WHAT IS THIS RESOURCE BOOK? This Resource Book is for any Presbytery Commissioner who wants to understand what we are doing and why we are doing it. It is not a policy manual or a rule book. This resource includes a summary of terms for quick reference to help our new Presbytery commissioners as well as some theological history for a deeper dive into our rich legacy. RESOURCE BOOK FOR PRESBYTERY

COMMISSIONERS

Presbytery of San Jose- January 2019 update

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ...... 3 “Presbyterian to English” Quick Reference ...... 4 Parliamentary Procedure for Meetings ...... 8 Our Meeting Schedule for Presbytery ...... 9 Churches in the Presbytery of San Jose ...... 10 Organization Chart ...... 12 Our Presbytery Staff, Committee and Task Force Chairpersons ...... 13 Ruling Elder Commissioner numbers, by church ...... 14 Being Presbyterian ...... 15 Being a Ruling Elder ...... 16 Our Church Governance- A Summary ...... 17 Church Governance- A Comparison of Different Forms ...... 18 Reformed Theology- A Summary ...... 19 Presbyterian History - A Summary ...... 20 Confessions of the Church ...... 21

2 INTRODUCTION

Dear friends and colleagues in ministry,

At our January 2018 Presbytery meeting our Moderator Rev. Anne McAnelly allotted some time for commissioners to share feedback on the life of the Presbytery. After hearing the feedback it seemed to me that a resource book for commissioners would help provide good support and resources for our work together.

This isn’t a policy manual, or new guidelines. It is a compilation of various references and resources. These come from a variety of sources---items I have written for past church officers’ training manuals and membership classes, references from Presbyterian classes taken at SFTS and Fuller Seminary, items I have found on our PC(USA) website and resources developed by past mentors. The process of collecting this information reminded me of the process of becoming leaders in the church, we are in part what others have taught us and what we have discovered for ourselves along the way. It will be a working document, so please share your feedback, so we can continue to learn together.

The cover photo was taken at our September 2018 Presbytery meeting at First Palo Alto when we were invited to write our hopes for the Presbytery on the chancel steps. I don’t know which commissioner wrote it, but these words spoke to me. I believe that God has a great plan for us as we enthusiastically serve together in the sacred honor of leading our Presbytery.

Our Book of Order and our Presbytery Standing Rules and Policies prevail when it comes to questions of process and procedure, but always, our Lord Christ and the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of Scripture is our final authority.

With joy in our journey together,

Rev. Erica Rader Stated Clerk, Presbytery of San Jose [email protected]

3 “PRESBYTERIAN TO ENGLISH” QUICK REFERENCE From time to time abbreviations and terms will be peppered through the meeting and in our communications. The following is a quick primer on Presby-speak. If you have questions about any of these terms or the way they fit into the larger picture of the life of the church, feel free to ask the Moderator, Stated Clerk or your Executive Presbyter. B

• Board of Pensions- The General Assembly agency charged with overseeing the benefits plans for pastors and some other church employees. • Book of Order – Our constitution of policies and rules, established by the General Assembly, our highest governing body. It is Part II of our constitution, Part I is our that comprise the and confessions affirmed by the church. The Book of Order has three sections: Government, Worship and Discipline and citations are listed by first letter (G, W or D) and reference number. A free pdf download can be found here: https://www.pcusastore.com/Products/OGA17010/book-of-order-20172019-pdf.aspx C

• Candidate- A person in the latter portion of the ordination process for the ministry of Minister of the Word and Sacrament. • COM- The Committee on Ministry provides oversight and advocacy for congregations and Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. It receives Ministers of the Word and Sacrament from other presbyteries, approves calls for pastoral services, oversees congregations without pastors, dissolves pastoral relationships, dismisses Ministers of the Word and Sacrament to other presbyteries, determines of the criteria for validating ministries of nonparish clergy, and oversees Commissioned Ruling Elders serving congregations. • Commissioner- Each congregation is allotted a set number of ruling elders who can vote on matters before Presbytery. The number of commissioners is based on congregation size and may be adjusted each year. Together with all the minister members commissioners, and some committee members, these are the voting members of presbytery. • Consent Agenda- Routine Items raised up by committees that aren’t anticipated to require any discussion and can be passed by blanket action. If a Commissioner desires, an item can be removed from the Consent agenda to be considered separately, if so moved.

