Frequently Asked Questions about the Presbyterians
First, Presbyterians are Christians. We affirm Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Savior, and through him worship the one God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Second, Presbyterians are Reformed. Our roots are in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.
Third, we are evangelical. We believe that the essence of the faith is the good news (evangel) that Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose for the salvation of humankind.
Fourth, we are ecumenical. We affirm the unity of all Christians as a gift of God, and share with believers of every denomination the worship and work of the Church "Catholic" (meaning "universal").
The term "Presbyterian" refers to a representative style of church government. Each congregation elects elders from among its members. The elders, together with ministers of Word and Sacrament, are called presbyters (derived from a Greek word for "elder").
Presbyters form the local governing body of each congregation, called the session; the also govern through regional bodies called presbyteries and synods, and the national governing body, the General Assembly. Presbyterian simply means "government by presbyters".
Highlawn Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), the oldest and largest of American Presbyterian bodies.
Presbyterians insist that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and therefore welcome diversity and open inquiry. Doctrine for us is more a matter of emphasis than exclusion of different points of view.
With all Christians, we worship the Triune God. With other Protestants, we place special emphasis on God's Word in scripture and God's grace through the gift of faith. As Reformed Christians, we also stress God's sovereignty as Creator and Redeemer of all. This theme prompts special emphasis on:
Reformed Christians tend to be involved Christians -- people who seek to glorify God not just in Sunday worship, but in all of life.
Faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord is the sole entrance criterion. As expressions of that faith, baptism, public profession of faith, and the declaration of intent to support the work and worship of the church are the only requirements for membership in the P.C.(U.S.A.).
Baptism is also administered to the children of believers, who have the status of "baptized members" until their confirmation.
Confirmed members may be received by the Session in one of three ways:
The Session meets after worship each Sunday to receive new members.
The pastor or elders would be happy to talk with you about any aspect of HPC. New member classes are offered periodically.
Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.
Reformed Theology
Theology is a way of thinking about God and God's relation to the world. Reformed theology evolved during the 16th century religious movement known as the Protestant Reformation. It emphasizes God's supremacy over everything and humanity's chief purpose as being to glorify and enjoy God forever.
In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) expresses the faith of the Reformed tradition. Central to this tradition is the affirmation of the majesty, holiness, and providence of God who creates, sustains, rules, and redeems the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love. Related to this central affirmation of God's sovereignty are other great themes of the Reformed tradition:
· The election of the people of God for service as well as for salvation;
· Covenant life marked by a disciplined concern for order in the church according to the Word of God;
· A faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God's creation;
· The recognition of the human tendency to idolatry and tyranny, which calls the people of God to work for the transformation of society by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Word of God.
(Book of Order G-2.0500)
Church Government
A major contributor to the reformed theology was John Calvin, who converted from Roman Catholicism after training for the priesthood and the law. In exile, in Geneva, Switzerland, Calvin developed the presbyterian pattern of church government, which vests governing authority primarily in elected laypersons known as elders. The word presbyterian comes from the Greek word for elder.
Elders are chosen by the people. Together with ministers of the Word and Sacrament, they exercise leadership, government, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a particular church as well as the church at large, including ecumenical relationships. They shall serve faithfully as members of the session. When elected commissioners to higher governing bodies, elders participate and vote with the same authority as ministers of the Word and Sacrament, and they are eligible for any office. (Book of Order G-10.0102 and G-6.0302)
The body of elders elected to govern a particular congregation is called a session. They are elected by the congregation and in one sense are representatives of the other members of the congregation. On the other hand, their primary charge is to seek to discover and represent the will of Christ as they govern. Presbyterian elders are both elected and ordained. Through ordination they are officially set apart for service. They retain their ordination beyond their term in office. Ministers who serve the congregation are also part of the session. The session is the smallest, most local governing body. The other governing bodies are presbyteries, which are composed of several churches; synods, which are composed of several presbyteries; and the General Assembly, which represents the entire denomination. Elders and ministers who serve on these governing bodies are also called presbyters.
The information on this page was taken from the home
page of First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee,
Florida. More information about Presbyterianism can be found at the Presbyterian Church (USA) homepage.
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