Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a Reformed Church grounded in Biblical scriptures within the body of Christ. Presbyterians are known to exhibit their faith through the proclamation of the word of God, the pursuit of social justice, hospitality, and other acts of generosity. And so do other Protestant denominations. That said, here are some beliefs that set Presbyterians apart from other Protestants.
Governing Body
The Presbyterian Church has a unique governing body that uses a system of elders. The elders or ministers are ordained to be responsible for the smooth running of the local church. Other practicalities of the church surrounding the development, finance, and church ministry are delegated to a group of elected church officials known as deacons.
Majority Rule
Presbyterians are known to be democratic. In light of this, whenever they have a policy or something to consider, the talk, pry, and then they take a vote. They believe that the Holy Spirit lives in each member and works in the community. They are known to take votes more often than any other Protestant group.
Doctrine
Presbyterians follow a confessional type tradition. This implies that the expression of faith in Christ in this church is based on the “expression of faith.” Presbyterian doctrine typically focuses on the sovereignty of God, power o scripture, and the grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Sacrament
Presbyterians have always held the position that there are only two sacraments –Baptism and Holy Communion. When it comes to baptism, they baptize both adults and children by the sprinkling of water and not immersion. Only infants of believing parents or full-members are baptized. The ritual of Communion is based on the belief that the body of Christ is present in wine and bread through the Holy Spirit.
Education
Presbyterians believe in education for all. In light of this, they have always been I the business of opening schools or sponsoring education across Ireland. Whenever Presbyterians arrived at a new location, they had to build a church, a school, and a hospital.
