What do Presbyterians Believe?   

       Five Key Tenets of Reformed Theology 

1.  Presbyterians stand for the majesty, praise, and sovereignty of God, and so . . .

• Worship is at the heart of our tradition because as sinful humans that is all we can do, worship God.
• We emphasize that God has revealed God's Self as the Trinity--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
• We recognize that God is both immanent and transcendent, present with us and far above us.
• We understand that God is the subject, while the creation is the object.

2.  Presbyterians are formed by and reformed by God's word, the Bible, through the leading of the Holy Spirit, and so . . .

• We believe in the authority of Christ in scripture.
• We believe the church is reformed and always being reformed.
• We read the Bible in the spirit of the law, rather than in the letter of the law.

3.  Presbyterians focus on the glory of God and the coming of God’s reign and so. . . .

• We trust in God’s grace, God’s faithfulness and the truth of God’s Holy Word, which all show us that salvation is up to God.
• We believe that the chief end of human beings is to glorify God and enjoy God forever.
• We understand faith to be both a mystery and a gift from God, believing that our response to God’s grace is shown in following Christ as his disciples.
   

4. Presbyterians believe that the Community of Faith, the Church, is the best expression of Christ's body on earth, and so . . .

• We are a connectional people who work together in teams.
• We believe that God's call comes to us both personally and corporately.
• We believe no one person has the corner on truth.

5. Presbyterians engage their minds and wills for God's glory, and so . . .

• We emphasize using our intellect.
• We seek to carry out our work decently and in order.
• We seek to work for God's justice in the world.

 Union Presbyterian Church of Brownwood is a connectional church and is a member of the Palo Duro Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

This 19 minute video provides more information on who we are and what we do as Presbyterians.  The video is produced and distributed by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)  (**To exit the video, click the arrow on the top left of your screen to "go back".  Clicking the "X" on the top right will take you out of the UPC website.)

Presbyterian 101, a resource provided by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),  provides more information on what it means to be a presbyterian.