Clarendon Hill is part of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which has 2.3 million members in the United States. The Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in this country. If Martin Luther was the father of the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin was the father of Presbyterianism through his teachings in 16th-century Geneva, Switzerland. Presbyterianism spread to the rest of Europe, but it took a particularly strong hold in Scotland because of the teachings of John Knox. Scotch immigrants and other Europeans brought Presbyterianism to the United States during the colonial period (at least 14 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians). Presbyterianism is rooted in the Scriptures and the historic creeds and confessions of the Christian Church. Our faith is based on trust in a sovereign God, who is revealed in Jesus Christ and present in our world through the Holy Spirit. Presbyterians believe in the priesthood of all believers. We, empowered by the Spirit, are called to love and trust God and to show God’s love to other people. Presbyterian church government is a representative democracy and functions much like the U.S. Congress. Each local church congregation is governed by the Session. The Session is a board composed of ordained Elders (women and men), who are elected by the members of the congregation to manage the business (both ecclesiastical and worldly) of the church. To learn more about Presbyterianism, click on these links:
http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/today/what-do-presbyterians-believe/