Who We Are >> Core Beliefs

First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood, Mississippi is a member of the ECO, A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians with the following set of core beliefs:

Reformed Tradition

Presbyterians are rooted in the Reformed tradition, dedicated to serving God, through Jesus Christ, for God’s glory. Led by persons like John Calvin, the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century inspired some great themes which still resonate with us today: “Grace Alone,” “Scripture Alone,” “Faith Alone,” “Christ Alone,” and “To God Alone the Glory.” Presbyterians have a rich heritage, expressed in “The Book of Confessions,” which lays out what churches in the Reformed tradition have believed for centuries. We also seek to be the “the church reformed and always reforming,” according to the word of God and the call of the Spirit. Presbyterians take seriously our call to be open to renewal and reformation.

Scripture

Presbyterians are “people of the Book.” That book is, of course, the Bible. The Bible is for us God’s Word, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit. It is our dependable guide for faith and life. If Presbyterians want to know what we are to believe and how God wants us to live in the world, we go to the Bible. As Presbyterians read and study Scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit, we are convinced and assured of its divine authority and infallible truth.

Worship

Worship is at the heart of who we are as a congregation of God’s people. We follow the “Service for the Lord’s Day,” an order firmly anchored in God’s Word and in the historic Reformed faith. This congregation’s primary worship style is traditional. In worship we gather to sing God’s praises, confess our sin, seek God’s forgiveness in Christ, listen for God’s Word in Scripture, and dedicate ourselves to God’s service in the world. On the Lord’s Day, Presbyterians come to the Lord’s House to worship Him, regularly participating in the two sacraments of the Reformed church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Men and women, young and old, participate in worship leadership.

Education

We are seeking to become better disciples of Christ. Presbyterians have always stressed the idea of “loving God with the mind.” We value an informed and thoughtful approach to the faith. We view Christian education as a lifelong obligation, one that we undertake with enthusiasm. We see the Christian life as a life of growth and sanctification, where God molds us little by little into the people He wants us to be. We study the Bible and other parts of the faith through Sunday School, women’s circles, small groups, the Wednesday night S.A.L.T. program (Serving And Learning Together), confirmation, officer training, Presbyterian Youth Fellowship, etc. We educate and train our members not only for their own spiritual edification, but to better equip them to share and witness to God’s goodness in this world.

Service

Christ calls us to love and serve others, just as He has loved and served us. Presbyterians seek to be a servant church, fulfilling Christ’s commission to go into the world and share the gospel in word and deed, to help the hungry, the stranger, the sick, and the needy in our community and world. We provide financial and volunteer support to a host of worthy missions locally and in several places around the world, including sending mission teams to places like Belize and the Dominican Republic. This is a very generous congregation and a large percentage of the church’s annual budget supports benevolences here in Greenwood and beyond.