Skip to main content icon/video/no-internet
icon backReturn to Entries

Presbyterian

Presbyterian refers to several Protestant denominations in the United States of America. All of these denominations trace their history back to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Two distinctions of Presbyterians are (1) they follow a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and (2) their form of polity, or church government, stresses representational leadership of both ministers and church members.

Much of what Presbyterians believe is based on the writings of the French lawyer John Calvin (1509–1564), who trained as a priest in the Catholic Church. After leaving the Catholic Church, Calvin served as a pastor in Geneva, Switzerland, in exile. His writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that preceded him. From Geneva, the Reformed movement spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland, and Ireland. The first Presbytery in America was organized in Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was also held in Philadelphia in 1789. That Assembly was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Different Presbyterian Denominations

The Presbyterian Church in the United States has changed several times. Parts of the church have split and parts have reunited over the years. The largest division occurred in 1861 during the Civil War. The two branches established by that division were reunited in 1983 to create the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), currently the largest Presbyterian group in the country with national offices in Louisville, Kentucky. Other Presbyterian churches in the United States include the Presbyterian Church in America, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Reformed Theology

Reformed theology emphasizes God's supremacy over everything and that humanity's main purpose in life is to bring glory to and enjoy God forever. Central to this tradition is the recognition of the majesty, holiness, and providence of God who creates, sustains, rules, and redeems the world in the freedom of sovereign righteousness and love. Along with recognizing the sovereignty of God, Presbyterians also emphasize the authority of the Bible, justification by grace through faith, and the priesthood of all believers. This means that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe.

Humankind's knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is taught in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ. Salvation (justification) through Jesus is God's generous gift to humankind and not the result of humanity's accomplishments. The priesthood of believers refers to the belief that all people, ministers and lay people alike, are to share God's love with the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and women alike.

Presbyterian Polity

Calvin developed the Presbyterian pattern of church government, which puts governing authority primarily in elected laypersons known as elders. The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word for elder. Elders are elected by the people to lead and serve the congregation. Together with ministers, they exercise leadership government, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of their congregation as well as the church at large (Book of Order, G 0.0102). When elected, commissioners to higher governing bodies, or 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-6.0302).

...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles

Read next

More like this

Sage Recommends

We found other relevant content for you on other Sage platforms.

close

Have you created a personal profile? Login or create a profile so that you can save clips, playlists and searches

close
close
close Signed In to profile You are signed in as:
close
Logged in Institution Institution