4 QUICK REFERENCE (CONTINUED)

• Council- (1) In the context of and governance, a council is a governing body of the church. The councils of the PC(USA) are the session, the presbytery, the synod and the General Assembly (2) “Council” of the Presbytery of San Jose acts as a coordinating team on the presbytery’s behalf on routine matters between stated meetings, coordinates the ministries of the presbytery, and plans for presbytery meetings. • CPM- The Committee on Preparation for Ministry oversees the process of preparation for the ministry of Ministers of Word and Sacrament. Each person who is an inquirer (first stage) or candidate (latter stage) is “under care” of a congregation where they hold membership. E

• Executive Presbyter- A staff person to care for the ministries, churches and members of the presbytery, serving as a pastoral leader. Our Executive Presbyter is Rev. Joey Lee who serves as a full time staff person. G

• GA- The General Assembly of the PC(USA) is the highest council of the church. It meets in even numbered years. The 2018 meeting will be held in late June in St. Louis, Missouri. H

• HR- Honorably Retired is a designation for Pastors/ Ministers of the Word and Sacrament retired from active service to the church who remain in good standing with the PC(USA). I

• Inquirer- A person in the initial phase of the process of preparation for ministry as a Minister of Word and Sacrament. • Interim Pastor- A pastor in a short term temporary position, who may or may not be a “Transitional Pastor” with training (see Transitional Pastor). M

• MIF- A Ministry Information Form is the standardized format for advertising vacancies in professional positions through the online PC(USA) Church Leadership Connection. • Minister of the Word and Sacrament is an ordained Presbyterian minister member of the clergy, formerly called a Teaching Elder. They are members of the Presbytery with a vote.

5 QUICK REFERENCE (CONTINUED)

• Moderator- The Moderator is the person elected to keep order and moderate the meetings of the presbytery. It is an unpaid elected position. The pastor of a local congregation serves as the moderator of the local session. Congregations with pastoral vacancies have temporary moderators approved by Committee on Ministry. N

• NCD/ NWC New Church Developments or New Worshiping Communities are new ministries of the presbytery engaged in a formal process to work toward establishing a new congregation or ministry context. O

• Ords/Ordination Exams- Candidates seeking to become Minsters of Word and Sacrament have to complete educational requirements as well as a set of exams as prerequisites to ordination. • Overture – One Council’s formal recommendation or motion to another council. This is the mechanism used to move our Presbytery’s requests for action or amendment of rules to our highest body, the General Assembly (Held every other year, the next meeting is June 2018 in St. Louis)

P

• PDA- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is an agency of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Mission Agency. PDA assists communities coping with natural and human-caused disasters. • PMA- The Presbyterian Mission Agency is part of the larger PC(USA) and is located at national church headquarters in Louisville, KY. • PNC- Pastor Nominating Committee is a search committee elected by a congregation to seek, interview, and recommend a new pastor. • Presbyter- A member of Presbytery, often used interchangeably with Commissioner. (See Commissioner) R

• RE/Ruling Elder- Ruling Elder is a lay member of a congregation who has been elected, ordained and installed to serve on the session of a church. Ruling elders are eligible for election as commissioners to presbytery, synod and General Assembly. Once ordained as a ruling elder one maintains that office whether serving on a session or not.

6 QUICK REFERENCE (CONTINUED)

• Robert’s Rules of Order – A widely used manual of parliamentary procedure in the United States, which we use to govern our meetings and processes, together with our Standing Rules and Book of Order.

