Presbyterian & Reformed Theology

“Presbuteros, the Greek word meaning elder, is used seventy-two 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.

In America, the first presbytery was organized in 1706, the first synod in 1717; the first General Assembly was held in 1789. 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 elders-laymen and laywomen-in its government. The church has a membership of 2,405,311 in all fifty states and Puerto Rico. Presently there are 11,064 congregations, 21,194 ordained ministers, 894 candidates for ministry, and 101,324 elders.”

excerpt taken from “Who Are We Presbyterians?” http://www.pcusa.org/101/101-whoare.htm

“The Reformed family is one of the groups within the Christian church. We have a family history. We belong with those Christians whose early ancestors came from the continent of Europe in the sixteenth century. The most important and well known of these ancestors was the theologian John Calvin (1509-1564), who lived in Geneva and became one of the most significant thinkers in western Europe….His understandings of Scripture and his theological writings were key in forming a tradition that emerged through his followers after his death. This tradition, with leaders such as Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575), Theodore Beza (1519-1605), and John Knox (1514-1572), became known as the Reformed tradition, primarily because it emphasized the reform of the church according to the Word of God.”

excerpt taken from “Introducing the Reformed Faith”, by Donald K. McKim (Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), p. 1.