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The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) follows the beliefs of the Reformed Tradition, which come from the teachings of John Calvin in the 1500s. At the heart of this tradition is the belief that God is in control of all things. This belief shapes how Presbyterians live and serve. It teaches that God calls people to serve others in the world, to live together in ways that help everyone thrive, to use their resources generously, and to be aware of human tendencies toward power and false idols. Because of this, Presbyterians are called to work for a society that is fair and just.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) expresses its beliefs through official statements of faith that come from different periods in church history. These twelve statements are collected in the first part of the church’s constitution, called the Book of Confessions. The second part of the constitution, the Book of Order, explains that through these confessions, the PC(USA) tells both its members and the wider world who it is, what it believes, and what it is committed to doing.
Local Presbyterian congregations are led by governing bodies called sessions, made up of elected church members known as elders. This shared decision-making structure is also used at higher levels of the church, including the presbytery, synod, and General Assembly.
A Rich and Exciting History
The Presbyterian Church traces its roots back to the early church in Jerusalem, to Augustine and to Paul. The Protestant Reformation moved forward in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany. John Calvin, called the father of Presbyterianism, converted to Protestantism in 1533, and it spread from Calvin in Geneva throughout Europe. The Scottish Protestant, John Knox, studied with Calvin in Geneva and returned to Scotland in 1559 to establish Presbyterianism. The first Presbytery in America was established in 1705. At least 14 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians. Presbyterians are worldwide.
What Presbyterians Believe
Like other Christians, Presbyterians believe in God the Father and Creator of the universe; Christ the incarnation of God on earth; the Holy Spirit, the presence of God in the world and in the believers; the Bible, the inspired word of God; forgiveness of Sin made possible by the crucifixion of Jesus.