S

• Safe Church- A program of our Presbytery which works with our congregations to ensure compliance with our sexual misconduct prevention and reporting polices as well as broadly resourcing other safety initiatives. • Standing Rules- The Presbytery has established a set of rules that work together with our Book of Order to define our ministry policies and procedures. It is available on our website. http://www.sanjosepby.org/policies/ • Stated Clerk- Stated Clerk is the administrative officer elected by the presbytery to support its work, maintain the official records, provide extracts when asked, prepare the docket for presbytery meetings, and answer questions about the records, Presbyterian polity, policies, procedures and history. Our Stated Clerk is Rev. Erica Rader, serving as a half-time staff person. • Synod of the Pacific- A synod is the governing body council which includes multiple presbyteries. It coordinates the work of the PC(USA) in the region. The Presbytery of San Jose is part of the Synod of the Pacific. T

• Transitional Pastor- A pastor in a temporary interim role who has received specialized training to assist churches in a pastoral transition. • Teaching Elder- Minster of Word and Sacrament or Pastor V

• Validated Ministries- Positions served by chaplains, professors and other Ministers of the Word and Sacrament who are not currently serving a congregation. Sometimes they are referred to as non-parish clergy

7

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE FOR MEETINGS

Parliamentary procedure enables the presbytery to become a deliberative assembly, to seek the will of God and to witness to our faith in Jesus Christ. It is never an end in itself. The will of the majority shall prevail, but the rights of the minority shall always be protected. Parliamentary principles balance individual conscience with the will of the majority.

It takes seriously the following rights of individual members: (1) the right to know (due notice) (2) the right to speak (rules of debate) (3) the right to vote (membership) (4) the right to hold office (fair representation)

The Moderator represents the unity of the body. The Moderator preserves decorum and protects the rights listed above. Parliamentary procedure allows discussion of a subject only when a motion about that subject has been made. To speak during the meeting, first go to a microphone. When recognized by the Moderator, state your name, church, and status – such as Ruling Elder. You may speak to a pending motion or ask a question. The person making the motion will have first opportunity to speak to the motion. Only motions coming from individuals need a second. A motion made on behalf of a committee already has a second: the majority vote of the committee. Only commissioners may speak and vote on motions (Minister of Word and Sacrament /members of the Presbytery; Ruling Elders elected by their Session; members of the Council; current commissioners to General Assembly.)

It is advisable to speak only once on a subject, but you may seek to speak a second time only after everyone who wishes to speak has spoken. All remarks during debate shall be addressed to the Moderator. Questions seeking information from a person who has the floor shall be addressed to the Moderator. Speeches to an individual or the whole presbytery are not permitted during debate. If not on the agenda, reading reports or documents out loud requires the permission of the body. In debate, remarks shall be confined to the pending motion. Remarks shall not disparage another commissioner or that person’s motives. To end debate, a commissioner must go to a microphone and, when recognized by the Moderator, state: “I move the previous question.” If you plan to offer a substitute motion or a new item of business, you should give the Moderator and Stated Clerk a written copy. Not only will this help these officers facilitate the work of presbytery, they may also be able to help you with suggestions as to how and when it would be appropriate to make the motion. The Stated Clerk and the Moderator are available to advise commissioners on the wording of any motion so that it can clearly express the concerns of the commissioner. When in doubt, ask. Your contribution to the process is important!

8

OUR MEETING SCHEDULE FOR PRESBYTERY

When does Presbytery meet?

According to our Standing Rules (2.10)

The Presbytery shall hold five stated meetings annually as follows: January Fourth Saturday 9 AM April First Saturday (or week before when this is Easter week) 9 AM June First Saturday 9 AM September Fourth Saturday 9 AM November Fourth Saturday (or week before when this is Thanksgiving week) 9 AM

What topics will the meeting address?

The Presbytery will gather to worship, hear reporting and decide business from its committees, task forces, congregation and Council. The meeting docket, which includes the agenda and supporting documents will be distributed electronically and posted on the website 10 days before the meeting.

