A Connectional Community

Acts 14:21-23

Somewhere between the years 33 CE when Jesus was crucified, and 55 CE when Paul wrote a letter to a group of people gathering in Jesus’ name, a community like no other – before or since – was formed. This community was, is, and forever will be formed by the Resurrection power of a reality in this world and in our lives that we most commonly call GOD. And from the very beginning, this community, our community – the Body of Christ, the Church – has had some pretty peculiar characteristics and defining features.

This Community is different than any other because in this place, through this gathering, there is a Peace that, heretofore, has surpassed the world’s understanding, but that we seek always to know more fully every day.

This community is different than any other because through it people are a part of GOD’s transformation of the world. This Body exists not for itself – in spite of the way we may act. We exist for the sole purpose of helping to reconcile the world to Love, for us found in the Way of Jesus.

I know that second feature is laughable given how much the church has squabbled with itself since it began. We wouldn’t have any of Paul’s letters if everything was going as it should, even in the first communities. And if we bicker and complain so much among ourselves, if we can’t even reconcile ourselves to one another, how in the world do we think we can reconcile the world to itself? But … that doesn’t make it any less of a goal, a purpose, a reason for existing for this body and others like it around the world.

So, this morning we’re going to explore another peculiar feature of this community that tries to stay faithful to our call from God, with Peace and for the World. Its connectionalism. Let’s pray first …

Now, to explore our own attempts to be the community that GOD intends, we’re going to slide away from the Church Universal and step into one particular branch of it, namely ours – the Presbyterian church. That’s trickier than you may think. We have to be careful and humble. In an ecumenical conference I attended long ago, I remember the presenter noting that Presbyterian is a beautiful adjective. But it’s an idolatrous noun. We are Presbyterians, yes. But it mustn’t stop there, lest we think any less of Catholics, Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists and Lutherans. Presbyterian is not a noun in the larger sense because we are Presbyterian Christians, you see. A beautiful adjective. Keep that in mind as we ask, “Who are we and what are we trying to do as Presbyterian Christians?”

I’ve told this story before, but when I was in Seminary moving through the wider  requirements for ordination I had to provide a written response to a question that asked what makes Presbyterian Christians unique. I wrote our three scholarly pages that provided an absolutely brilliant ecclesiological examination of our branch of Christianity. And when I sent it in to my Presbytery liaison to look over I couldn’t wait to hear back from him. And when I did, he said, “Joel, we only want one page – less if you can do that, and let me give you a headstart. It simply has to do with our polity.” The way we govern ourselves.

You see, all Christians affirm the reality of GOD, of Jesus as Christ, and the Bible as revelation. Other Christian denominations affirm some, if not all, of our central theological tenets. And we share most of our mission outreach traditions with at least one other branch of the Christian church. But the one thing that makes Presbyterian Christians unique is the way in which they, we, govern ourselves – representationally and connectionally.

Let’s see if you can hear where our way of “organizing for communal life” comes from in our reading this morning, from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles and the narratives about the coming into being of this new and unique community that we’re giving focus to this month.

As chapter fourteen comes to a close, Paul is wrapping up his first missionary journey with Barnabas. In the verses immediately before our reading this morning, Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city for insisting his healing powers came from GOD, and not Zues. The disciples surrounded him to protect him, and he got up and walked on with Barnabas to Derbe where we begin.

Listen for the Word of GOD. Read Acts 14:21-23. The Word of the Lord.

Did you hear it? As dramatic as all that is going on all around our passage is … we are reading these few verses this morning see where we Presbyterians get our ideas about governing ourselves … Anyone? 

This is the first time in the Book of Acts, the story of the birth of the Church itself, that we see the term “Elder” written and hear it spoken. In Greek the word is Presbyteros, which in English becomes Presbyter. The name Presbyterian comes from the Greek term in the New Testament for elder, presbyteros, a term used 72 times in the New Testament. The Presbyterian movement began among Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries and centered on “what form of church government would be most appropriate” for the newly reformed Church. Some thought the Protestant church should still be governed by bishops (Greek: episkopos) and became the Episcopalian party; some directly by the congregation, which became the Congregationalist party; and some by elders and became the Presbyterian party.

