Church Order

Appendix 4: Guidelines for a Colloquium Doctum

Article 1

1. CREDENTIALS

   1. two letters of request and information relating to the background and circumstances of the relationship, one from the examinee and one from the sponsoring Consistory.

2. PROCEDURE

   1. The calling Consistory must invite classis to participate in a colloquium doctum.
   2. The examinee is to preach a sermon in a public worship service which he conducts under the auspices of his sponsoring Consistory.
   3. Upon sustaining the colloquium doctum, the classis shall declare the minister eligible to be called by the sponsoring Consistory as a minister of the Word and sacraments among the United Reformed Churches in North America.

3. CONTENT

   1. The two areas to be covered in this exam are (1) biblical and confessional commitment, and (2) ministerial competence. The former regards the prospective candidate's knowledge of and loyalty to Scripture and the Confessions; the latter investigates his theological and ministerial knowledge and ability. This exam should, therefore, investigate the following specific areas:
      1. Practica: the prospective candidate's personal and spiritual life, his relationship with the Lord, his growth in faith, his background and preparation for ministry, his understanding of ministerial office and his motives for seeking entrance thereto, liturgics, homiletics, pastoral care, and evangelism.
      2. Church polity: the history and principles of Reformed church polity, and the content of the Church Order.
      3. Confessional knowledge: the history and content of the Three Forms of Unity, concerning the prospective candidate's willingness to subscribe to them by signing the Form of Subscription.
      4. Reformed doctrine: the teaching of Scripture and the Confessions regarding the six major areas of Reformed doctrine (Theology, Anthropology, Christology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology).
      5. Ethics: the meaning and function of the Decalogue, also in relation to Christian motivation and character, and to various contemporary moral problems.