Who are we as Presbyterians?
Hope is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Protestant denomination of about two million members and 11,000 congregations in the United States.
Presbyterian church government is based on the general principle that decisions – from the local congregation to the national church - are made jointly by ministers and elected elders (lay people). Presbyterians believe that faith should result in action. Presbyterians have founded hundreds of schools, colleges, and hospitals in this country and around the world, and continue to engage with issues confronting our nation and world.
Many in Hope's community value it as a place in which to continually develop, wrestle with, and grow into a mature faith. We don’t all believe exactly the same thing, and we expect to ask questions and engage discussion. Your questions will be welcome here!
Most of us share the basic beliefs described in the Constitution adopted by Presbyterian churches nationally:
In common with all Christians, Presbyterians believe in God, the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of everything and everyone. We believe that God came into the world in the person of Jesus, called the Christ, who was a real human and also the real manifestation of God. We believe that God is still active and present in the world through the Holy Spirit.
With all Protestants, we believe that the Bible, divinely inspired though distinctly written by humans over a period of nearly a thousand years, is one of the principal ways that we still come to know God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we expect to be able still to hear God’s intention and desire for our lives and our world, through these ancient words. All members – not just the clergy –can use this resource to understand God’s purpose for us. We Protestants also believe that humans inevitably fall short of the wholeness God desires for our lives. We cannot earn God’s favor or overcome our fallen natures by our own merits. But by sheer graciousness, God accepts and forgives us, and shows us in Jesus what perfect humanity looks like.
As Protestants in the Reformed tradition, we believe that the church exists in the world and that we as Christians have a responsibility and opportunity to work alongside God in making the world more peaceful and more just. We believe that we are stewards of all the good gifts God gives us both personally and corporately, and should use them responsibly. We believe the church should reflect God’s Covenant with God’s people, drawing together people who may otherwise have little in common. *taken from Old First Presbyterian Church San Francisco's description.
Presbyterian church government is based on the general principle that decisions – from the local congregation to the national church - are made jointly by ministers and elected elders (lay people). Presbyterians believe that faith should result in action. Presbyterians have founded hundreds of schools, colleges, and hospitals in this country and around the world, and continue to engage with issues confronting our nation and world.
Many in Hope's community value it as a place in which to continually develop, wrestle with, and grow into a mature faith. We don’t all believe exactly the same thing, and we expect to ask questions and engage discussion. Your questions will be welcome here!
Most of us share the basic beliefs described in the Constitution adopted by Presbyterian churches nationally:
In common with all Christians, Presbyterians believe in God, the Creator, Sustainer, and Judge of everything and everyone. We believe that God came into the world in the person of Jesus, called the Christ, who was a real human and also the real manifestation of God. We believe that God is still active and present in the world through the Holy Spirit.
With all Protestants, we believe that the Bible, divinely inspired though distinctly written by humans over a period of nearly a thousand years, is one of the principal ways that we still come to know God. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we expect to be able still to hear God’s intention and desire for our lives and our world, through these ancient words. All members – not just the clergy –can use this resource to understand God’s purpose for us. We Protestants also believe that humans inevitably fall short of the wholeness God desires for our lives. We cannot earn God’s favor or overcome our fallen natures by our own merits. But by sheer graciousness, God accepts and forgives us, and shows us in Jesus what perfect humanity looks like.
As Protestants in the Reformed tradition, we believe that the church exists in the world and that we as Christians have a responsibility and opportunity to work alongside God in making the world more peaceful and more just. We believe that we are stewards of all the good gifts God gives us both personally and corporately, and should use them responsibly. We believe the church should reflect God’s Covenant with God’s people, drawing together people who may otherwise have little in common. *taken from Old First Presbyterian Church San Francisco's description.