Presbyterian polity

Presbyterian polity is a church governance system in which elected elders oversee congregations through connected regional and national bodies. It distributes authority among local sessions, presbyteries, and broader assemblies.

Session (Presbyterianism): A local Presbyterian governing council, usually composed of a congregation’s minister and elected elders. The session is the polity’s primary governing body within each congregation.
Elder (Christianity): A church office associated with spiritual oversight and leadership in many Christian traditions. Presbyterian governance takes its name from the elders who share authority.
John Calvin: A French Protestant theologian and reformer whose writings shaped Reformed Christianity. Calvin’s Geneva church reforms helped form the institutional background of Presbyterian polity.
Episcopal polity: A church governance system in which bishops hold a central role in oversight and authority. It locates oversight in bishops rather than representative councils of elders.
Presbyterian Church (USA): A large Protestant denomination in the United States with a representative Presbyterian form of government. Its constitution illustrates the modern operation of sessions, presbyteries, and a General Assembly.
Presbytery: A regional council of Presbyterian congregations and ministers. Presbyteries connect local sessions and exercise regional oversight.
Representative democracy: A political system in which people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. Presbyterian councils use elected representatives to govern beyond the local congregation.
John Knox: A Scottish Protestant reformer who helped establish the Reformed Church of Scotland. Knox adapted Reformed ideas into a Scottish church structure governed by elders and assemblies.
Congregational polity: A church governance system in which local congregations govern their own affairs. It lacks the same binding regional oversight by presbyteries.
Church of Scotland: The national Presbyterian church of Scotland, established in the Reformation tradition. Its historic institutions provide a prominent example of Presbyterian governance in its place of origin.

Linked from 15 pages