Our Beliefs

Our style of government is the basis of our name. Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbyteros, which means “elder.” The word occurs seventy-two times in the New Testament and refers to persons charged with teaching the faith, ironing out troubles, and helping God’s people continue their mission. Our decisions are made not by people in hierarchical positions, nor by a congregation as a whole, but by elected elders called to serve Christ. Our representative democracy was a model for the development of our nation’s civil government.

Our beliefs are identified in ten “essential tenets.” The first two we share with Christians everywhere and in all time:

1. The mystery of the triune God who is revealed as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer 
   (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)

2. The incarnation—that God became flesh and blood in the person of Jesus Christ.  

The next two we share with those who also were a part of the Reformation that dared to challenge the Roman Catholicism of the 16th century: 

3. Justification by grace through faith—we are put right before God by accepting in faith the gift of forgiveness made possible through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

4. Scripture is the Word of God—The Bible is the standard that directs our faith and practice. 

The remaining six tenets emerged out of our Reformed Tradition:

5. God creates, sustains, rules, and redeems the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love.

6. God elects (chooses) people for service as well as for salvation;

7. God is involved in the covenant of community life, marked by a disciplined concern for order in the church according to the Word of God;

8. God calls us to a faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of creation;

9. Humans have a tendency toward the sin of idolatry and tyranny;

10. God calls his people to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and by living in obedience to the Word of God.

Our worship draws upon the Biblical tradition of God’s people assembling for praise, prayer, and instruction—then going out to share the joys and responsibilities of an informed discipleship. There is a rhythm here of gathering and dispersing. As the body of Christ, we inhale his love in worship and exhale his love in service. We use a variety of forms and styles of worship. But the goal remains the same: to proclaim the good news of salvation and to invite all who hear to follow and serve Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In our tradition we have never been able to exalt God without being made conscious of—not in a condemning, but in a cleansing way—our own sin. A prayer confessing our sins and asking forgiveness follows our opening praise of God’s holiness. We observe two sacraments: Baptism, which celebrates God’s grace in washing away our sins and welcoming us into his family, and the Lord’s Supper, which celebrates Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection and renews our place within his family.

Our mission includes both evangelism (inviting people to trust in the good news of Jesus Christ) and service (joining Christ in creating a world of justice and peace). Presbyterians have begun more mission projects in more countries than many other denominations. But today we understand mission to be taking place in our own neighborhoods and by church members in their daily lives. We continue to support mission on six continents, often as ecumenical partners. Yet there is a growing awareness that the opportunity to do mission is at everyone’s fingertips. We are concerned about hunger, disease, greed, violence, and pollution, as well as salvation. Predestination is often associated with Presbyterian thinking. For us, it is not a fatalistic resignation, but a confident belief that God is in final control. With an urgency born of this hope, God calls us to be the church acting in the world for the sake of his lost and fearful children.