Are Catholics Accepted Into The Presbyterian Church

[Franny50]

I am an estranged catholic and was wondering if catholics can join the presbyterian church and what the procedure would be?

 

[hedrick]

Of course Catholics can join, assuming that they accept Christ as Lord and Savior. There are three ways of joining:

* letter of transfer, for churches that we are in correspondence with.
* reaffirmation of faith, if you are a baptized Christian from another church (or have been away from the church long enough that you're not an active member of any church)
* baptism and profession of faith, if you weren't a baptized Christian at all

For more specifics, I can only speak for the PCUSA, which is the largest (and most liberal) of the Presbyterian churches in the US. We accept Catholic baptism (and they accept ours). I don't think they will issue a letter of transfer to a non-Catholic church, so you would join by reaffirmation of faith.

Most congregations ask you to attend a new members class, typically an hour or so after church for a few weeks, to make sure you have some orientation to what it means to be a Presbyterian, meet the pastors and some of the church leaders, and understand the kinds of activities available and opportunities for service. The Session (which is the ruling body of a local church) will meet with you, often at the last new member's class meeting, and ask you to talk about why you want to be a member. How far they go beyond that depends upon the congregation. Normally you'll spend a few minutes talking about your faith and that's it. Historically Presbyterian churches would try to make sure that you accept Presbyterian theology. The more conservative churches still do this, but the PCUSA will normally accept anyone who professes Christ as Lord and Savior. But we'll give you some orientation to Presbyterian theology, and it would be odd for someone who has big problems with it to join a Presbyterian church. Officers however are asked to be guided by more specifically Presbyterian standards.

You will be asked a few questions, roughly specified in the Constitution, although the wording varies. As i recall, it's whether you accept Christ as Lord and Savior, renounce evil, and will be a faithful church member (by which we mean taking membership seriously -- we're not asking you to swear fealty to the PCUSA).

The Session actually receives you at that point. However in a following Sunday there is a public reception in a worship service. You're asked the same questions, and introduced to the congregation.

If you have children, any baptized children under the age of confirmation (around 14, though it varies by church) are received with you. Confirmed teens are treated as adults (including being eligible to be deacons or elders), and should attend new members class and respond to the questions themselves. The exact dividing line between who are received as adults and as children is up to the pastor and Session. (Generally if a kid has been through something like confirmation class, we'd accept them as an adult, but if they were young enough that this didn't make sense somebody would have to make a decision.) Unbaptized children should be baptized, although many congregations don't absolutely insist. (We have a few members with Baptist leanings, whose kids aren't baptized until they are confirmed. We prefer not to do this, but normally don't make an issue of it.)

More conservative Presbyterian churches, such as the Presbyterian Church in America, expect all members to accept the Westminster Confession, so both new members preparation and the examination by the Session should be more theologically rigorous.

 

[Franny50]

Thank You Hedrick for all of the information.I am in the process of visiting different denominations and hope to decide by the summer.

 

[RisingSpirit]

More conservative Presbyterian churches, such as the Presbyterian Church in America, expect all members to accept the Westminster Confession, so both new members preparation and the examination by the Session should be more theologically rigorous.

And that means make our wives lesser than men and not give them equal opportunity to express themselves to be good as men to lead others in church.

 

[AMR]

And that means make our wives lesser than men and not give them equal opportunity to express themselves to be good as men to lead others in church.

You are incorrect on several aspects here as relates to Presbyterianism. If you have a question about our beliefs, feel free to ask, but do not make these sort of sweeping generalities or denunciations.

This forum has specific rules that you can review here:

http://www.christianforums.com/t7423440/

Especially this:

All posts within this faith community must adhere to the site wide rules found here (Community Rules). In addition, if you are not a member of this faith group, you may not debate issues or teach against it's theology. You may post in fellowship. Active promotion of views contrary to the established teachings of this group will be considered off topic.

 

[RisingSpirit]

Thank you for the corrections, Mr. Religion.

 

[Monseigneur_Gentilhomme]

Of course Catholics can join, assuming that they accept Christ as Lord and Savior. There are three ways of joining:

* letter of transfer, for churches that we are in correspondence with.
* reaffirmation of faith, if you are a baptized Christian from another church (or have been away from the church long enough that you're not an active member of any church)
* baptism and profession of faith, if you weren't a baptized Christian at all

For more specifics, I can only speak for the PCUSA, which is the largest (and most liberal) of the Presbyterian churches in the US. We accept Catholic baptism (and they accept ours). I don't think they will issue a letter of transfer to a non-Catholic church, so you would join by reaffirmation of faith.

Most congregations ask you to attend a new members class, typically an hour or so after church for a few weeks, to make sure you have some orientation to what it means to be a Presbyterian, meet the pastors and some of the church leaders, and understand the kinds of activities available and opportunities for service. The Session (which is the ruling body of a local church) will meet with you, often at the last new member's class meeting, and ask you to talk about why you want to be a member. How far they go beyond that depends upon the congregation. Normally you'll spend a few minutes talking about your faith and that's it. Historically Presbyterian churches would try to make sure that you accept Presbyterian theology. The more conservative churches still do this, but the PCUSA will normally accept anyone who professes Christ as Lord and Savior. But we'll give you some orientation to Presbyterian theology, and it would be odd for someone who has big problems with it to join a Presbyterian church. Officers however are asked to be guided by more specifically Presbyterian standards.

You will be asked a few questions, roughly specified in the Constitution, although the wording varies. As i recall, it's whether you accept Christ as Lord and Savior, renounce evil, and will be a faithful church member (by which we mean taking membership seriously -- we're not asking you to swear fealty to the PCUSA).

The Session actually receives you at that point. However in a following Sunday there is a public reception in a worship service. You're asked the same questions, and introduced to the congregation.

If you have children, any baptized children under the age of confirmation (around 14, though it varies by church) are received with you. Confirmed teens are treated as adults (including being eligible to be deacons or elders), and should attend new members class and respond to the questions themselves. The exact dividing line between who are received as adults and as children is up to the pastor and Session. (Generally if a kid has been through something like confirmation class, we'd accept them as an adult, but if they were young enough that this didn't make sense somebody would have to make a decision.) Unbaptized children should be baptized, although many congregations don't absolutely insist. (We have a few members with Baptist leanings, whose kids aren't baptized until they are confirmed. We prefer not to do this, but normally don't make an issue of it.)

More conservative Presbyterian churches, such as the Presbyterian Church in America, expect all members to accept the Westminster Confession, so both new members preparation and the examination by the Session should be more theologically rigorous.

That is not true actually. To be an elder, deacon, or minister you must affirm the Westminster Standards in the OPC, PCA, ERQ, and ARP. However to join you just have to be baptized and profess Christ and be willing to submit to the elders.

I think that is a nice compromise position between the radical which demands complete confessional subscription (and usually that means interpretation) and the PCUSA.

 

[RisingSpirit]

That is not true actually. To be an elder, deacon, or minister you must affirm the Westminster Standards in the OPC, PCA, ERQ, and ARP. However to join you just have to be baptized and profess Christ and be willing to submit to the elders.

I think that is a nice compromise position between the radical which demands complete confessional subscription (and usually that means interpretation) and the PCUSA.

So you're saying that in the PCUSA, the members do not have to submit to the elders and in the PCA, the members have to submit to the elders?

What exactly does submitting to the elders mean?

If PCUSA doesn't require members to affirm to the Westminster Standards, what do they require members to affirm to?

 

[Monseigneur_Gentilhomme]

Never said that. Only said that the membership requirements concerning the conservative NAPARC denominations you mentioned were not correct. generally they hold to a two fold requirement: one for members and one for officers. I think that's fair given teachers are held to a higher standard. While the pcusa will permit pretty much any view within officers (though I imagine there are some extreme posistions that would be brought under discipline in theory).

Submitting to elders basically means the elders have the final authority in the church and you will not create division if you disagree with something.

 

[Franny50]

Thank You for the information

 

[hedrick]

My apologies. Somehow I had the impression from PCA members that they expected all members to accept the Westminster standards. Their book of order does indeed seem to make the same distinction as the PCUSA. Members must accept Christ. Church officers must accept the confessional statements.

Submitting to elders means that you respect their leadership and their decisions about direction of the Church. Certainly in the PCUSA, and it looks like in the PCA as well, that doesn't mean that the elders specify everything that the members believe.

It would be odd for someone to join a Presbyterian Church and not accept Presbyterian principles. We certainly review them with prospective members in new members' classes. I suspect part of the distinction is that elders are assumed to have spent more time learning theology than a new member. A new member might simply not be in a position to subscribe to the confession(s) yet. As long as they accept Christ, we would encourage them to join and learn more. However I would not encourage someone who was opposed to the Reformed faith to join a Presbyterian church, whether PCUSA or PCA.

As for members, the PCUSA Book of Order says "One becomes an active member of the church through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and acceptance of his Lordship in all of life." We don't give the exact words of the membership vows, but they are roughly the following:
a. professing their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,
b. renouncing evil and affirming their reliance on God’s
grace,
c. declaring their intention to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church.

The PCA Book of Order says "Communing members are those who have made a profession of faith in Christ, have been baptized, and have been admitted by the Session to the Lord's Table." So the requirement is basically the same: profession of faith in Christ. The PCA Worshipbook gives the following questions:
1. Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope save in His sovereign mercy?
2. Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?
3. Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?
4. Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?
5. Do you submit yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

 

[kenrapoza]

In the PCA we typically give new members instruction in our doctrine through some type of new members class. However, we make it clear (or at least try to anyway) that while they are not required to subscribe to a fully-orbed Reformed theology and learn the Westminster Standards inside out, that they will be under teaching that is from a Reformed standpoint consistent with the Westminster Standards and that they are to observe the peace and purity of the church by not actively opposing the church's doctrinal standards.

So yeah, as said above, officers are required to uphold the Standards where members are only required to make a credible profession of faith and take the membership vows that basically state that they believe the gospel.

 

[RisingSpirit]

How do members "accept Christ" in the Calvinistic way. The above requirements sounds like the members must decide instead of just wanting to learn more about Christ. Seems Presbyterian churches would be a place to learn more about Christ rather than believing the way Arminians do.

 

[kenrapoza]

You're right that we don't have the free moral ability to "accept Christ". What is meant is that the candidate gives a credible profession of faith, that they understand and believe the gospel and their condition apart from Christ.

 

[Monseigneur_Gentilhomme]

How do members "accept Christ" in the Calvinistic way. The above requirements sounds like the members must decide instead of just wanting to learn more about Christ. Seems Presbyterian churches would be a place to learn more about Christ rather than believing the way Arminians do.

There is none that seeks after God, no not even one. A person is either an enemy of God (default from birth) or a regenerate child of God. Ultimately there is nothing between the two. That is why even covenant children have to be examined before professing their faith to show evidence of regeneration. That is the historic practice of Reformed and Presbyterian churches.