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A New Denomination
The birth date of the Presbyterian
Church in America is December 4, 1973. (But our spiritual roots
are in the Protestant Reformation.)
We came into existence because we felt
strongly the need for a scriptural, evangelical and Reformed witness
for Christ. We wanted to be a part of a denomination which honors
God and His Word. We desired a believing fellowship which is committed
to evangelism, Christian education and training as top priorities
in the Church. We felt that ministers and church officers should
affirm without compromise the great biblical beliefs of Christianity.
Many of our churches separated from their
denomination because of the compromise of our basic Christian
doctrines. Though we earnestly desired close fellowship with Christians
of like mind, we wanted no part of the National or World Councils
of Churches because of their pluralistic theology. (We are members
of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Churches and the
National Association of Evangelicals.) After years of sincere
efforts to call our former denomination to revival and renewal
we were led by God to withdraw and form a new body. The new denomination
began with 250 congregations and 50,000 members.
Within a few years it grew to include
more than 500 churches with nearly 80,000 members. In 1982 the
Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod joined with us,
bringing almost 25,000 new members into the P.C.A. fold. As of
December 1985, we counted more than 888 churches, with over 151,000
members throughout the United States and Canada. As we approach
our 25th anniversary year, we have approximately 1300 churches
and over 300,000 members. Of the nine Presbyterian denominations
in North America, the P.C.A. is the fastest growing. Together
we are lifting high a banner of love and testimony to Jesus Christ
the Lord, locally and globally.
A Progressive Denomination
We sincerely desire to spread the Gospel
to every land , to make disciples and teach them the faith once
for all delivered by God to His Church. And we happily serve men
in need, resisting man's inhumanity to man, working for peace,
honor, and dignity among all men without discrimination.
We are "conservative," but not
old fashioned! We hold to the faith of the Bible and of our fathers,
but we strive to proclaim God's Truth as imaginatively and creatively
as possible.
We are busy. Busy about God's work. Starting
new churches in the United States and Canada; supporting small
congregations who want a full ministry in their communities; teaching
and training workers and leaders how to study, apply, obey and
share the Scriptures; sending missionaries to many countries throughout
the world; publishing literature and curricula for individuals,
groups, schools, and churches; caring for retired ministers and
their families; sponsoring youth and children's ministries; guiding
men and women and families to a closer walk with the living God.
A Scriptural Denomination
Our Church seeks to be scriptural in
both its government and its doctrine.
The form of church government we believe
is most biblical is called "Presbyterian." This means
the local churches are governed by "presbyters," or
elders, who are elected by the people. There are two kinds of
elders. Teaching elders are pastors. Ruling elders are ordained
laymen. This was the kind of government the New Testament Church
enjoyed (for instance, see Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5-7). It has been
the form followed by the great Reformed and Presbyterian branches
of Christendom since the days of John Calvin in Europe and John
Knox in England and Scotland.
The elders sit in a "session."
This session has the oversight of the faith and life of the local
church congregation.
Representatives from the session along
with the ordained ministers of the churches compose the "presbytery."
The presbytery has oversight of the ministries of the churches
in a given geographical area. Through the presbytery the work
of many churches is coordinated and their combined efforts enable
them to extend the Kingdom of Christ much farther than would otherwise
be possible.
The local churches also send commissioners--elders
and ministers--to the highest court of the church, the "General
Assembly." The assembly meets annually and enables all the
churches to have a voice in guiding the spiritual and practical
affairs of the entire denomination.
In the Presbyterian Church in America
the local church owns and controls its property. A church's relationship
with the denomination is based on mutual love and commitment to
the Bible, the Reformed faith, and the Great Commission of Jesus
Christ. Though a congregation may withdraw from the denomination
at any time by a simple majority vote of its members, we agree
that the Bible teaches that congregations should be yoked in faith
and practice and should bind themselves together for the edification
of the whole body of Christ.
Our form of doctrine is also scriptural.
As "Presbyterian" refers to our form of government so
"Reformed" denotes our doctrinal beliefs. We stand in
the ancient heritage of true-to-the-Bible theology. We earnestly
strive to follow Christ and His Apostles. We believe that the
purest expressions of scriptural doctrine are found in the Calvinistic
creeds, particularly the Westminister Confession of Faith with
the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
This means that we believe in the Trinity.
There is one God who exists eternally in three Persons--the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same
in substance, equal in power and glory.
We believe that the Bible is the written
Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and without error in
the original manuscripts. The Bible is our infallible and divine
authority in all matters of faith and life.
We believe that all men are sinners and
are totally unable to save themselves or even to cooperate with
God in efforts to earn their salvation.
We believe that salvation is by God's
action along, who sovereignly chooses out of the fallen race of
mankind those whom He will save. God alone saves the people whom
He draws to Jesus by His Holy Spirit. He convinces them of their
sin and enlightens them so that they repent of their sins and
trust in Jesus Christ as He is offered in the Gospel. Because
God alone knows who are His, we call on people everywhere to repent
and to trust in Jesus Christ.
We believer that Jesus Christ is the eternal
Son of God, who became man and lived and died and rose again to
atone for the sins of those who trust Him alone for their salvation.
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man.
We believe that God's Holy Spirit gives
Christians the daily strength and wisdom they need to walk according
to His will and to grow in holiness.
We believe that Jesus Christ shall return
personally, visibly, and bodily to judge all mankind and to receive
His people unto Himself.
Peace Presbyterian
Church History
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