The Presbyterian Church (USA) often shortened as PCUSA is a US-based mainline Protestant Christian denomination. It is widely popular for its progressive stance regarding doctrine. PCUSA was formed in 1983 when UPCUSA and PCUS merged. When one needs to locate a good Presbyterian Church NJ offers one of the best options to choose from. One can attend service in any of the many PC churches located in different locations of the state of New Jersey.
The history of PCUSA is a lengthy one and stretches as far back as the sixteenth century following the Protestant Reformation. The Presbyterian theology was launched by John Calvin. Calvin was a theologian and a lawyer by profession. He was born in 1509 and died in 1564. The solidification of the denomination done by Calvin resulted to the reformed thinking which he had inherited. The headquarters of the new denomination was located in Geneva.
PCUSA has undergone some major mergers that have defined the church that it is today. The first major merger occurred in 1906, following the merger between the PCUSA and Cumberland PC. Cumberland PC had a majority of its congregation originating from the border and Southern States. PCUSA later absorbed the Welsh Calvinist Methodist Church in 1920. The United PC of North America merged with the United PC in the USA (UPCUSA) in 1958.
The history of PCUSA has seen some major mergers, but it has seen some major breakaways too. The year 1936 marked the first breakaway which led to the creation of the Orthodox PC. Disputes about ordained female clergies resulted in the breakaway of PCA to form a separate denomination. Historic and current breakaways are a threat to the very existence of the organization even to this day.
Two separate portions make up the PCUSA constitution, that is, Book of Confessions and Book of Order. The two are named part I and part II in that order. Part I holds the beliefs and guidelines that leaders are instructed by while part II is more of a complementary book to part I. Part II defines and outlines the functions of the church at all levels.
Governing in PCUSA is called Presbyterian polity and it assumes the form of a representative government. Part II of the PCUSA constitution outlines the four levels of administration and government in the polity. The government consists of four key governing bodies, that is, general assembly, synod, presbytery, and session.
The denomination has the top-most governing body the General Assembly. Before the 2004 assembly, it was customary for the general assembly to convene annually. However, that changed with the 2004 assembly and the general assembly presently convenes biennially. Presbyteries retain the responsibility of electing commissioners who comprise the general assembly. The responsibilities of these commissioners are wide and diverse.
Back 1983, when PCUSA was being formed, the number of its members totaled to 3, 131, 228. The steady decline in this figure has led to a lot of worry since that time. Membership statistics is maintained extensively in PCUSA. Thus, any changes in membership is usually noticed within the same year.
The history of PCUSA is a lengthy one and stretches as far back as the sixteenth century following the Protestant Reformation. The Presbyterian theology was launched by John Calvin. Calvin was a theologian and a lawyer by profession. He was born in 1509 and died in 1564. The solidification of the denomination done by Calvin resulted to the reformed thinking which he had inherited. The headquarters of the new denomination was located in Geneva.
PCUSA has undergone some major mergers that have defined the church that it is today. The first major merger occurred in 1906, following the merger between the PCUSA and Cumberland PC. Cumberland PC had a majority of its congregation originating from the border and Southern States. PCUSA later absorbed the Welsh Calvinist Methodist Church in 1920. The United PC of North America merged with the United PC in the USA (UPCUSA) in 1958.
The history of PCUSA has seen some major mergers, but it has seen some major breakaways too. The year 1936 marked the first breakaway which led to the creation of the Orthodox PC. Disputes about ordained female clergies resulted in the breakaway of PCA to form a separate denomination. Historic and current breakaways are a threat to the very existence of the organization even to this day.
Two separate portions make up the PCUSA constitution, that is, Book of Confessions and Book of Order. The two are named part I and part II in that order. Part I holds the beliefs and guidelines that leaders are instructed by while part II is more of a complementary book to part I. Part II defines and outlines the functions of the church at all levels.
Governing in PCUSA is called Presbyterian polity and it assumes the form of a representative government. Part II of the PCUSA constitution outlines the four levels of administration and government in the polity. The government consists of four key governing bodies, that is, general assembly, synod, presbytery, and session.
The denomination has the top-most governing body the General Assembly. Before the 2004 assembly, it was customary for the general assembly to convene annually. However, that changed with the 2004 assembly and the general assembly presently convenes biennially. Presbyteries retain the responsibility of electing commissioners who comprise the general assembly. The responsibilities of these commissioners are wide and diverse.
Back 1983, when PCUSA was being formed, the number of its members totaled to 3, 131, 228. The steady decline in this figure has led to a lot of worry since that time. Membership statistics is maintained extensively in PCUSA. Thus, any changes in membership is usually noticed within the same year.
About the Author:
If you are looking for the details about a Presbyterian church NJ locals can pay a visit to our web pages online here today. More details are available at http://cpcmountainside.com now.
No comments:
Post a Comment