What is the Orthodox Presbyterian Church?

The OPC is a protestant, Bible-believing denomination that is committed to God, grounded in Scripture, and Protestant in nature. Read more about the OPC here.

Why is it called “orthodox”?

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is called “orthodox” not because it is Eastern Orthodox but to affirm its commitment as a church to sound doctrine (orthodoxy, rather than heterodoxy). The OPC holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Shorter and Longer Catechisms. These documents describe what Bible-believing Presbyterians have believed and taught for hundreds of years. 

What does Presbyterian mean?

Presbyterian is a word that means “elder-rule”. We do not believe in the pope, archbishops, bishops, or priests, and we do not have a hierarchy. We reject the idea that a pastor or a group of elders should have all the power. We believe that the Bible teaches a basic principle of church government, Presbyterianism, which can be seen in Acts 15. Here, the elders, ministers, and apostles met together and made group decisions that were binding on the local churches.

In Bible-believing Presbyterian churches today, the elders and ministers in a region meet regularly to address issues in the church. If elders and/or a pastor have been unfair, you can, as a Presbyterian, appeal to the Presbytery and voice your complaint. If a Presbytery acts unfairly, you can appeal to the general assembly, a yearly national meeting of elders and ministers.