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 Beliefs |
"Open hearted and open minded is not just a slogan, but a fact at Trinity. The first Sunday we were greeted by a number of people."
Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: we adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members. Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystallized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.
Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin remain at the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are the sovereignty of God, the authority of the scripture, justification by grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers. What we mean is that God is the supreme authority throughout the universe. Our knowledge of God and God's purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of Jesus Christ. Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is God's generous gift to us and not the result of our own good works. It is everyone's job - ministers and lay people alike - to share this Good News with the whole world. That is also why the Presbyterian Church is governed at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and women alike.
On social issues, the Presbyterian Church affirms its conviction that neither the Church as the body of Christ, nor Christians as individuals, can be neutral or indifferent toward evil in the world. We believe that it is the church's responsibility to speak on social and moral issues for the encouragement and instruction of the Church and its members, seeking earnestly both to know the mind of Christ and to speak always in humility and love. We also remind the churches that their duty is not only to encourage and train their members in daily obedience to God's will, but corporately to reveal God's grace in places of suffering and need, to resist the forces that tyrannize, and to support the forces that restore the dignity of all people as the children of God, for only so is the gospel most fully proclaimed.
Even though we share these common beliefs, Presbyterians understand that God alone is lord of the conscience, and it is up to each individual to understand what these principles mean in his or her life.
At Trinity Presbyterian Church we are an "open-minded" church. We take the Bible seriously without necessarily taking it literally. We believe it asks us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Accordingly, we welcome and affirm people of all genders, races, sexual orientations, every marital status and every political viewpoint. As such, we are also a church with "open doors."
We are an "open-hearted" church, seeking to serve the community beyond our doors. We extend our mission to our region, state, nation, and world. In cooperation with the churches of Winston-Salem we participate in the feeding of the hungry, the giving of shelter to the homeless, and the lifting up of the downtrodden.
We are dedicated to proclaiming the good news of the gospel to one another and to the world.
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