What Kind of Church is This?
What is our denomination?
We are grateful to be a part of the Evangelical Covenant Order (ECO): A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. You can learn more about our denomination here: https://eco-pres.org/
What does "Evangelical" mean?
The word "evangelical" comes from the ancient Greek word that we translate as "gospel" or "good news." When we say we are a part of an Evangelical Covenant Order, we mean that we believe the Word of God is true, and that the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus really is good news for every person.
What is a Presbyterian, anyway?
The word "Presbyterian" comes from an ancient Greek word used in the New Testament to describe the leaders of the church, who were called "elders" because they were a group of people who were known in the community to be mature, trustworthy, wise, and faithful people. For example, in Acts 14:23, Paul and Barnabas appoint elders to lead the churches they have planted. 1 Peter 5:1-4 describes the role of elders as people who lead the church by serving with humility as they follow Christ.
When we say we are a Presbyterian church, we are saying in part that we are led by a group of respected, mature Christians who are elected annually by members of the congregation. That means that we are not led by any one person, but we are led by a group of people (called the Session) who work together to seek the Lord's will and to serve the church.
What do we believe?
We affirm the historic Christian creeds as worthy articulations of our faith, as seen in the Apostles' Creed. We ask that all who are baptized and who become members (we call members "Covenant Partners" affirm these creeds, as well.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty,
Maker 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, dead, and buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
What about other issues of theology?
We affirm the articulation of faith found in the ECO Essential Tenets, and we ask that anyone in leadership (Pastors, Elders, Deacons) affirm these tenets as well.
Want to know more?
If you'd like to learn more about our faith, or about our church, you are welcome to meet with our pastor during the week or to join us for worship on Sunday morning at 10:30am. Contact our church office for more information: becky@gracecovenant.us
