Our Denomination

Our Denomination

We are part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP).

The ARP is a Conservative, Evangelical and Reformed Christian denomination with roots in 18th century Scotland. It was formed here in the United States from the merger of two conservative Scottish Presbyterian denominations in 1782, making it the oldest Presbyterian Church in this country. Along with Denominations like the OPC and RPCNA, the ARP is an active member of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC). The ARP has about 40,000 members here in the USA and over 140,000 members in other countries. Here is our denominational homepage: https://arpchurch.org/

What does “Presbyterian” mean?

“Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word in the Bible for “elder.”  The term “presbyterian” describes a church governed by a session, which is a gathering of elders.  The church elects these men from their midst based on the necessary qualifications found in 2 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.

The main role of the elders is to oversee the spiritual needs of the congregation.  A presbytery consists of all the elders and ministers of a particular geographic area.  Today, the ARP has ten presbyteries in North America which together form the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. We are part of Grace Presbytery.