About the Presbyterian Church
Who are Presbyterians?
Meaning of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Seal
We are folks who follow Jesus Christ, celebrating God’s grace and His sovereignty over the whole world. Many of us grew up in other churches, including Episcopal, Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, and Catholic. We come from many states, countries and backgrounds. We believe we are called to “worship and enjoy God forever,” to “do all things decently and in order,” and to continually “be re-formed according to the Word of God.” We take care of each other and grow together in faith and knowledge of God’s word. We tend to be tolerant while seeking to be obedient. We bring God’s justice and mercy into our community. We share God’s Good News, without pressure, in a variety of ways. Our congregation elects and ordains pastors and elders to lead us. We gather elders and pastors from all the churches to form presbyteries for mutual support and cooperative governance. We actively seek community with all Christian churches.
What do Presbyterians believe?
Like other Christians, we believe in God, Father and Creator; Jesus Christ, his son, our Savior, and Lord of all; and the Holy Spirit, who indwells, guides, and comforts us. We believe in the one Church, Christ’s body in every time and place; the good news of grace that God forgives sin as we accept the work of Jesus; and abundant life through his resurrection to enjoy and serve God forever. We are guided by confessions: the common creeds of the church (Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed), Reformed Creeds and Catechisms, and our modern statements of faith. These interpret the Bible, which is the foundation of our faith. We hold that we are saved “by faith only, by God’s grace only, through scripture only.” Our sacraments are baptism, for infants and adults, and the Lord’s Supper, which is open to all baptized Christians. Our churches are governed by elders (“presbyter” is the Greek word for elder) elected to the session. Our congregations are “in connection” for mission, support, and discipline in a Presbytery, a representative body that consists of elders and pastors.
Interested in joining our church?
The session welcomes those who affirm Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior and accept his call to ministry here. New members may transfer their letter from another church, reaffirm their Christian faith, or proclaim their faith by being baptized if they have never been baptized.