Throughout the year, our Standing Rules call for us to consider certain business on certain months (2.17) Standing Order of business:

JANUARY Action on amendments to the Constitution referred by General Assembly through the Sub-committee on Polity and Government. APRIL Annual report of the Executive Presbyter. Treasurer’s report. Annual written report from the Committee on Personnel on its activities. Report from Synod commissioners. An annual written report from the Committee on Representation and Empowerment on their activities. JUNE Stated Clerk’s statistical report. Annual report on session records through the Sub- committee on Polity and Government. Election of Synod commissioners. Approve terms of call for Teaching Elders. Action on minimum salary level for Teaching Elders upon recommendation by Committee on Ministry. SEPTEMBER Report from General Assembly commissioners. Adoption of Ecclesiastical and Program Budgets. NOVEMBER This shall be the annual meeting of the corporation. An annual report from the Committee on Preparation for Ministry and Committee on Ministry on their activities. An annual written report from the Committee on Financial Affairs. Report of Committee on Nominations. Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Election of Presbytery officers and committees. Installation of the Moderator for the ensuing year. Election of General Assembly Commissioners and Young Adult Advisory Delegates.

9

CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF SAN JOSE

St. Andrew, 9850 Monroe Ave., Aptos, CA 95003

Gilroy, 6000 Miller Ave., Gilroy, CA 95020

Gonzales, 340 Day St., P.O. Box 715, Gonzales, CA 93926

Los Gatos, 16575 Shannon Rd., Los Gatos, CA 95032

El Estero, 490 Camino El Estero, Monterey, CA 93940

First Monterey, 501 El Dorado St., Monterey, CA 93940

First Mountain View, 1667 Miramonte Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040

Covenant, 670 E. Meadow Dr., Palo Alto, CA 94036

First Palo Alto, 1140 Cowper St., Palo Alto, CA 94301

Lincoln Ave., 536 Lincoln Ave., Salinas, CA 93901

Northminster, 315 E. Alvin Dr., Salinas, CA 93906

St. Philip’s, 1101 North Main St., Salinas, CA 93906

Communidad LatinoAmericana, 1100 Shasta Ave., San Jose, CA 95126

Cornerstone, 890 Meridian Way, San Jose, CA 95126

Evergreen, 1975 S. White Rd., San Jose, CA 95148

First San Jose, 49 N. Fourth St., San Jose, CA 95112

Thai Fellowship, 5301 McKee Rd., San Jose, CA 95127

GKI, 3151 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95124

Santa Teresa Hills, 5370 Snell Ave., San Jose, CA 95123

Stone Church, 1937 Lincoln Ave., San Jose, CA 95125

Taiwanese American, 3675 Payne Ave., San Jose, CA 95117

Trinity of San Jose, 3151 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95117

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CHURCHES IN THE PRESBYTERY OF SAN JOSE (CONTINUED)

Westminster, 1100 Shasta Ave., San Jose, Ca 95126

San Martin, P.O. Box 203 (13200 Lincoln Ave.), San Martin, CA 95046

First Santa Clara, 2499 Homestead Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95050

Bonny Doon, 7065 Bonny Doon Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Trinity Santa Cruz, 420 Melrose Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Westhope, 12850 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga, CA 95070

Daesung, 425 Tasman Dr., Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Sunnyvale, 728 W. Fremont Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087

United Watsonville, 112 E. beach St., Watsonville, CA 95076

Westview, 118 First St., Watsonville, CA 95076

11

ORGANIZATION CHART

ORGANIZATION CHART COUNCIL TASK FORCES THE PRESBYTERY OF Mtg Planning Church Health & Growth SAN JOSÉ Polity Mission & 2018 Outreach Peace and Justice

COMMITTEES Ministry Financial Affairs Safe Church Ministry Nominating Preparation for GENERAL Ministry ASSEMBLY Personnel Self-Development 16 Synods of People 170 Presbyteries (tri-presbytery) 9,636 Churches THE PRESBYTERY OF 1,571,423 Members SAN JOSÉ PRESBYTERIAN 36 Congregations, New WOMEN Church Developments, Fellowships and New PERMANENT Worshiping JUDICIAL Communities SYNOD OF THE COMMISSION PACIFIC 4,461 members 11 Presbyteries ADVOCATES 379 Churches Hunger Action 58,039 Members Peacemaking OFFICERS Safe Church Moderator Moderator-elect Executive Presbyter Stated Clerk MISSION PROGRAM Treasurer STAFF Executive Presbyter Administrative Assistant

