our beliefs

What do Presbyterians believe?

Presbyterians are believers in Jesus Christ as the son of God (fully human and fully divine) and the second member of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and that forgiveness, grace, love and salvation are secured by Christ for his people (the Church).  Presbyterians believe the Bible is the word of God and the foundation of our faith and practice (check out his video by "The Bible Project" for a different way to experience and understand what the Bible is).  


We believe that scriptures point us to Jesus Christ, the living Word of God made flesh.  We also believe that our faith in Christ, produces (calls us to make) a real and ongoing change in the choices we make and the way we see God, ourselves, and others.  We believe we are saved by grace through faith as a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9)!  And what an AWESOME gift it is!  Because of God's grace to us, we are free to be our real and authentic selves and live a life free from the bondage of sin or from some religious list of 'dos and don'ts'.  We believe that God, through Christ, is reconciling the world (and everything in it) to Himself and it is in Christ’s name, therefore, the Church is sent out to bear witness to the  good news of reconciliation with God, with others, and with all creation. In Christ, the Church receives its truth and appeal, its holiness¸ and its unity.


The Presbyterian Church (USA) has its roots in the reformed tradition (for more info on the 'reformed tradition', see this PDF or Video) and believes from time to time it is necessary to affirm what we believe through creeds and confession that have their basis in scripture and the ethical implications scripture calls us to embody.  To check out other beliefs of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) click HERE.  

in Christ, You are free to be you!

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” 

– John 8:36 (NRSV)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].” – 2 Corinthians 3:17 (AMP).  Fundamental to the Presbyterian understanding of the freedom we have in Christ, is our freedom to honestly and faithfully disagree with one another!  God did not make us all the same and as we seek the will of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our decision making, we sometimes come to different conclusions...and that's okay!  GOD ALONE IS LORD OF THE CONSCIENCE! We follow the historic principles of freedom of conscience in the interpretation of Scripture, and mutual forbearance in all things seeking unity in diversity of thought and understanding of God's Word and will. 


"C.S. Lewis once observed in a letter to a friend that the whole idea of a “church” gathering together around shared interests and values misses the point of the Biblical understanding of church. He explains that the church is that body “in which all members however different … must share the common life, complementing and helping one another precisely by their differences.”


Church connectionalism (our connection one to another) is shorthand for saying that we are one body—not because we find one another agreeable or each other’s views congenial, but because God in grace and mercy has called us together. Our unity does not lie in us. Our unity is Jesus Christ." (excerpt from:  Connectional Church)