Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church is a Protestant

denomination in which each church is led

by a set of presbyters. The teachings of

the Presbyterian Church are based on

Calvinism. Many Presbyterian churches

are also known as Reformed churches.

The Presbyterian Church was founded on the teachings of John Calvin,

one of the great leaders of the Protestant Reformation. Beginning in

England and Scotland, the Presbyterian Church later spread throughout

the world. How does the Presbyterian Church organize itself? Each

Presbyterian church chooses leaders, or elders, known as presbyters.

The presbyters govern and organize the church. Some elders are

chosen to be pastors, preaching and teaching. When the elders of

the churches of a certain region come together to discuss important

matters, the set of elders is called the "presbytery." Some

Presbyterian churches also have deacons, who do various jobs in the

church, under the leadership of presbyters.

What does the Presbyterian Church believe?

There are many different Presbyterian churches, but most Presbyterians

accept the Westminster Confession of Faith and believe in one God,

creator of all things, who is a Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

That the Bible is the word of God and the sole foundation for all belief

2 Timothy 3: 16-17 - That all who have sinned deserve eternal

punishment - Romans 3: 23-24 - That Jesus Christ is the Son of God,

who died for our sins and rose again on the third day -

1 Corinthians 15: 3-5 - In salvation by faith in Jesus as Savior -

Ephesians 2: 8-9 - In predestination, which teaches that God has

already chosen who will be saved (or "elect") and His grace cannot

be rejected by who was chosen - That baptism and the Holy Supper

are sacraments that confer the grace of God upon those who believe

That Jesus will return, the dead will be judged and the elect will have

eternal life - 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17.

The Presbyterian term was adopted by retirees in the British Isles

(Scotland, England, and Ireland). This is due to the political-religious

context in which Protestantism was introduced in that region, in which

the form of government of the church had a preponderant importance.

The English and Scottish kings preferred the episcopal system, that is,

a church governed by bishops and archbishops, which allowed a greater

control of the church by the state. The Presbyterian system, that is,

church government by community-elected elders and assembled in

councils, meant a more democratic and autonomous government over

civil rulers. From the British Isles, Presbyterianism went to the United

States and from there to many parts of the world.

This is another important distinction. Every Presbyterian is, by definition,

reformed and, in theory, Calvinist. But not all Calvinists are Presbyterians.

A good example is England from the 15th and 17th centuries. Almost all

English Protestants of that time were Calvinists, but many of them did not

accept the Presbyterian system of government. Among them were many

Anglicans and congregations, as well as other groups. When we say that

we are Reformed, Calvinist, and Presbyterian, there are implicit two other

equally important elements of our identity, which remind us that we are

not alone in the journey: we are Christians and we are evangelical. If

on the one hand, we should value our heritage, on the other hand,

we should not become exclusivists, remembering that the body

of Christ is greater than the movement to which we are linked.