Orwell was not referring to what we dismissively call “political correctness,” the bending of language to conform to ideological positions. He was talking about the way in which careless thinking leads to mistaken use of words, and the way in which inappropriate words reinforce flawed thinking.
Orwell’s observation sheds light on a characteristic of the current Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) “Form of Government.” Over the years, careless (perhaps even foolish) thoughts led to the introduction of ill-advised terminology. Misguided language made it easy for our thinking about the church’s faith and life to become deformed. Distorted thinking, in turn, twisted the shape of our common life.
The Form of Government Task Force has rendered a significant service by recommending thoughtful changes in constitutional language. Among its features is a “reverse Orwell.” If slovenly language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts, graceful language may encourage wise thought. The language of the revised Form of Government encourages clear and faithful thinking about the church that can lead to clear and faithful action. The proposed revision also re-introduces biblical and creedal language that can contribute to welcome renewal in the ways we are the church.
Councils
We used to call presbyteries, along with sessions, synods, and the general assembly, “judicatories.” Judicatories were sometimes called the “courts” of the church, but they were not analogs of the American legal system, institutions for the adjudication of competing claims. Rather, judicatories were intended to be gatherings of the church to enquire into substantive matters of concern to the whole, moving toward well-thought-out conclusions. But the meaning of “judicatory” had become obscure, and so the reunion of the northern and southern Presbyterian churches in 1983 produced a new generic term. Foolish thoughts produce ugly and inaccurate language; thus, the church decided to call presbyteries, sessions, synods, and the general assembly, “governing bodies.” Quite apart from the gracelessness of the term, it emerged from and reinforced the warped notion that the purpose of these gatherings of presbyters was to govern the church — to direct, regulate, and manage the affairs of the institution. The change in terminology was significant. Judicatories are assemblies for the exercise of discerning judgment; “governing bodies” are managerial and legislative meetings for the regulation of institutions.
“Governing body” language is ugly, both reflecting foolish thought and making it easier for foolish thought to persist and to shape behavior. Not surprisingly, presbyteries and sessions fulfilled their “calling.” The church that bought into the culture’s regulatory tendencies named itself accordingly, and the naming reinforced the tendencies. Governing replaced judgment, and managing displaced discernment.
The Form of Government Task Force recommends that presbyteries, along with sessions, synods, and the general assembly no longer be called by the execrable term, “governing body.” Instead, recovering a term from deep within the Christian tradition, presbyteries, sessions, synods, and the general assembly are to be called “councils” (think more of Nicaea, Westminster, Barmen, and Vatican II than of committees.) Councils of the church are representative assemblies that seek to preserve and proclaim the faith, and to order the faithful life and mission of the church. Recovery of the historic term “council” signals to our own church what we intend sessions and presbyteries to be, shaping faith and life in a conciliar rather than a managerial manner.
Teaching elders and ruling elders
Reunion brought about another unhelpful change in the church’s language. Presbyterians’ long-established language, differentiating “teaching elder” and “ruling elder,” was abandoned in favor of the more ecumenically recognizable distinction between “minister of the Word and Sacrament” and “elder.” However, identifying pastors and other ministers by the vocational centrality of Word and Sacrament failed to acknowledge the centrality of Word and Sacrament in the vocation of elders. The traditional term “ruling elder” had nothing to do with managerial governance; what was ruled out — measured out — was fidelity to the gospel in the congregation. At the core of the ministry of ruling elders is their corporate responsibility for Word and Sacraments; ruling elders are canon elders.
The loss of traditional terminology had unpleasant consequences for ministers as well. Identification of their vocation with Word and Sacrament came at the expense of their vocation as “teaching elders,” teachers of the faith in every aspect of their ministry. Most harmful of all was the severing of the unified ministries of teaching and ruling elders. Their shared ministry was no longer indicated by the common term “elder,” modified by the plural terms “teaching” and “ruling.” This separation has contributed to the clericalization of the Presbyterian Church as pastors are seen as the real ministers, while elders are relegated to minor supporting roles.
The proposed revision to the Form of Government recovers the terms “teaching elder” and “ruling elder” and gives them new prominence. Minister of the Word and Sacrament is retained, but is no longer an exclusive title. The ministerial partnership of teaching and ruling elders is once again emphasized, and their distinctive responsibilities as teachers of the faith and discerners of faithfulness are encouraged. Furthermore the Form of Government revision no longer calls deacons, ruling elders, and teaching elders “officers,” referring instead to the church’s “ordered ministries.” This change reinforces their indispensable partnership in a unified ministry that equips the whole people of God for the ministry and mission of the whole church.
One Holy Catholic
Apostolic Church
The proposed revision to the Form of Government places the councils and the ordered ministries of the church within an explicitly theological framework. In addition to preserving indispensable elements such as the Great Ends of the Church and the Historic Principles of Church Order, the revision features explications of language from the deep theological tradition. The marks of the church as one holy catholic and apostolic are set forth and applied to the life of the PC(USA). Unity, holiness, comprehensiveness, fidelity, and mission are held together as God’s gifts to the church and God’s calling of the church. The Reformation notes of Word and Sacrament also receive careful attention. The theological character of the proposed Form of Government is more than obligatory window dressing. It embodies an ecclesiology that points to ordered ministries and councils of the church that are marked by serious, sustained attention to the faith.
Leadership in the reformation of session and presbytery life will come from congregations and presbyteries, not from a General Assembly task force. Even so, faithful, graceful language can help to initiate change by sessions and presbyteries that hope in different and better ways of being the faithful church.
Joseph D. Small is director of Theology Worship and Education Ministries, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and a core member of Re-Forming Ministry.
1George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language,” in A Collection of Essays by George Orwell (Garden City NY: Doubleday & Co., 1954) p. 163.