Presbyterian church government emphasizes that the leadership of the church is shared between those called to be ministers, and church members called to be elders within the congregation — we use the terms Teaching Elder to refer to ministers and Ruling Elder to refer to church members called to be elders. (Explain “ruling” …) Both are chosen by the congregation to serve together on the session, exercising leadership, government, and discipline on the vast majority of decisions made for a local congregation. (In fact, the only things those Elders don’t vote on alone are the calling and sending of Pastors, setting their salaries, and the purchase and sale of property.) On the one hand, the session are representatives of the other members of the congregation. On the other hand, even as they “take the measure” of all of us, their primary charge is to seek to discover and represent the will of Christ for their church as they govern. Presbyterian elders are both elected and ordained. Through ordination they are officially set apart for service.

May I ask all of our current Session members who are present to stand? We have six elected Elders who serve along with your Pastors, at any one time – eight Elders, total. (Rick, Sue, Randy, Stephanie, Laura, Kate)

But, once an Elder, always an Elder. Elders retain their ordination beyond their term in office. So, may I ask all of you who have served on the Session of PVPC (only here) to stand? Are there any here who have been ordained as Elders and served on another congregation’s session? (Deacons … caring ministries, not governing responsibilities …)

So that is what makes Presbyterians “unique” – you, elders, and our representative form of government. And representative way of organizing our “communal lives” further “connects” us to the larger Church, the Presbyterian Church USA and ultimately to the Church, capital C, and all our other Christian siblings. Beyond the session is the presbytery, composed of several churches; beyond that, the synod, composed of several presbyteries; and the General Assembly, which represents the entire denomination. Elders and ministers who serve on these governing bodies are also called presbyters. Presbyterian connectionalism is the governing principle that binds local congregations together in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It goes beyond just simple  relationship and is deeply tied to the belief that the church is a unified body of Christ – within denominations (those adjectives like Presbyterian), and as part of the Christian Faith and Christianity (that noun).

So, along with the Peace that the Church has been given from its birth and the call to serve the world and reconcile it to Love, this community is called to connect, and to stay connected, to one another … in spite of what seems easier, more expedient, or more convenient. Presbyterians see the church as a network of interconnected parts, each with its own leadership but linked to others for mission, oversight, and shared responsibility. This understanding is rooted in the New Testament imagery of the church as one body with many members, each serving a different function but united in purpose. No single congregation can do everything alone; mission and leadership are shared. Higher bodies hold lower ones accountable for doctrine, discipline, and mission. And, while our congregations differ in size, culture, and focus, we are bound together by shared faith and governance.

Through this understanding and commitment, smaller or struggling congregations can rely on regional and national resources. Decision-making is distributed across multiple levels, preventing concentration of power in one body. Congregations can  collaborate on community projects with other congregations, and with the non-church community that surrounds them, always reflecting the “peace, service, gratitude and grace that connects all of us – Presbyterian, Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, others world religions, and those with no religious affiliation at all. The Church is meant to be a connected and connectional Community.

It’s sad that this is one of the peculiar characteristics that makes us different from other communities. You would think that all communities would seek to be connected and to connect with others. But consider the other communities you are a part of, the other relationships you have in your life. How quickly do those communities and how quickly do you, yourself, become disconnected from others, groups and individuals that you may dislike or disagree with or just don’t want to deal with? It’s easier, more expedient, and more convenient. There is little about being a part of the community called the church that is expedient. We do have obligations as members here – to serve, to care, to listen, to learn, to “put up with”, to grow. We do make sacrifices – of time, of talents, of money. We don’t come together simply to be comforted and hear things that make us feel good. We gather to be confronted and challenged, as well – by GOD and by one another. We stay connected through all of this, not for ourselves, but on behalf of those who will come to experience the Peace, the Reconciliation, and the connection that is a part of our community because of our witness. “That they, we, may all be One. ^{Jn 17:20-21}

We have one more week to explore the peculiar nature of the community called the Church, a community we have devoted ourselves to. We’ll engage the faith we have, the faith we share, and the faith that changes the way we see the world as August comes to a close. For now, and the week ahead, let us consider how this “fount of every blessing” might “tune our own hearts to sing GOD’s grace” and connect us all to reconciliation and salvation.

Amen.

Reverend Joel Weible, Pastor

Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church / August 23, 2026