XXXI.
The Order of Church Ministry
The Church is governed by those who are properly called and elected, acknowledging that God may occasionally act extraordinarily to restore a ruined Church.
XXXI. We believe that no one should take it upon himself, on his own authority, to govern the Church; instead, this should be done by election, as far as it is possible and God permits.1 We add this exception because it has sometimes been necessary—even in our own time, when the state of the Church was interrupted—for God to raise up people in an extraordinary way to rebuild the Church when it was in ruin and desolation.2 Regardless, we believe we must always conform to this rule. That all pastors, overseers, and deacons should have testimony that they have been called to their office.3
Read the original French
XXXI. Nous croyons que nul ne se doit ingérer de son autorité propre pour gouverner l’Eglise, mais que cela se doit faire par élection, en tant qu’il est possible et que Dieu le permet. Laquelle exception nous y ajoutons notamment, parce qu’il a fallu quelquefois, et même de notre temps (auquel l’état de l’Eglise était interrompu), que Dieu ait suscité des gens d’une façon extraordinaire pour dresser l’Eglise de nouveau, qui était en ruine et désolation. Mais, quoi qu’il en soit, nous croyons qu’il se faut toujours conformer à cette règle. Que tous pasteurs, surveillants et diacres aient témoignage d’être appelés à leur office.
Notes
- 1 ↩French élection here is the Church's choosing of its ministers, not the doctrine of predestination.
- 2 ↩d'une façon extraordinaire names extraordinary vocation, as distinct from ordinary election to office.
- 3 ↩French surveillants is the watching/elder office (overseers), distinct from the superintendants of the next article.
French Confession of Faith (Confession de La Rochelle / Gallican Confession) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit