The Defined Positions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

What is the position of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on biblical authority, ordination and abortion? Because some of PC(USA)’s central convictions have been misunderstood in recent years, the office of Theology and Worship has prepared a document which states the church's convictions on some recently-debated issues. Excerpts from that document are provided below. Download the complete document.

“The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ Her Lord”

Has the PC(USA) abandoned a faithful confession of Jesus as Lord?
No. In the Confession of 1967 the Presbyterian Church proclaims that “Jesus Christ is God with man.  He is the eternal Son of the Father, who became man and lived among us to fulfill the work of reconciliation … . The risen Christ is the savior for all men.”  However, in 2000-2002 the consistent faith of the church faced a challenge: What does it mean to acknowledge that “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord …” in our day?  The 214th General Assembly (2002) overwhelmingly affirmed the full theological statement, Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the heart of that statement is the proclamation that, “Jesus Christ is the only Savior and Lord, and all people everywhere are called to place their faith, hope, and love in him.” 
 
Has the PC(USA) exhibited a loss of biblical authority?
No. The Book of Confessions is remarkably consistent in the way it speaks of the authority of Scripture. Recent confessions are no less clear than Reformation confessions:  “The one sufficient revelation of God is Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate, to whom the Holy Spirit bears unique and authoritative witness through the Holy Scriptures, which are received and obeyed as the word of God written. The Scriptures are not a witness among others, but the witness without parallel” [Confession of 1967]. The reuniting General Assembly declared in 1983 that, “Scripture has its source in none other than God. Reformed confessions stress that the source of biblical authority is God alone ...”
 
Has the PC(USA) adopted modernist, unscriptural definitions of the nature of the Trinity?
No. There has been concern across the PC(USA) that 217th General Assembly (2006) substituted human ingenuity for scriptural revelation in expressing the doctrine of the Trinity.  In fact, "The Trinity: God’s Love Overflowing," states that “we know the great love of the God who is three-in-one and one-in-three truly, tangibly, and decisively only through God’s own self-gift in the person and work of Jesus Christ and in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.” Further it affirms that “the church declares in its doctrine of the Trinity that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are, together with God the Father, fully and eternally God,” and that, “The language of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, rooted in Scripture and creed, remains an indispensable anchor for our efforts to speak faithfully of God.”
 
What does the PC(USA) believe about the ordination of women?
The PC(USA) has strongly affirmed the ordination of women to ministry of the Word and Sacrament for over fifty years. Twenty years ago the PC(USA) raised the ordination of women to confessional status:  “The same Spirit … calls women and men to all ministries of the Church.” [A Brief Statement of Faith]  
 
Has the PC(USA) effectively abandoned ordination standards?
No. Each governing body is required to determine if a candidate for ordination has departed from a standard of faith or practice, and if that departure violates an “essential” of the faith.  Such determinations may not contravene the constitution, however, and continue to be subject to review and correction by higher governing bodies. Despite reports to the contrary, the constitutional standard in the Book of Order (G-6.0106b) requiring “fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman” or “chastity in singleness” remains in place.
 
What is the PC(USA)’s position on abortion?
The PC(USA) has addressed issues of abortion repeatedly. The 204th General Assembly (1992) stated that, “The strong Christian presumption is that since all life is precious to God, we are to preserve and protect it. Abortion ought to be an option of last resort. The large number of abortions in this society is a grave concern to the church.” [“Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly”]  The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has repeatedly affirmed the sanctity of life, adoption as a viable alternative to abortion, and the provision of pastoral care and support for women facing difficult decisions surrounding problematic pregnancies. The church has also affirmed that no law should impose criminal penalties on a woman who chooses or a physician who performs a medically safe abortion.