Presby-what?
Presbyterianism is a way of being Christian. It’s not the only way or maybe even the best way, but we’ve found it life-giving. We are part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a 1.3 million member denomination that has churches all over the U.S.
We’re a church of the Protestant Reformation that has its origins in Switzerland and Scotland. Like all Christian churches, we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who lived, died on the cross and then rose again to rescue us from sin and death, and bring a new start to the world; that the Bible is the Word of God by which God speaks to us; that God exists eternally as Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
But there are some distinctive things about Presbyterianism:
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We’re a confessional church, meaning we don’t make up our beliefs to suit ourselves, but have inherited the faith from those who have come before us and thought through what it means to be a Christian. For example, we use the Apostles Creed and other confessions of faith in worship and to teach the faith.
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We believe we’re called to invest our time, wealth and lives where God directs. All we have is a gift from God, including our very lives, and we honor God by using what we have for God’s good purposes.
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We think faith in God makes sense, and we seek to grow in faith and honor God by using our minds. Faith is something we’re called to wrestle with and think through for ourselves. Accordingly, we place high value on education and learning for children and adults.
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We believe individual Christians and the church are supposed to make a positive difference in the world. We don’t withdraw into our safe, comfortable churches but seek to engage and transform the world.
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We strive for order in the church. We have a constitution to guide our governance, and try to do all things “decently and in order.”
And...We think that with God’s help we can progressively be freed from the sin and pain of the past and grow into new people whose lives are characterized by love, grace and freedom.
