Our Beliefs
Who We Are.
The name Presbyterian comes from the Greek word in the New Testament for elder, presbuteros, a word used 72 times in the New Testament. The Presbyterian movement began among Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries and centered on a representative “of the People” form of church government.
Presbyterian government emphasizes that leadership is shared by both men and women who are called to be ministers of the church. Some are elected from within the congregation to be elders/leaders.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is Reformed in its theology and Presbyterian in its church government. It is distinctly a confessional and a connectional church, distinguished by the representation of the people by the elders in its government. The church has a membership of 1.6 million in all 50 states and Puerto Rico with nearly 10 thousand congregations and worshiping communities.
What We Believe
The church confesses that Biblical Scripture is the Word of God written; witnessing to God’s self-revelation. Where that Word is read and proclaimed, Jesus Christ the Living Word is present by the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. For this reason, the reading, hearing, preaching, and confessing of the Word are central to Christian worship. The session of the church shall ensure that in public worship the Scripture is read and proclaimed regularly in the common language(s) of the particular church.
—Book of Order, W-2.2001
Leaders in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) can be expected to affirm that “… the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments … [are] … by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to [them].”
—Book of Order, W-4.4003b
Among the core of Presbyterian beliefs are the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, justification by grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers. What these tenets mean is that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe. 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. Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments. It is everyone’s job — ministers and lay people alike — to share this Good News with the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian church is governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and women alike.
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, but all are faithful to the fundamental beliefs described above. 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.
Among the confessions is the Apostles Creed which proclaims what we believe:
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.”
• God is the supreme authority throughout the universe.
• God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.
• 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.
• We know that God speaks to us through the Bible, inspired Word of God.
• Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own accomplishments.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourself, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
It is everyone’s job — ministers and lay people alike — to share this Good News with the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian church is governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and women alike.
“In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives” —excerpts from “A Brief Statement of Faith”
• A secure hope in the grace of God in Jesus Christ
• A hope that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to live lives of gratitude & joy: “In affirming with the earliest Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Church confesses that he is its hope, and that the Church, as Christ’s body, is bound to his authority and thus free to live in the, joyous reality of the love of God.”