ECCLESIATICAL STAFF Stated Clerk Treasurer Accountant

• Statistics from 2015

12

OUR PRESBYTERY STAFF, COMMITTEE AND TASK FORCE CHAIRPERSONS

Presbytery Office (shared with Cornerstone Church of Silicon Valley) 890 Meridian Way (Entrance to parking lot on Fruitdale Ave) San Jose CA 95125 (409) 279-0220

STAFF Rev. Joey Lee, Executive Presbyter, [email protected] Rev. Erica Rader, Stated Clerk, [email protected] Rev. Edd Breeden, Treasurer, [email protected] Diane Case, Accountant, [email protected] Elder Jane Odell, Coordinator of Safe Church Practices, [email protected] Rev. Geoff Browning, Peacemaking Advocate, [email protected] Rev. Ryan Althaus, Hunger Advocate, [email protected] Rev. Jenni Bales, Director of Communications [email protected]

LEADERS: MODERATOR, COMMITTEE AND TASK FORCE CHAIRPERSONS* Rev. Irene Pak-Lee, 2019 Moderator of Presbytery Rev. Anne McAnelly, Presbytery Council Elder Carol Holsinger, Polity and Government Sub-Committee Elder Frank Bernstein, Committee on Ministry, 2020 Moderator Elect Elder Evelyn Wong, Committee on Personnel Rev. Katie Day, Committee on Preparation for Ministry Elder Sharon Rowser, Financial Affairs Committee Elder Claudia Hamm, Nominating Committee Rev. Nan Swanson, Peace and Justice Task Force Rev. Margaret Boles, Mission & Outreach Task Force Rev. David Watermulder, Church Health and Growth Task Force

SYNOD COMISSIONERS Elder Ruth Fong Rev. Katie Day Elder Carolyn Rosen Rev. David McCreath

*Note: Contact info and full committee rosters can be found on our online directory at http://www.sanjosepby.org/

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RULING ELDER COMMISSIONER NUMBERS, BY CHURCH

As of January 2018, the following Ruling Elder Commissioner numbers were approved for 2018 Presbytery meetings:

Church Number of RE Commissioners Sunnyvale 6 Los Gatos 6 Monterey First 6 Stone 6 Gilroy 6 Palo Alto First 5 Palo Alto Covenant 4 Foothill 4 Trinity San Jose 3 Santa Teresa Hills 3 Northminster 3 Westminster 3 St Andrews Aptos 3 Trinity Santa Cruz 3 Santa Clara 3 Taiwanese PC 2 Daesung Sunnyvale 2 Watsonville United 2 Mt View 2 Westview 1 El Estero 1 St Philip 1 Cornerstone 1 Westhope 1 Gonzales 1 San Martin 1 Lincoln Ave 1 Bonny Doon 1 Evergreen 1 San Jose First 1 TOTAL 83

Additionally, voice and vote is granted to Ruling Elders who are chairs or moderators of Presbytery standing committees; the Moderator of Presbyterian Women in the presbytery; the Safe Church Coordinator; former moderators of the Presbytery who are Ruling Elders; and Ruling Elders in current service as Synod Commissioners but not otherwise eligible for voice and vote.

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BEING PRESBYTERIAN

Presbuteros, the Greek word meaning elder, is used 72 times in the New Testament. It provided the name for the Presbyterian family of churches, which includes the Reformed churches of the world. Both Presbyterian and Reformed are synonymous with churches of the Calvinist tradition.

Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant . Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.

