Presbyterian

PRESBYTERIAN HISTORY

The Presbyterian Church was founded based on the ideas of the French lawyer and theologian, John Calvin, who lived in the early sixteenth century. Calvin's teachings were spread by John Knox, Calivn's colleague, mainly in the British isles and Holland. Presbyterian belief was shaped by what are arguably the greatest documents of the reformation, The Westminster Shorter Catechism, Westminster Confession of Faith, and Westminster Longer Catechism. The main Prebyterian church in the world is St Gile's in Ediburgh, Scotland. The Prebyterians were among the first reformed immigrants to the Americas, establishing congreagtions in the New World as early as the 1630s. In 1706, seven ministers formed the Presbytery of Philadelphia, the first Presbyterian presbytery in the New World. They Presbyterians are also remembered for founding what is today Princeton University. The church soon began to develop thier own leadership, education, and mission. Presbyterians became important leaders in early American society, John Witherspoon, a presbyterian minister, was the only active holy man to sign the Declaration of Independance in 1776. During the nineteenth century, along with the rest of america was torn over various issues like slavery, and several, like The Cumberland Presbyterian Church, The United Presbyterian Church of North America and The Presbyterian Church in the United States, split off. These and other denominations have split and reunited several times since. As of 2006, the largest of these, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) had about 2.4 million members over eleven thousand congregations.

SOURCES [] []   Charlie Benson's Section   **Presbyterian Theology**

**Church Organization:** The Presbyterian Church organization is distinctly correlated with Presbyterian theology. Presbyterianism is starkly different than the Catholic Church in terms of their governing bodies. Presbyterians reject the organization of Episcopal polity which grants power to certain individual priests, bishops, and the pope. Rather than following a rigid hierarchal system of religious authority, the Presbyterians employ a councilor system. The main governing body in the Presbyterian faith is the General Assembly, which is comprised of local councils, called Synods. Synods are made up of congregational councils called Presbyteries. At the smallest denomination, there are Sessions, which are solely made up of the Church Pastor, and a group of elders. Presbyterian councils include clergymen and lay men alike, promoting religious equality. Additionally, the councils are made up of democratically elected representatives. The local leaders in the Presbyterian system are elected from the common people, and act as “elders”, so to speak, in that they advise the clergy and vote on theological and secular issues. In fact, the word “Presbyterian” is derived from the Greek word “presbyteros”, meaning elder.

Besides their organizational system, Presbyterians theology differs significantly from that of the Catholic faith in many areas. Due to the fact that Presbyterian faith is focused more on the faith in God rather than on tradition and ritual, many Presbyterians base their beliefs on historical documents called “confessions of faith.” A widely accepted document is the Westminster Confession of Faith. Many contemporary churches have formulated their own confessions based on ancient creeds, and more modern Calvinist works. Ultimately though, the biblical scriptures of the old and new testaments act as the greatest religious authority for Presbyterian churches as it is linked directly to the human knowledge of God. **Basic Tenets:**
 * Origin of Beliefs:**

**The Authority of Scripture**: Presbyterians believe that the only legitimate link to God lies in the teachings of ancient scripture, specifically the Gospels on Jesus’ life. Unlike Catholics, Presbyterians do not recognize the divinity of any law made by a Pope or governing body. Instead, their theology is derived directly from the teachings and works of Jesus Christ, as well as the other stories relayed in the testaments. Thus, biblical teachings are to be interpreted and understood by each individual as they seek to recognize the power of God. At the same time, Presbyterians advocate a communal approach to establishing the tenets of theology, as expressed in their official “confessions of faith”. **A Priesthood of all Believers:** Presbyterians believe in the necessity of community, both spiritual and physical. Humans are all equal in a divine perspective, and men and women alike have an equal opportunity to attain God’s grace and salvation. Thus, the opinions of the Clergy are no more honored than the opinions of the Elders and Laity.
 * The Holy Trinity**: The precept of the trinity was also strongly believed in by John Calvin, as expressed in his writings of //The Institutes of the Christian Religion//. The doctrine classifies the three dimension of the universal everlasting God. These dimensions are the Father, which shows superiority but also compassion, the son, the God who is made manifest in the figure of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, being the divine notion of God, present in the human conscious. Presbyterians also believe in the ultimate sovereignty and unity of God.
 * Justification by God’s Grace through Faith:** The Presbyterian precept of justification by Grace through faith, simply means that spiritual salvation can only be attained by God’s graciousness. Furthermore, one may receive God’s Grace simply by confessing his/her honest faith in God’s power. This tenet justifies the Presbyterian ideals of equality and community, as each person has an equal opportunity to attain God’s Grace. This precept differs significantly from the Catholic doctrine. The Catholic faith establishes that one may only receive God’s grace through their holy works in life, as well as their confessions of their sins to higher Church officials. Presbyterians believe that no one is without sin, yet as long as one recognizes their sinfulness, God will be faithful in granting the redemption of the individual.