Frequently Asked Questions
What is a "Presbyterian church"?
Must I be a member to participate in the church?
What is a “Presbyterian church”?
The term “presbyterian” comes from the Bible in the New Testament. The New Testament was originally written in Greek. The Greek word “presbuteros,” is usually translated elder. Associated with this word is both wisdom and depth of experience. The elders (presbyters) were the leaders of the local church. In our church, rather than a single person making all of the decisions, a body of elders form the Session who lead, oversee, and govern the life of the church. Elections by the congregation confirm “the call of God” for each person who serves for a term of three years.
Our historic roots are in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. Names of leaders associated with the Reformation are Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Knox.
We are a member congregation in the denomination, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We worship and serve God in over 12,000 congregations nationwide, which are led by more than 20,600 pastors and over 120,000 elders. A local congregation, like us, is connected to other area-wide congregations to form a Presbytery. We are a member of the Florida Presbytery whose geographical bounds take in the north Florida panhandle.
We affirm what the church has proclaimed since its beginnings as a foundation of the Christian faith – The Apostles Creed:
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and buried;
He descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy universal church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.”
We believe that the essence of the Christian faith is good news. The Greek word for good news is “evangel” – evangelical. The good news is that Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, lived, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the grave for our salvation. And God offers us the gift of a forever relationship through faith in Christ. When we cross the line of faith the adventure begins!
Must I be a member to participate in the church?
We welcome any who would come and participate in worship and the life of this church as fully as they might choose. In our form of government the people do vote on certain issues. For example, they elect the leadership – elders and deacons. A member has the privilege of vote. So there are benefits to membership, and voting is one.
The Session (group of elders) receives a person into membership. A new member would be asked to affirm and embrace the following:
1. Acknowledge personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
2. Baptism. (not necessary if previously baptized)
3. Commitment to involvement and support of the church
A person may be received into membership three different ways. (1) Letter of Transfer. A person is a member of another church and is simply transferring their membership. (2) Reaffirmation of Faith. A person who was a member of another church desires to make a recommitment of their faith. (3) Profession of Faith.
Also, each quarter we offer a Connection Class which meets on a Sunday afternoon. This is an informal setting for inquiring further about the Christian faith and Covenant’s mission and programs. This class would be a great opportunity for exploring your faith and how you might fit in at Covenant Church. For more information ask Pastor Larry.