Calvin did much of his writing from Geneva, Switzerland. From there, the Reformed movement spread to other part of Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland and Ireland. The first American Presbytery was organized at Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in the same city in 1789. The first Assembly was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Today’s Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was created by the 1983 reunion of the two main branches of Presbyterians in America, separated since the Civil War: the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. The latter had been created by the union of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the United Presbyterian Church of North America in 1958.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is distinctly a confessional and a connectional church, distinguished by the representation of ruling elders, men and women, in its government. As of 2016, the church denomination had a membership of 1,482,767 in all 50 states and Puerto Rico represented by 9,451 congregations.

Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of theological thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both clergy and church members.

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BEING A RULING ELDER

Ruling Elder Ministries is a focus of the Office of General Assembly with the vision of providing support and training to those serving as ruling elders.

As there were in Old Testament times elders for the government of the people, so the New Testament church provided persons with particular gifts to share in discernment of God’s Spirit and governance of God’s people. Accordingly, congregations should elect persons of wisdom and maturity of faith, having demonstrated skills in leadership and being compassionate in spirit. Ruling elders are so named not be- cause they “lord it over” the congregation (Matt. 20:25), but because they are chosen by the congregation to discern and measure its fidelity to the Word of God, and to strengthen and nurture its faith and life. Ruling elders, together with teaching elders, exercise leadership, government, spiritual discernment, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a congregation as well as the whole church, including ecumenical relationships.

(Book of Order, G-2.0301)

RULING ELDER WEBPAGE

A variety of training materials for ruling elders are located in one convenient location. The website at www.pcusa.org/rulingelders offers updated lists and links to current trainings, books, videos, and other materials that may be of interest to ruling elders and the teaching elders who serve with them.

Regarding Ruling Elders: A Monthly Series for Spiritual Leaders

Ruling Elders are elected by congregations as “persons of wisdom and maturity of faith, having demonstrated skills in leadership and being compassionate in spirit” (G-2.0301). This series offered in English, Korean, and Spanish, includes devotional pieces, invitations to spiritual practices, and other resources for growth as spiritual leaders and seeks to nurture the spiritual life of those serving in this role.

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OUR CHURCH GOVERNANCE- A SUMMARY

A major contributor to Reformed theology was John Calvin, who converted from Roman Catholicism after training for the priesthood and in the law. In exile in Geneva, Switzerland, Calvin developed the presbyterian pattern of church government, which vests governing authority primarily in elected laypersons known as ruling elders.

Ruling elders are elected by the congregation. The body of elders elected to govern a particular congregation is called a session. Together with pastors, known as teaching elders, they exercise leadership, government, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a particular church as well as the church at large.

Elders are elected by the congregation and in one sense are representatives of the other members of the congregation. On the other hand, their primary charge is to seek the will of Christ and to be led by the Scriptures as they govern. Presbyterian elders are both elected and ordained. Through ordination they are officially set apart for service. They retain their ordination beyond their term in office.

The session is the smallest, most local governing body. The other governing bodies are presbyteries, which are composed of multiple churches (ours is the Presbytery of San Jose); synods, which are composed of several presbyteries; and the General Assembly, which represents the entire denomination. Ruling and teaching elders from particular churches are elected to serve as commissioners to higher governing councils.

In addition to elders, there is a second ordained office in the church, the role of deacons. Deacon ministry focuses on connectional and compassionate service in the church and is not focused on the governance issues of the church. Like elders, deacons retain their ordination beyond their term in office.

Most U.S. churches form non-profit corporations to manage their reporting, financial and property transactions and determine who should be officers of the church corporation. There is often an overlap in the church officers chosen for the legal corporation and the session. The church by-laws of incorporation are filed with the State of California.

