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As Presbyterians, there is no list of things that you must subscribe to in order to be a member. The only affirmation required is trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Below are some foundational theological beliefs of Presbyterians. Presbyterians are a part of the Reformed Tradition. This means that we are a branch of the Christian family tree that emerged from the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.
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All People Are Made in the Image of God
The writers of Genesis include the affirmation the God looked at all of creation and called it, “good.” All people, not in spite of who they are, but exactly because of who they are, are named as a part of God’s good creation and considered beloved.
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The Bible
Presbyterians don’t read the Bible literally, like a history or science textbook of facts, wise sayings, or a book of rules. Instead, we believe that the Bible was written by humans in a particular time and place who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. God did not take over human functioning and dictate every word while humans were the secretaries who wrote those words down. The Bible is not God’s literal words. And the Bible is not just a book like any other book. The Holy Spirit accompanied and guided the human writers of scripture, respecting their humanity in all its limitations and its conditioning by historical, social, and cultural context.
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Priesthood of All Believers
Presbyterians believe that all people, not just those who are ordained as ministers, have a dynamic relationship with God and are called to serve God through their unique gifts and talents. All are ministers of the gospel. The differences between pastors, elders, and lay leaders is that of function and not of calling.
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Faith in Public Life
Presbyterians believe that faith is personal and communal but never private. We are called to be God’s people in the church and in the public square. There is integration between what we believe and our lives in and among the world.
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Confessional Church
The Presbyterian Church uses a Book of Confessions, which is a collection of confessions written by people in different times and places expressing how God is operating in a particular time and circumstance. As followers, we can look back and learn from those writings aware that documents of the past reflect the biases of history, while also sharing with us the wisdom and thinking of our ancestors.
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Freedom of Conscience
Freedom of conscience, as we use it in the life of the church, is the right to disagree with a position of a council or councils of the church. It is derived directly from this principle that ‘God alone is Lord of the conscience’ and that our consciences are thus bound to nothing other than Scripture. This protects minority views and affirms that God can lead faithful people to different conclusions.
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How We Are Governed
The word Presbyterian refers primarily to the way the church is governed. Presbyterian comes from the Greek word “presbutero” meaning “elder” or “ruled by elders.” Therefore, Presbyterians are distinguished from other Christian denominations by a representative form of government, where officers are elected from among the congregation’s membership. This representative form of government ensures that the people’s voice is heard.
Faith United Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). We are governed by a series of representative leadership bodies.
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