The Presbyterian Church grew out of the Reformation and considers itself to be a church “reformed and always reforming”.  This means that we honor the traditions of the past while allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us in the present and future. The seeds of the church’s beginnings lie in the theology of John Calvin, emphasizing the sovereignty of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

We are called Presbyterians because we are self-governed by “presbyters” - a Greek word meaning seniors or elders. There are two kinds of elders:  Ruling Elders are members of the congregation who have been elected to serve together on a governing committee called the Session. The Session, in turn, hires Teaching Elders (our pastor) to lead the congregation spiritually.

Presbyterian Churches are organized and governed in a hierarchy in a way that is similar to how cities, counties, and states combine to form a national government.  For the Presbyterian church, we organize ourselves into: churches (at the local level), presbyteries (at the district level), synods (at the regional level), and the PCUSA (at the national level). These broader connections give us the ability to extend our reach nationally and internationally, allowing us to work together on projects too large for a single congregation.

As Presbyterians, we constantly strive to achieve "The Great Ends of the Church".  These goals were crafted in the early 20th century to guide our vision and mission.

The Great Ends of the Church are...
     The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind,
     The shelter, nurture and spiritual fellowship of the children of God,
     The maintenance of divine worship,
     The preservation of the truth,
     The promotion of social righteousness, and
     The exhibition of the kingdom of heaven to the world.