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CHURCH GOVERNANCE- A COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT FORMS

HIERARCHICAL PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONAL

Leaders with great Leaders with sizable Leaders with less authority authority are not elected by authority are elected by the elected by the people the people people

People have the least People and leaders share People have the most authority authority authority

Roman Catholics Presbyterians Baptists

Methodists Congregationalists Lutherans

Anglicans Assemblies of God “Brethren” Episcopalians

Coptics Mennonites Amish

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REFORMED THEOLOGY- A SUMMARY

Theology is a way of thinking about God and the world. Reformed theology evolved during the 16th century religious movement known as the Protestant Reformation. The focus of the Reformation was to reform the church and the life of faith, through recognizing that only God’s sovereign grace draws us into faith and the Bible is the sole authority to guide our lives as followers of Jesus. Our Creeds and Confessions are considered reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do but these historic statements of faith do not replace the sole authority of Scripture.

Central to the Reformed tradition is the affirmation of the majesty, holiness, and providence of God who creates and redeems the world in through his sovereign love and grace.

Presbyterians as Christians (Shared beliefs with other Christians) • Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit: One God who is our creator and redeemer. • Incarnation of Jesus Christ: God reached down to redeem humankind through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is fully human and fully divine.

Presbyterians as Protestants (Shared belief with other Protestants) • Justification by Grace through Faith: We are not able to fulfill God’s law and we are not righteous or just in God’s eyes. But through God’s love and the gift of irresistible grace through Jesus Christ, God draws us to faith and to accept our free gift of salvation. • Authority of Scripture: The Bible is the Holy Spirit inspired revelation of God’s good news of salvation and a reliable, truth-filled guide for believers who desire to live in gratitude and obedience to God.

Presbyterians as Reformed (Beliefs emphasized for Presbyterians) • God is Sovereign: God is the source of all power and good. • Election of God’s people for service and salvation: Obedience and service is a way of showing our gratitude to God for electing us to be his redeemed people. We don’t earn our gift of salvation through service. • God’s Covenant with chosen people: God calls people into relationship with him…” I will be your God and you will be my people.” • Faithful Stewardship: All things are created and belong to God and should be shared freely for God’s kingdom purposes. • Human depravity of sin, idolatry and tyranny. All people are captive to sin, broken and require a savior. • Transformation: The mission of God’s people is to respond to God’s love and grace in gratitude by seeking justice and living in obedience to the Bible to transform ourselves and the world.

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PRESBYTERIAN HISTORY - A SUMMARY

First /Old Testament Chosen people of God through the nation of Israel New Testament Expansion of the chosen people of God/Formation of the Church

325 Council of Nicaea 440 Leo, first pope

1054 16th Century Greek Roman The Protestant Reformation Orthodox Catholic Lutheran Anglican Anabaptist 1517 1534 1525

Reformed (Presbyterian) • Ulricht Zwingli (Zurich, 1522) • John Calvin (Geneva, 1541-64): “He organized, saved and extended the Reformation.” • (Scotland, 1560)

Presbyterianism in the United States

17th - 18th centuries English , Scots, Scotch-Irish, French 1628 Dutch Reformed Church (N.Y.) 1640 The First Presbyterian Church in America 1683 Francis Maemi from Northern Ireland 1706 First Presbytery - Philadelphia 1717 First Synod - Philadelphia 1730-1770 The Great Awakening 1782 Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 1789 First General Assembly - Philadelphia 1799-1840 The Great Revival 1806 Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1858 United Presbyterian Church in North America 1861 Division into the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (UPCUSA). 1958 Formation of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. 1983 Reunion/Formation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)

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CONFESSIONS OF THE CHURCH

The PC(USA) has adopted these traditional creeds and confessions of the church as providing helpful interpretation of Scripture in the Reformed tradition and accordingly, providing instruction for our life of faith together. These can be found in our Book of Confessions.

Date: 4th Century Name: The Nicene Occasion: The Emperor Constantine, having made the official religion of the empire, wanted doctrinal agreement to strengthen the power of the church as a cohesive element for the empire. Key Issues: This short creed is concerned with the doctrines of Christ and the Trinity.

Date: 5th Century Name: The Apostles' Creed Occasion: This creed is based on a baptismal creed used in Rome at the end of the second century, and reflects doctrines current at least by the end of the first century. It was affirmed by those seeking membership in the church through baptism, and later was used more widely by the church. Key Issues: A brief general statement of Christian belief based on Trinitarian outline.

