What We Believe
We are Confessional
Presbyterians confess their beliefs through statements that have been adopted over the years and are contained in The Book of Confessions. These statements reflect our understanding of God and what God expects of us at different times in history. Even though we share these common beliefs, Presbyterians understand that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and it is up to each individual to understand what these principles mean in his or her life.
We are Reformed
Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways. They adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members. Our polity conforms to the Book of Order. We live this out by affirming the majesty, holiness and providence of God who creates, sustains, rules and redeems the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love.
We are Sacramental
The sacraments of Baptism and The Lord’s Supper connect us to Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Baptism begins a lifelong journey of discipleship, and communion sustains us on that journey. Presbyterians enjoy a broad theology of the sacraments, with much of it held in common with other Christian traditions.
We are Inclusive
Because we are Confessional and because we are Reformed, we are Inclusive. We believe that God calls us to welcome everyone as a fellow image-bearer. This means that we bring the good news to every person regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, income, or age.
The Presbyterian Church
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) traces its history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation, chiefly beginning with the French Lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of Reformed thought. Presbyterians adhere to this pattern of thought known as Reformed theology with a governing body that stresses active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
Among the church's core beliefs are the sovereignty of God (God is the supreme authority throughout the universe.); the authority of the scripture (Our knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ.); justification by grace through faith (salvation through Jesus is God's generous gift to us and not the result of any good works.): and the priesthood of all believers (It is everyone's job - ministers and lay people alike - to share this Good News with the whole world).
