Our Church Order, Psalms, and Hymns
Kenneth Koole examines Article 69 of the Church Order from the Synod of Dordt (1618-19), which governs the songs permitted in PRC worship services, specifically addressing the role of the 1912 Psalter. The article traces historical attempts within the PRC to modify the Psalter or introduce synodically-approved hymns, all of which ultimately failed due to the constraints of Article 69. This resource provides valuable historical context for understanding the Reformed principle of regulative worship and denominational decisions regarding psalmody and hymnody.
This article is in praise of our Church Order, the CO of the great Synod of Dordt (1618-19), its wisdom, its balance, in particular as evidenced by Article 69, the article that governs which songs may be sung in our worship services. The occasion for this editorial is a follow-up on an article by the undersigned that appeared in the April 1, 2014 issue of the SB, an issue devoted to Psalm-singing. The article was entitled A History of Psalm/Psalter-Singing in the PRC. For the PRC the two are...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org