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What does it mean to be Evangelical?
To be “Evangelical” means to believe
in the importance of sharing the good news that through Jesus Christ the kingdom of God has been inaugurated, freeing people
from the guilt and power of sin through personal faith and repentance.
What does it mean to be Reformed?
To be “Reformed” means several things.
Historically, it means that we trace our roots to the Reformation, when John Calvin and others led the movement to reform
the Church according to Scripture. Theologically, it means belief in the absolute sovereignty of God and that the highest
good is God’s glory. This historical and theological heritage is often expressed in the five“solas”
of the Reformation. Sola is a latin word for "only" or "alone".
The five sola's are:
God’s
grace alone as the only way to be reconciled to God. Faith alone as the only means
of receiving God’s grace. Christ alone as the ground of God’s saving grace Scripture alone as the only infallible authority for belief. God’s
glory alone as the ultimate purpose for the lives of men and women.
What does it mean to be Presbyterian?
Presbyterian describes the way the church
is governed. To be Presbyterian is to be governed according to the pattern of elders seen in the Old and New Testaments.
We are ruled neither by bishops in a hierarchical model nor by members in a congregational model. Biblically qualified elders
are recognized through congregational election and, along with ministers, rule the church corporately. It also means being
connected in mutual accountability and responsibility. Just as individual Christians are connected to one another as members
of the body of Christ, so also individual congregations are connected under Christ as the great Head of the Church.
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