Spiritual Authority and Governance
Jesus Christ is the King and Head of the Church, exercising authority in the Church by the Word and Spirit of God and through the ministry of believers.
Christ calls the church into being and gives the church its mission.
Highland Park Presbyterian Church looks to Christ and to Scripture alone for spiritual authority. We belong to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and thus we order our worship and ministry in accordance with the constitution of this denomination, the Book of Confessions, a treasure of reformed theology, and the Book of Order, which is an excellent resource for church polity and for shaping the mission of a church. Both the Book of Confessions and Book of Order are institutional and historical expressions of our denomination’s seeking to be governed and ruled by Christ.
Government in the Presbyterian Church is representative, by elders, who are elected to service by the congregation. The elders compose the Session of a particular church. The Session is the governing body of the congregation and is responsible for controlling and overseeing its total program, under the constitution.
The Manual of Operations has been adopted by the Session as its guide as it seeks to glorify God through the total program of Highland Park Presbyterian Church.
The Leadership Structure of the church primarily consists of the Session, elected by the Congregation, and two Committees and a Management Council that report directly to the Session. Fifteen Committees report directly to the Management Council.
