Presbyterian Church In America

Discussion of worship issues within the Presbyterian Church in America centers on interpretation of the regulative principle embodied in the Westminster Confession. More than all other ministries related to worship, concern for evangelism drives worship renewal in this church. The hallmarks of the Presbyterian Church in America are, first, Reformed orthodoxy and then second, evangelism. Not surprisingly, most discussions of worship in this Presbyterian body arise out of one or both of these contexts. The Regulative Principle of Worship Theological consideration of worship within Reformed orthodoxy focuses on the regulative principle of worship. That principle is set forth in the Westminster Confession, which forbids worship "not prescribed in the holy Scripture" (XXI, 1). On this principle,"whatever Scripture does not prescribe is forbidden," as opposed to Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican worship, which assumes that whatever Scripture does not forbid is perm…