APC Beliefs

  • Members of The American Presbyterian Church subscribe to the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed in their entirety and affirm the Reformed essentials as expressed in the Westminster Standards.

    Concerning the Westminster Confession of Faith, we subscribe to this system of doctrine as explained in this Modern English Version of the Confession produced by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

    The following are our APC Essential Beliefs:

  • 1.     We believe in One God, Maker of heaven and earth, manifested in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    2.     We believe that God loves and embraces people from every tongue, every tribe, and every nation.

    3.     We believe that Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, was crucified, died, was buried, raised on the third day, and lives eternally as Savior on behalf of all who come to Him.

    4.     We believe the fullness of the Godhead dwells within Jesus Christ. He is fully God and fully human. Jesus Christ has been given all authority in the heavens and in the earth. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is God over all gods. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. The name of Jesus Christ is the only name by which a person can be saved.

    5.     We believe in the Person of the Holy Spirit who empowers and fills all believers in Jesus Christ. and that the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-7) are available to all believers for the building up of the Church and to encourage those who do not believe in the truth and the reality of God.

    6.     We believe the Scriptures to be the holy and inspired Word of God, our infallible guide to faith and life (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

    7.     We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26-27).

    8.     We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen 2:18-25).
    The ordained ministers of the American Presbyterian Church shall only solemnize marriages between one man and one woman.

    9.     We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).

    10.  We believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, beliefs, or economic status (Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:31). We believe that sharing the Gospel and making disciples of Jesus Christ is our preeminent calling (Matthew 28:18-20), with other – even worthwhile – human endeavors subordinate to its eternal purpose. 

  • 1) Authentic Relationships and Accountability  
    Our commitment to genuine relationships and accountability requires us to gather as a group in person at least once a year. Each member is expected to be proactive in maintaining their relationship with the rest of the members.  Each member must respond to the Stated Clerk's email invitation to renew their membership and complete the annual survey by November 15th of each year. Annual dues are payable in full by January 5th. We are committed to holding ourselves accountable. If the Stated Clerk receives any allegations that a member has not been faithful to their commitment to Gospel essentials or has failed to maintain personal integrity an investigation will be conducted. In such a case, the Stated Clerk will appoint a commission of three members to investigate the allegations and, if necessary, determine the best course of action to address the issue. If appropriate, a special meeting of the full assembly will be called at the discretion of the Stated Clerk.

     

    2) Organizational Simplicity
    The American Presbyterian Church's main purpose is to develop, train, motivate, and uphold church leaders, whether in local congregations or in more missional environments. Our organization does not seek to establish new churches or initiate missional efforts; instead, we are an ordination network that prepares and supports leaders who undertake these activities. As a result, our organization includes the appointed positions of Moderator, Stated Clerk, Treasurer, Website & Social Media Administrator, Ad-hoc Committees, and a Board of Directors (per 501c3 requirements).

    3) Shared Commitment to Evangelical Essentials
    The Westminster Confession of Faith has been and continues to be the historic theological standard for the American Presbyterian Church. To maintain membership in the APC, ordained ministers must annually affirm our brief Statement of Essentials. In this way, we embody the ancient wisdom, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity” - Rupertus Meldenius

Mission, Vision, and Values