What We BelieveHow to Speak PresbyterianIt has been estimated that 58 percent of the members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) did not grow up in the denomination. For readers in that category, CLICK HERE for a short rundown of the lingo you are likely to hear in a Presbyterian church that you may not have heard in another church.Presbyterians are guided in their common life together by the Bible, which we believe to be the Word of God written, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ. Where this Word is read and proclaimed, Jesus Christ the Living Word is present by the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ is the reconciler of God and humanity. By His death on a cross, He obtained forgiveness for all wrongs. By Christ's rising we believe he offers new life and eternal life. We believe that the Christian life begins in the power of an open tomb and the celebration of a good, yet just and forgiving God. Presbyterians also lean heavily on the sovereignty of God, believing our Lord has a purpose in all arenas of life such as the arts, culture, the political arena, personal and societal ethics. We believe the Kingdom of God is both an inner personal reality and an outward community boundaried by God's grace. A strong sense of mission involvement has always characterized Presbyterian Christianity. Presbyterians believe there are two sacraments, both given and endorsed by Jesus Christ. The sacrament of Baptism, symbolizes our initial belonging to Christ and cleansing by Him. We believe baptism is for both adult converts and their children who are nurtured in the Christian faith. The other sacrament, the Lord's Supper, recognizes our continuing need to be reminded of the forgiving grace of God through the cross of Jesus. Our mission is to share by our words and our deeds the life and power of Jesus Christ so that all may come to embrace Him and acknowledge Him as Lord of all. We are governed by presbyters or elders and could best be described as a "representative democracy," which incidentally from our denomination became the pattern for U.S. government. Most Presbyterian churches also have deacons along with elders to govern the church's compassion needs as well as to oversee the church's worship and decision making. In many ways what we believe is common to all of Christianity, and yet the above emphases also identifies us as the Presbyterian part of Christ's larger church. Presbyterians are also guided by the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which consists of two parts, The Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. The Book of Confessions contains the following confessions and statements of belief:
A Brief Statement of Faith - Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)The Book of Order has three sections: the Form of Government, the Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline.In its Constitution, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) sets out for its members and the world to see what it believes and how it organizes itself, its officers, and its members for ministry. In its confessions, the Church expresses the faith of the Reformed tradition, a tradition rooted in key events in 16th and 17th century Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, Hungary, England, Scotland and other European countries. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) expresses its belief in many ways in its constitutional documents. One is the formulation known as the "Great Ends of the Church", which are:
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