What does “presbyterian” mean?
The word “presbyterian” refers to the system in which a council of elders governs the church. Presbyterian comes from the Greek word meaning “elder”. Individual presbyterian churches are also “connected”, working together to qualify ministers, administer discipline and advance the work of God’s Kingdom.
Church government was a big deal in the 1600’s when the Presbyterian church was organized in Scotland and England. Great controversy and persecution took place because Presbyterians were unwilling (because they thought it was unbiblical) to allow the king or the state to have authority over the church. (This issue incidentally helped bring about the American revolution. One member of the British Parliament ruefully stated something to the effect that “the colonies have gone off after a Presbyterian parson!”) “Presbyterian” may have its roots in a system of government, but it also has historically said a lot about a church’s beliefs. While many churches that call themselves presbyterian today have abandoned Biblical orthodoxy, true presbyterians have always believed that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Word of God. They have also affirmed the historic confessions of the Protestant Reformation – in particular the Westminster Confession of Faith. We are what is commonly referred to as a Reformed Church.
Our core beliefs: The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible and sufficient Word of God.
The Bible teaches that God exists eternally as three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that He created all that is, that He is powerful and holy, and just and sovereign and righteous . . . and that He is good.
The Bible teaches that we are created in God’s image, that we fell into sin and are in rebellion against God and therefore are under judgment and liable to punishment.
The Bible teaches that in the fullness of time, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to save sinners from the judgment we deserve. He did this by offering himself as a substitute. He died and endured the wrath of God on the cross of Calvary. The fabulous gift of salvation is ours for the taking. We appropriate it by admitting our own spiritual bankruptcy and placing our faith and trust in Him alone. A slightly more detailed statement may be found here.
What Do Presbyterians Believe? is a famous article which covers the basics.
The Westminster Confession of Faith is the fundamental statement of traditional Presbyterian belief.
And also see – what does Reformed mean?
What do you mean by “Christ Centered and Gospel Driven”?
Simply that the Christian faith is not man-centered but Christ-centered. We are not Christians because we think we can somehow manipulate God and receive the blessings we desire. No, we are people who once were lost, but now are found. God has redeemed us and made us alive in Jesus Christ. We are great sinners . . . but we have a greater Savior. This great good news – This Gospel of Grace is what compels us to obey God.
We are to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength – and our neighbors as ourselves.
Not to earn God’s favor, but because we already have it.
These ideas are to define our worship and life as individuals and as a church.
We strive to make our worship reverent: reflecting awe at who God is and joy that He should love and redeem poor sinners like us.
When we speak of Reformed theology, we have reference to the teaching of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. After centuries of decline into superstition and a false understanding of the gospel, the church in Europe was turned on its head by a German monk named Martin Luther. Incensed by the abuses he saw in the Roman Catholic Church, he began to publicly challenge its practices and teachings. The match that lit the flame was ignited on October 31, 1517 when Luther nailed 95 points of debate upon the church door in the university town of Wittenberg, Germany. One thing led to another, and soon all through Europe, people were studying the Bible for themselves, translating it into the languages of the common people and challenging established doctrines. Other leaders followed Luther, including John Calvin and John Knox. The theology of the Reformation can be summarized in 5 key phrases:
Scripture alone!
Our only infallible authoritative source of information about God and our relationship with him is the Bible.
Christ alone!
As fallen human beings who have sinned against God in word and thought and deed, we have no merit of our own to plead before his righteous judgment. It is only through the work of Jesus Christ in his sinless life and death on the cross that we may be reconciled to God.
Grace alone!
Because of our fallen sinful nature, if we are to be saved it must be by means of a free and gracious undeserved gift. Salvation is applied to us through the sovereign work of God the Holy Spirit.
Faith alone!
This gracious gift of salvation – in particular, justification, the judicial declaration that we are righteous in God’s eyes – is appropriated by faith alone. In other words, whatever we might suppose to be our good or meritorious works, that could somehow earn salvation, count for nothing. Simply accepting and trusting Christ alone is what effects our justification.
When we put our faith in Christ, our sin is counted as if it were his – and he died for it.
And his righteousness is counted as if it were ours.
To God alone be the glory!
Since salvation is the work of God from start to finish, we have nothing to boast about. The glory is His and His alone.
Some well-known Christian teachers who hold to Reformed theology include R.C. Sproul, D. James Kennedy, John MacArthur, John Piper, Al Mohler, John Owen, Charles Spurgeon, John Bunyan, Augustine and the Apostle Paul.
For a very good “Brief and Untechnical Statement of the Reformed Faith”, click here.
Do you have any sample sermons?
Sure. Just click here for some recordings of sermons at Mt. Calvary.
Do you really baptize babies?!
Yes, it’s true.
But we don’t do it because it’s traditional and certainly not because we believe it somehow automatically makes the child born-again or guarantees their salvation. We baptize our children because we believe that God commands us to. I believe that where you come down on this issue depends a lot on how you approach the Bible. If you start with the New Testament and see it as the only normative standard for the church then you will probably end up accepting only “believer’s baptism.”
But if you see that the whole Bible from start to finish is about God’s grand plan of redemption (Luke 24:27) and that there is but one overarching covenant of grace that God has made with fallen man, then you are likely to see infant baptism as a logical extension of Old Testament circumcision. Consider the following brief points:
Christians are the spiritual descendants of Abraham, the man of faith. “If you belong to Christ, you are Abraham’s seed.” (Gal 3:29)
In other words, we are participants in the same covenant of grace that God made with Abraham.
God gave Abraham the covenantal sign of circumcision and required that it be applied to all members of his household including infants eight days old. (Gen. 17)
(And note well that many circumcised people never came to faith; eg. Ishmael and Esau, to name just two.)
Paul equates circumcision and baptism in Colossians 2:11-12.
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
So . . . if we are in the same covenantal relationship to God as Abraham was . . . and we are;
and if God commanded Abraham to apply the sign of the covenant to his children . . . and He did;
and if that was the practice of the people of God for some 2000 years . . . and it was;
and if there is no command in the New Testament telling us to no longer apply the covenant sign to our children . . . . and there isn’t;
and if baptism is the New Testament parallel to Old Testament circumcision . . . . and it is;
then . . . we baptize our babies, claiming the promises of grace, admitting them to the covenant community and praying for the day when the child will put his or her faith in Christ for salvation.
This is just the barest of outlines, but I hope that even if you are not convinced, at least you will see that we base our practice on a Biblical argument.
Volumes have been written on this subject. If you would like to study this in greater detail, a great number of articles both for and against the baptizing of children may be found here.
It’s a sad fact that this is a divisive issue even among Reformed Christians. But we don’t take quite so hardline on it as many of our Baptist brethren do.
You do not have to embrace infant baptism to be a member of our church.
I read somewhere that Presbyterians were trying to redefine the Persons of the Trinity . . .
that they were considering ordaining homosexual ministers . . .
that they didn’t believe that Jesus is God or that he died for the sins of his people or that he was born of a virgin . . .
and . .. . and . . .
is that what you believe? THAT AIN’T US!!!
It is a sad fact that the old “mainline” denomination has embraced or at least tolerated these horrible unbiblical positions, but the Presbyterian Church in America is firmly committed to the authority of the whole Bible, believing as we do that it is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, sufficient and authoritative Word of God. The persons in the Godhead are just as they have been revealed: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Homosexuality is a grievous sin (as are fornication and adultery). People ensnared by this sin (or any other sin for that matter) need to be called to repentance and shown the love and mercy and grace of Christ in the Gospel.
If you would like to ask about anything else, please feel free to email me.
Phil Rich