Who Are Presbyterians?

Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th Century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with John Calvin (1509-1564), a French lawyer whose writing crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him. St. Andrew, as a Presbyterian church, is part of what’s known as the Reformed, or Protestant, branch of the Christian church universal, which includes other branches such as the Roman Catholic Church, evangelical churches, Pentecostal churches, and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

What Is Distinctive about the Presbyterian Church?

Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: we adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology, and to a form of government that emphasizes the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members. Reformed theology seeks to ground itself on the revelation of God in and through Jesus Christ and the witness of the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament. In addition to the Bible, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is guided by the Book of Confessions. These creeds and confessions, which span the history of the Church from its earliest days to the present, encapsulate the basics of Reformed theology.

Our Constitution

The constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is composed of two documents: The Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. Copies of both are available upon request.

The Book of Confessions is the doctrinal part of our constitution. It can be helpful to see it as a family picture album, showing the changing face of the catholic and Reformed faith across the centuries. The creeds and confessions reveal who we are, what beliefs we hold dear, and how we understand the call of God in the face of secular culture. The 11 creedal statements are listed below.

• The Nicene Creed
• The Apostles' Creed
• The Scots Confession
• The Heidelberg Catechism
• The Second Helvetic Confession
• The Westminster Confession of Faith
• The Shorter Catechism
• The Larger Catechism
• The Theological Declaration of Barmen
• The Confession of 1967
• A Brief Statement of Faith—Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.)

Book of Order is the part of our constitution that deals with church government and order. It is composed of three sections:

• Form of Government
• Directory for Worship
• Rules of Discipline

How Presbyterians Are Governed

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is connectional in nature. Each congregation is part of a presbytery, which is made up of all the congregations in a given geographic area. Each presbytery, in turn, is part of a larger geographic area called the synod. And all the congregations, presbyteries, and synods make up the General Assembly.