christian religion.

DIGEST : The final sentence of the current text was added in 1974. See Changes in the Book of Church Order adopted by the Second General Assembly (1974), page 7, at "Page 54, Line 16]

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISON :
1. PCA 1973, RoD, 2-2, Adopted text, as printed in the Minutes of General Assembly, p. 145
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, RoD, 2-2, Proposed text, p.39
3. PCUS 1933, RoD, II-§169
4. PCUS 1925, RoD, II-§169

The Church should also make special provision for instructing the children in the Bible and in the church Catechisms, and to this end Sessions should establish and conduct under their authority Sunday Schools and Bible classes, and should adopt such other methods as may be found helpful.

PCUS 1879,
Rules of Discipline, II-2
The Church should make special provision for the instruction of its youth in the doctrines of the Bible as set forth in the Catechisms. Hence, Church Sessions ought to establish, under their own authority, Bible classes and Sabbath schools for this object, or to adopt such other methods as shall secure the same end.


PCUS 1869 draft, Canons of Discipline, II-2
The Church should make special provision for the instruction of its youth in the doctrines of the Bible as set forth in the Catechisms. Hence, Church-sessions ought to establish, under their own authority, Bible-classes and Sabbath-schools for this object, or, where
this is impracticable, to adopt such methods as shall secure the same end.

PCUS 1867 draft, Canons of Discipline, II-3
It is the duty of the church to cherish its non-communicating members as a nursing parent. They are entitled to pastoral visitation and guardianship, and are to be had in special remembrance in the instructions and intercessions of the sanctuary, and in social and family worship. Moreover, the church is bound to make special provision for the instruction of its youth in the doctrines of the Bible and in the Catechisms. Hence, church-sessions ought to establish, under their own authority, Bible classes and Sabbath schools for this object, or, where this is impracticable, to adopt such methods as shall secure the same end.

COMMENTARY :
F.P. Ramsay, Exposition of the Book of Church Order
(1898, p. 175), on II-2:
148.--II. The Church should make special provision for the instruction of its youth in the doctrines of the Bible as set forth in the Catechisms. Hence, Church Sessions ought to establish, under their own authority, Bible classes and Sabbath schools for this object, or to adopt such other methods as shall secure the same end.
(Cf. 67: 8.) It is noticeable that the Catechisms (and not the Shorter Catechism only) are to be taught to the children of the Church ; and the Session of each church should see that this is done. And somehow there should be a difference between the children of the Church and other children.