What We Believe

At First Presbyterian Church we worship the Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again to pay completely for our sin and unite us eternally with God. We believe that the Bible is the infallible Word of God. We believe that all our faith, ministry and our growth as a follower of Jesus happens by the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe we have all sinned, fallen short of the glory of God and stand in desperate need of His irresistible grace.

We stand broadly in the Reformed and Evangelical tradition.

The word “Presbyterian” comes from the New Testament word “presbuteros” which means “elder.” Elders have always been called by God to lead His people in humility and community to live that glorify and honor Him. In the New Testament book Titus, we are instructed, “Appoint elders in every town as I directed you.”

This says so much about who we are First Pres and who we believe God calls us to be. God wants to see each of grow into the fullness of who He has made us to be and that growth happens through relationships and community. God has a plan for every one of us that is revealed not only through prayer and the Bible but also through other people.

First Presbyterian Church of Edmond is a partner congregation in the Presbyterian movement, the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians or ECO for short. The name represents a three-fold commitment to: make disciples of Jesus Christ (Evangelical), connect leaders through accountable biblical relationships founded in God’s grace (Covenant) and commit to a shared way of life together (Order).
The acronym ECO also speaks to the denomination’s commitment to strengthen the “ecosystems” of local churches, providing the resources needed to grow, thrive and reproduce. Just as earthly ecosystems draw richness from the right kind of diversity, ECO is committed to unleashing the ministry gifts of women, men, young leaders, and every ethnicity. ECO’s name also draws from the Greek term oikos, meaning “household,” used in the Bible to reference the network of relationships that nurture an individual.

We believe Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives and making disciples of Jesus at the core of our ministry.

We believe the Bible is the unique and authoritative Word of God, which teaches all that is necessary for faith and life. The prominence of God’s Word over our lives shapes our priorities, and the unrivaled authority of the Bible directs our actions to be in concert with Christ’s very best for our lives.

We believe in theological education, constant learning, and the life of the mind, and celebrate this as one of the treasures of our Reformed heritage.

We believe guidance is a corporate spiritual experience. We want to connect leaders to one another in healthy relationships of accountability, synergy, and care.

We believe in unleashing the ministry gifts of women, men, and every ethnic group.

We believe in living out the whole of the Great Commission – including evangelism, spiritual formation, compassion, and redemptive justice – in our communities and around the world.

We believe in calling people to the core of what it means to be followers of Jesus – what “mere Christianity” is and does – and not fixate on the boundaries.

We believe identifying and developing gospel-centered leaders is critical for the church, and a great leadership culture is risk-taking, innovative, and organic.

We believe congregations should vigorously reproduce new missional communities to expand the Kingdom of God.