To describe our form of church government, we are Presbyterian. This comes from the Greek word presbuteros which means "elder". Our form of government is representative. The local congregation elects members who exhibit Christian maturity and wisdom (see I Timothy 3:1-7) to rule as elders over the local church. The elder shares ordained office in the church, that of spiritual overseer, with the minister (who is known as the teaching elder). Presbyterian government expresses itself in a hierarchy of church courts that serve the local, regional, and national levels.
To describe our system of belief, we are Reformed. We have our roots in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th Century. Our Reformed branch was developed under the French reformer and scholar John Calvin (1509-1564) in Geneva, Switzerland. Scottish reformer, John Knox, brought Reformed Christianity from Geneva to Scotland in 1559. It was from Scotland that the Presbyterian Church made its way to the New World. Presbyterianism was very prevalent in early America. 14 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians, including clergyman John Witherspoon. With other Protestant bodies, we hold to the following hallmarks of the Reformation:
Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. The Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the inspired word of God. It is the complete revelation from God of what is necessary for salvation. A Christian's conscience cannot be bound by the opinions of men or of human cultures but only by the word of God. The Bible is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
Sola Gratia: Grace alone. God's redemption in Jesus Christ is not based on any merit on our part but solely on His grace and mercy (Ephesians 2:8-10). The Bible teaches that we cannot resist God's grace. Saving grace is the work of the Holy Spirit in which He draws us to rebirth and eternal life at the hearing of the Gospel.
Sola Fide: Faith alone. God's grace is revealed only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ our Lord, fully God and fully man, yet without sin. Faith is expressed by trusting Jesus Christ and His perfect work on our behalf by His death on the cross and by His bodily resurrection from the grave. At the cross Jesus made complete atonement for all of our sin and rebellion against God and each other, and by His bodily resurrection from the grave He conquered the power of sin and death for us. Only by faith in Jesus Christ is our sin forgiven and we are declared God's adopted children (John 1:12-13; Romans 10:9-11).
We Presbyterians are Confessional in the expression of our beliefs. We believe that the Bible, illumined by the Holy Spirit, is clear and objective in revealing God's counsel and His plan of redemption to us. Therefore we adhere to a series of historic creeds and confessions which express "who is God" and "what duty God requires of man". At all times these creeds and confessions are subordinate to the Scriptures. With other Christians, we confess these following truths:
· There is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons in the one Godhead. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He can do all things which are consistent with His holy nature and will. God is Sovereign over all nature, history, human endeavors, relationships and culture. · In the fulness of time, God the Son, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born to a virgin, Mary. Our Lord Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, yet without sin, took on our nature, endured temptation, and performed miracles which attested to His deity. By His death on a Roman cross He paid the punishment for our sin and by His bodily resurrection from the grave He conquered sin and death for us. He rules over heaven and earth at the right hand of God the Father and is the high priest and mediator for His Church. He will come again, visibly, on the Last Day, to gather His Church to Himself as His bride and will bring the world and the devil to judgment.
· The Holy Spirit is present in the world and is the Counselor and Comforter who indwells all who have been born-again. His role is to convict us of sin, comfort us and teach us all things through His illumination of the Scriptures, intercede with us in our prayers, and to impart gifts to each believer for the work of ministry.
· Humanity, due to the fall, is sinful by nature. Only by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, is our sin forgiven and we are made right with God. · There is one Holy Catholic Church in heaven and on earth. It is not defined by any particular outward organization or institution but consists of every man, woman and child who, throughout the ages, confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. · There are two sacraments which Christ instituted in the New Testament; Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are the fulfillment of, and correspond to, the Old Testament ordinances of circumcision and the Passover. Baptism is administered by sprinkling, libation, or immersion to believers and to the children of believers (Acts 2:38-39). We hold that the Lord's Table is open to all who have been baptized and confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, regardless of their denominational background.
· Through His apostles Jesus has commissioned His Church to proclaim the Good News of His salvation to every nation, race, tribe, and tongue and to teach all that He has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Obedience to the Great Commission is the great work of the Christ's Church at all times and in all places.
