Confession Exam

The examination on the Confession is an oral exam in committee. The examination is required for ordination.

Not all candidates are adequately prepared for the examination. Some candidates come from a continental tradition and are more familiar with the Three Forms of Unity than the Westminster Standards. Others may not have attended a Presbyterian seminary, or their seminary may not have emphasized the Westminster Standards. In these cases the committee may find it necessary to prescribe remedial studies.

From time to time the Ministerial Training Institute of the OPC offers classes on the Westminster Standards. These classes are highly recommended for candidates.

Subscription

The OPC does not take a position on subscription. However the committee requires candidates for ordination to demonstrate familiarity with the commonly held positions on subscription. Candidates should be able to describe their own understanding of what it means to "sincerely receive and adopt the Confession of Faith and Catechisms of this Church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures." (FOG XXI.7, XXII.13)

   Westminster Confession of Faith Study Questions  (pdf)

  What is Meant by Adopting the Westminster Confession? by Charles Hodge  (pdf)

  The Hermeneutics of Reading Scripture and the Symbols of Faith in the PCA  (pdf)
  Footnotes for the article above  (pdf)

  See also Guide and Expectations for Ordination