MTh (Church Polity), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2016 The Presbyterian Church in Korea (PCK) has an office of assistant pastor. The assistant pastors are viewed as pastors, but there is a distinction between pastors and assistant pastors in both practical ministry and authority. Assistant pastors are inferior to the pastors in all respects, and therefore the system can be defined as hierarchical. The system of assistant pastors has occasionally been questioned by some Presbyterian scholars based on an important principle within Presbyterian Church government, namely the unity and equality of the offices, but it is still exercised in the PCK. Given this context, this study evaluates the justification of the use of assistant pastors in the PCK from a Reformed Church polity perspective. Both Presbyterian Church polity and Reformed Church polity accept the unity and the quality of the offices. However, in this study it becomes clear that Reformed Church polity not only accepts the unity and equality of the offices, but also implements in and through the relevant church orders. This study may serve as an impetus for the PCK to consider this problem in more depth, because Reformed Church polity has always upheld this equality in the church without submission to any hierarchical structure. In an effort to achieve this aim, the study traces the historical establishment and development of the office of assistant pastors. In this process, the major problems of the office of assistant pastors are examined. As a foundation for the evaluation, the study conducts an investigation into the Reformed principle of the offices, and analyses the church orders of contemporary Reformed denominations regarding pastors and assistant pastors. A consideration of the relationship between Scripture, confession and church order from the perspective of Reformed Church polity is suggested that may guide the PCK‟s reconsideration of the matter, as well as a scientific basis to use a Reformed Church polity perspective in such an evaluation. This study aims to contribute to the solution of the problem from the perspective of the unity and equality of the offices and to motivate the PCK to deal with the problem of assistant pastors in view of the principle involved. It can also offer guidance to brother churches that struggle with the same principle, but with different results by offering a way in which churches can encourage one another in the matter of church government based on the foundation of Christ, the King of the church. Die Presbiteriaanse Kerk in Korea (PKK) het ʼn amp van assistent-leraar. Die assistentleraars word gesien as leraars, maar daar is ‟n onderskeid tussen leraars en assistentleraars met betrekking tot die praktiese bediening en die gesag wat aan dié spesifieke amp gekoppel word. Die assistent-leraar is ondergeskik aan die leraar in alle opsigte. Die kerkregeringstelsel van die PKK toon in hierdie opsig kenmerke van ʼn hiërargiese kerkregeringstelsel. Die aspek van assistent-leraars in die kerkregering van die PKK is al by tye deur sommige Presbiteriaanse kerkregtelikes bevraagteken. Die beginsel waarop daardie kerkregtelikes hulle beroep, is die beginsel van die eenheid en gelykheid van al die ampte, maar die praktyk duur nietemin voort in die PKK. Gegewe hierdie konteks poog hierdie studie om die regverdiging vir die gebruik van assistent-leraars in die PKK te evalueer vanuit ‟n Gereformeerde kerkregeringsperspektief. Die hoop is dat dit die PKK sal motiveer om hierdie probleem te heroorweeg aangesien die Gereformeerde kerkregering, wat die eenheid en gelykheid van die ampte as vertrekpunt beskou, nog altyd die gelykheid onderhou het sonder enige hiërargie. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik spoor die studie die historiese ontwikkeling van die praktyk van assistent-leraars na. In die proses word die belangrikste probleme wat dié praktyk aan die orde stel, aangedui. As ʼn basis vir die studie word die grondbeginsels van die Gereformeerde ampsbeskouing geformuleer, en die kerkordes van verskeie kontemporêre Gereformeerde denominasies word ondersoek met betrekking tot leraars en assistentleraars. ʼn Heroorweging van die verhouding tussen die Skrif, die belydenis en die kerkorde in Gereformeerde kerkregering bied ʼn riglyn vir die PKK se hersiening van die saak, sowel as wetenskaplike basis vir die gebruik van ʼn Gereformeerde kerkregeringsperspektief tydens so ʼn hersiening. Die bydrae van die studie berus op ʼn ondersoek van die probleem vanuit die Gereformeerde perspektief van die eenheid en gelykheid van die ampte. Die studie dien as ʼn motivering vir die PKK om die probleem van assistent-leraars in die lig van die betrokke beginsels te hersien. Die studie kan verder leiding bied aan susterskerke wat met dieselfde beginsel sukkel, al is die uitkomste anders, deur maniere te bied waarop kerke mekaar kan aanmoedig rakende kerkregering vanuit die fondasie van Christus, die Koning van die kerk. Masters