At the August Stated Meeting of the Antioch Session, the elders appointed a two-month trial period for the use of preaching robes, commonly called Genevan gowns, by our pastors (i.e., Teaching Elders, or TEs). The action reads as follows in the meeting minutes:
To introduce the wearing of Genevan gowns (by TEs) while leading and/or preaching in corporate worship at Antioch, beginning August 30, 2026 for a trial period of two months, during which Session will solicit congregational feedback.
During this two-month trial period, the elders will discreetly solicit candid feedback from the member families of the congregation. At the October Stated Meeting, Session will evaluate and come to a decision on the continued regular use of preaching robes in corporate worship.
Why Use Preaching Robes?
Preaching robes were first used in Geneva, Switzerland during the Protestant Reformation of the mid-sixteenth century. Thus, they have been referred to as “Genevan gowns” over the years of their use in Protestant Churches of various denominations.
The Genevan gown was introduced as a protest against the use of ornate vestments and distracting clerical garb prevalent in the corrupted worship of the Roman Catholic Church. Because most of Geneva’s pastors had backgrounds in academia or law, preaching robes are similar to the robes worn by academics and judges acting in their official or ceremonial capacities. When preaching robes were introduced, Geneva’s pastors wore them only when functioning officially in the pulpit. This change in the form of pastoral attire adopted in the church was a significant advancement in the reformation of worship along biblical principles.
As men with other backgrounds were called and set apart to the gospel ministry in Protestant contexts, the uniform use of preaching robes involved those who would not otherwise have had occasion to wear such attire in their former professions. Why did (and do) such men wear the robes?
The primary function of the preaching robe was (and is) to promote dignified simplicity in the church’s worship. Manmade religion ever and always tends to be undignified, confusing, and complex. Whether in traditional High Church settings or the latest megachurch fad, the emphasis in manmade religion is on production-heavy forms and expressive individualism. The fruit of such emphasis is distracting complexity that confuses congregants, forcing them into a spectator mode rather than inviting them into full participation in corporate worship. In contrast to such approaches, Reformed worship emphasizes simplicity and the removal of confusing distractions. What we wear unavoidably makes a statement. By wearing a plain black robe rather than donning ornate traditional vestments or self-expressive modern fashions, Protestants promote simplicity and the removal of distractions in corporate worship.
Another (related) function of the preaching robe is to emphasize the office, rather than the personality, of the preacher in his ministry. In this function, the preaching robe is like the plain black robe worn by a justice when he presides over his court from the bench. When a man serves as a judge, be it in a local magisterial court or at the Supreme Court of the United States, he is obligated to execute justice with impartiality in the official and authoritative capacity to which he is appointed. When a man ascends to the pulpit, whether or not he wears a preaching robe, he is “under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish” (Rom. 1:14) as one of many appointed “ambassadors for Christ,” preaching with divinely ordained authority: “as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20). Like a faithful judge, a faithful Christian preacher prosecutes his task with impartiality in an official capacity as a commissioned agent of a higher authority. Whereas the judge is accountable to the law, the Christian preacher answers to and represents Christ the King. When the Bible is opened in corporate worship, it is the authoritative Word of God, and not the word of a particular preacher, that is read and proclaimed.
Coming to a Decision
In Presbyterian church government, decisions affecting the corporate worship of a local congregation are made by the Session of elders (i.e., presbyters) elected by the congregation. Unlike in Congregational (i.e., most Baptist) church government, such matters need not be put to a vote of the congregation. However, wise Presbyterian elders seek candid input from member families as noticeable changes are being considered or introduced into the life and worship of the Church. Therefore, Antioch’s Session has decided to try preaching robes “on for size” before coming to a final long-term decision.
Bearing in mind that one of the principal reasons for introducing preaching robes is to remove distraction, the elders are particularly interested to know if, by the end of the trial period, any member families find the use of robes to be a hindrance to their participation in corporate worship. It may be that the introduction of a new practice is immediately noteworthy at first but then ceases to command special attention after just a few weeks. However, if the preaching robes present an insurmountable distraction to Antioch’s member families, then that observation will factor heavily into Session’s evaluation of the trial period and final decision regarding use of the robes.
In the two weeks before the October Stated Meeting of Session, the elders will invite member families to offer private feedback regarding the introduction and use of preaching robes. The elders are not particularly concerned with whether members “like” the robes, and it is perfectly acceptable to be altogether indifferent to their use. What the elders are interested to know is whether the robes hinder members’ ability to worship God due to an offense against conscience (see Rom. 14:13; 1 Cor. 8:9, 12).
As with all our decisions regarding corporate worship, Antioch’s Session is pursuing this trial period and potential change with a sincere aim to “show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28).
For a helpful brief article on this topic, see “Why a Genevan Robe?” by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon on the blog “A Puritan’s Mind”
