About Us

What We Believe

In its confessions, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) upholds the affirmations of the Protestant Reformation.  The focus of these affirmations is God's grace in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures. The Protestant watchwords - grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone - embody principles of understanding that continue to guide and motivate the people of God in the life of faith.

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 in Christ and by the power of the Spirit 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; and
  • 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.

From The Book of Order 2017 - 2019; The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) F-2.04 - 2.05