The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Who can teach in a Presbyterian church?

Thanks, Pilgrim. In Asia, and the "kirks" in Scotland where the historical Westminster system is dominant, only ordained men teach (at least formally, e.g., the catechism)

http://www.reformed.org/documents/wcf_standards/p395-form_presby_gov.html#pastors

The emphasis on individual liberty and equality in America is probably a factor. In East Asia, public, parochial and private schools all have a school uniform. Cultural differences may play a part, too. Confucian societies revere the teacher or sensei, while in the West, pastors and professors are often addressed by their first names——a practice generally frowned upon in the Far East. However, even these cultural norms are rapidly changing now.