Date: 1560 Name: The Scots' Confession Occasion: This creed was written in the crucial and confusing time when Presbyterians asserted their faith and held their first General Assembly in Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic, ruled the land while Elizabeth of England gave support to the Scottish Protestants. John Knox had just returned from his exile in Geneva and was a major contributor to the confession. Key Issues: The Presbyterian Church in Scotland held to the Apostles' Creed, but devised this fuller explanation of the church's belief. It sought to clarify points which it felt the Roman Catholic Church had obscured or confused.

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CONFESSIONS OF THE CHURCH (CONTINUED)

Date: 1563 Name: The Occasion: The area around Heidelberg, Germany, had both Lutheran and Reformed influences, as well as a considerable Catholic population. Frederick III ordered the writing of this catechism in order to have a definite doctrinal statement to settle the unrest in his kingdom. The two men he asked to write this statement had been influenced by the Swiss Reformation, and they produced a strong Reformation confession. Key Issues: The catechism is divided into three sections: “Of Man's Misery,” “Of Man's Redemption,” and “Thankfulness.”

Date: 1566 Name: The Second Helvetic Confession Occasion: The Heidelberg Catechism, with its strong Reformed emphasis, Increased theological tension. Freiderich III found it necessary to justify that statement. He asked , Zwingli's son-in-law and successor, to provide him with an exposition of the faith. Bullinger sent him this statement, which had been written five years earlier as a personal confession. It was also ratified by the Reformed church in Switzerland. Key Issues: This rather long statement is moderate in tone and emphasizes Christian experience. Like the Scots’ Confession, it gives considerable emphasis to the church.

Date: 1646 Name: The Westminster Confession of Faith and the Longer and Shorter Catechisms Occasion: The writing of this Confession was commissioned by the Long Parliament in England as a means of articulating its Protestant viewpoint against the Catholic King Charles. The assembly, chosen by Parliament, included members of the Houses of Lords, House of Commons, and ministers. Key Issues: The Westminster Assembly chose not to use an historic framework for its doctrinal statement, but rather to set down its confession in abstract terms in order to be more precise. The sovereignty of God and His covenant with man are major themes. Two-thirds of the confession deals with the Christian life, indicating the importance of a life obedient to God's will.

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CONFESSIONS OF THE CHURCH (CONTINUED)

Date: 1934 Name: The Theological Declaration of Barmen Occasion: This statement was made by the German Confessional churches (Lutheran and Reformed) in the face of the rising power of Hitler and his attempts to make the church subservient to the state. The declaration sets six statements from Scripture against six false doctrines current in the Germany of that day. Key Issues: Jesus Christ is Lord.

Date: 1967 Name: The Confession of 1967 Occasion: This confession is a response of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. to the conviction that the church must bear “a present witness to God's grace in Jesus Christ.” It declares that “confessions and declarations are subordinate standards in the church, subject to the authority of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, as Scripture bears witness to Him.” Key Issues: “Our generation stands in peculiar need of reconciliation in Christ. Accordingly, this Confession of 1967 is built upon that theme.”

Date: 1983 Name: The Brief Statement of Faith – Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Occasion: In 1983 the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) was formed by the reunion of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States and the Presbyterian Church in the United States and this statement is intended to be a articulation of our common identity and a resource for worship. Key Issues: “ This confession emphasizes the significance of Jesus’ ministry as guidance for our lives together and is distinctive in affirming the role of both men and women in God’s covenant and affirms gender inclusiveness in all areas of the church, including ordination.”

Date: 1986 (adopted by PC(USA) in 2016) Name: The Occasion: This is a translation of the original Afrikaans text of the confession as it was adopted by the synod of the Dutch Reformed Mission Church in South Africa in 1986 in response to post-Apartheid calls for racial reconciliation.

Key Issues: Continued impact of racism and God’s call to the whole church towards justice, transformation, unity and reconciliation.

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