The Presbyterian Church is governed by two types of elders:

Teaching Elders who are ordained ministers.

Ruling Elders elected from the ranks of the Church.

In each congregation these elders, with the minister at their head as moderator, form the “session” with authority in all spiritual matters of the local church. 

There are two additional boards in each congregation:

Deacons – Have responsibility for ministries of visitation and fellowship.

Trustees – Have the responsibility for the legal matters of the corporation. In our case, the Session also serves as the Board of Trustees. 

In 1643 the Parliament of England appointed 151 laymen, clergymen and church scholars to draw up a system of Reformation doctrine and government. They labored for six years, holding 1,263 sessions, and produced among other important theological works the Westminster Confession of Faith, which is recognized as the basic creed of English-speaking Presbyterians.

Presbyterians accept other creeds as well, as contained in our Book of Confessions. These include two of the earliest creeds adopted by the early church - The Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed.

John Calvin, who broke with the Church of Rome at age 24, did more than any other man to set forth the principles upon which modern Presbyterianism is built. Known as the “Father” of Presbyterianism, Calvin developed the Reformed Theological Doctrines and the church government that has guided Presbyterianism throughout the ages.  

Another prominent figure in the early years of the denomination was John Knox. Originally a Catholic Priest in Scotland, he was exiled from Scotland and went to Switzerland to study under John Calvin. Upon his return to Scotland, Knox became the most powerful single force in establishing Presbyterianism in Scotland, where it is still the most dominant church.

Through a representative form of government similar to that of the United States of America.  

There are four: a) the session b) the presbytery c) the synod d) the general assembly

All of these bodies are made up of teaching elders (ordained pastors) and ruling elders (lay members of the church currently serving on the session.)

In the PC(USA), there are about 2 million. There are about 2 million more in other Presbyterian denominations in US. Presbyterians in other countries number over 20 million.  

Much – John Witherspoon the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence was Presbyterian and thirteen of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians.

Presbyterians believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God and “the only infallible (incapable of error in proclaiming doctrine of faith and morals) rule of faith and practice” and that they are the source of those truths by which all people live. They believe in the “inspiration” of the Scriptures: that God spoke to and through people whose minds and hearts He had touched, and that the Word of God is revealed through their worship on Scripture. 

Yes.

Only two: Holy Communion (The Lord’s Supper) and Baptism. Along with most Protestants, Presbyterians believe that Jesus instituted only two sacraments.

No, Presbyterians believe that Christ is spiritually present in the Lord’s Supper.

Presbyterians believe that Salvation is by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism is an outward sign of the inward grace of God at work in our life, and is therefore very important. But salvation is not dependent upon baptism.

Yes.

Yes. The Trinity is frequently invoked in worship, at every baptism, and in the benediction at the close of each service. When God is spoken of as three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Presbyterians do not think of Him as three individuals. They think that one God reveals Himself in three manifestations.  

Yes. A majority of Presbyterians undoubtedly believe that the entrance of Jesus into our world was by a miraculous birth as related in the scriptures in the books of Matthew and Luke.  

Not in the same sense that Roman Catholic or High Church Episcopalians. Believing in “the priesthood of all believers,” Presbyterians make their confession directly to God – without a human intermediary.

Yes.

The basic symbols in the seal are the cross, Scripture, the dove, and flames. The dominant structural and theological element in the design is the cross — the universal and most ecumenical symbol of the Christian church. The cross represents the incarnate love of God in Jesus Christ and his passion and resurrection. Because of its association with Presbyterian history, the Celtic cross was chosen as a model for this contemporary rendering of the ancient symbol.

The two center lines of the cross became the representation of an open book. This integration of the horizontal dimensions of the cross with the book motif highlights the emphasis which the Reformed tradition has placed on the role of Scripture as a means of knowing God's word.

The slightly-flared shape of the Celtic cross also makes possible the transforming of the uppermost section into the shape of a descending dove. As a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the dove is intimately tied to the representation of the Bible, affirming the role of the Spirit in both inspiring and interpreting Scripture in the life of the church. 

Beneath the image of the book is the suggestion of a lectern or pulpit, which captures the important role of preaching in the history of Presbyterian worship.

Integrated into the lower part of the design are flames which form an implied triangle, a traditional symbol of the Trinity. The flames themselves convey a double meaning: a symbol of revelation in the Old Testament when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and a suggestion of the beginning of the Christian church when Christ manifested himself to his apostles at Pentecost and charged them to be messengers of the good news of God's love.