A Brief Statement of Faith
A Brief Statement of Faith
Presbyterian Church (USA)
All Photographs by David P. Young
This page is a work in progress. First created: 01/24/25; Last updated: 01/27/25
Text
In life and in death we belong to God.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,
whom alone we worship and serve.
We trust in Jesus Christ,
Fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
preaching good news to the poor
and release to the captives,
teaching by word and deed
and blessing the children,
healing the sick
and binding up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts,
forgiving sinners,
and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
Jesus was crucified,
suffering the depths of human pain
and giving his life for the sins of the world.
God raised Jesus from the dead,
vindicating his sinless life,
breaking the power of sin and evil,
delivering us from death to life eternal.
We trust in God,
whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world good
and makes everyone equally in God’s image
male and female, of every race and people,
to live as one community.
But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
Ignoring God’s commandments,
we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,
accept lies as truth,
exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
We deserve God’s condemnation.
Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love,
the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people
to bless all families of the earth.
Hearing their cry,
God delivered the children of Israel
from the house of bondage.
Loving us still,
God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.
Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,
like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,
God is faithful still.
We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the Church.
The same Spirit
who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.
In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth,
praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
With believers in every time and place,
we rejoice that nothing in life or in death
can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.*
*Instead of saying this line, congregations may wish to sing a version of the Gloria
A Brief Statement of Faith
Adopted in 1991 or 1993 or when?
A Brief Statement of Faith contains eighty lines and 552 words and is meant to be used in worship and teaching. The family reunion on June 9, 1983 —of the two largest Presbyterian Churches in the United States —called for a new shared belief system. The two groups namely the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUS, northern church) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS , southern church) had broken apart over the Civil War. Now, they were no longer divided, but united. The two denominations had their own confessional documents but now, a group was appointed to write a new confession of faith and four years later they produced A Brief Statement of Faith. It is included in the Book of Confessions Part 1 of The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) (2016, pages [307] - 313). URL: https://www.pcusa.org/sites/default/files/boc2016.pdf. It is also included in three different languages (English, Spanish and Korean) in the Book of Common Worship, Prepared by the Office of Theology and Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Louisville, Kentucky, Westminster John Knox, 2021, pages 86-88.
The story of this [constitutional] process is told in Jack Rogers, Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to the Book of Confessions (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1991), ch. 11. - Lien (2010, p.10)
The process for adding to the Book of Confessions requires two General Assembly (GA) approvals. This might explain why we see 1991 and 1993 below. (Details forthcoming)
1991
At the 1991 General Assembly, the final vote was taken by the Assembly’s commissioners with the result being 412 in favor, 40 opposed, and 16 abstentions. This meant that A Brief Statement of Faith became part of the Book of Confessions and thus an important part of our Presbyterian theological heritage, an expression of Christian faith to share with the world.
Source: Boyd Lien. A Brief Statement of Faith (Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding. 2010.
1993
ADOPTION OF A BRIEF STATEMENT OF FAITH
The “Plan for Reunion” called for the preparation of a brief statement of the Reformed faith for possible inclusion in The Book of Confessions. Approved by the General Assembly in 1993, it celebrates the common faith and common task of the reunited PC(USA)
Source: https://pcusa.org/historical-society/history-online/history/timeline-history
The process for adding to the Book of Confessions requires two General Assembly (GA) approvals. This might explain 1991 and 1993. (Details forthcoming)
A Brief Statement and A Declaration of Faith
Two different statements
A Brief Statement of Faith should not be confused with an earlier confession (1977) of the southern denomination (PCUS): A Declaration of Faith (10 chapters, 29 pages long, with Cross (Scripture) Index) was adopted as “a contemporary statement of faith” by the 197th General Assembly (PCUSA) in 1985.
The 197th General Assembly (PCUSA, 1985) made its own action of the 177th General Assembly (PCUS, 1977) with reference to A Declaration of Faith which is as follows: “That A Declaration of Faith be adopted as a contemporary statement of faith, a reliable aid for Christian study, liturgy, and inspiration . . . ” (Minutes, PCUS, 1977, Part I, p. 168), with the understanding that only the current Book of Confessions has constitutional standing. These are two different statements of faith.
A confession with constitutional authority is a formal statement of faith or doctrine that holds official status and guides the beliefs and practices of a religious denomination or organization, often integrated into its governing documents. Currently, only A Brief Statement of Faith is in the Book of Confessions (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Constitution. A Declaration of Faith has no confessional authority. Both statements, however, can be used for study and worship.
Acknowledgments
Rev. Dr. Robert Nicholson, Hon. Retired, PC (USA) for invaluable gifts of books.
Notes
About the photos: From my print copy of A Brief Statement of Faith. Nothing missing. I will be replacing with better quality images, as time permits.
Important: Once details are verified, I’ll replace with essay & bibliography.
What we believe | Brief Statement of Faith. Presbyterian Church (USA) | Presbyterian Mission. https://centernet.pcusa.org/what-we-believe/brief-statement-of-faith/
A Brief Statement of Faith (Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding) by Boyd Lien. 2010. This study is available from the PC (USA) store: https://www.pcusastore.com/Content/Site119/FilesSamples/176793680723LGP_00000126662.pdf (link is to a free sample). Published by CMP, a ministry of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, Kentucky. The study provides some details of the Committee of twenty-one persons appointed in May 1984 by Dr. J. Randolph Taylor, the moderator of the 1983 reuniting General Assembly of the new denomination. The committee worked together for four years, to create “a brief statement of Reformed faith for possible inclusion in the Book of Confessions, as called for by the Articles of Agreement of the church.” The statement was then sent to all the churches and the constitutional process for adding it to the Book of Confessions begun. Here’s a relevant excerpt:
The committee of twenty-one worked for four years and unanimously agreed on a “Brief Statement of the Reformed Faith.” In February 1988, this draft document was sent to the churches of the denomination for comment. Fifteen thousand response forms were returned, and there were extended comments from 1,760 individuals and groups. In light of these responses, the committee amended its document, and a revised draft was sent to the 1989 General Assembly. Next, the church’s constitutional process for amending the Book of Confessions began. A committee of fifteen (which actually had sixteen members) was appointed to consider the report and recommendations of the special committee. This group had the power to revise the document. After four months, it met with the original special committee and after discussions was ready to present a revised document to the 1990 General Assembly.
At the assembly, the standing committee of the assembly examined the document and sent it unchanged to the floor of the assembly. Ninety-four percent of the commissioners to the General Assembly voted favorably, and the document was passed. During the next year, this statement was sent to the denomination’s presbyteries, where it needed to receive a two-thirds majority vote to become part of the Book of Confessions. This it received, with 166 presbyteries voting in favor and two against.
Footnote: The story of this process is told in Jack Rogers, Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to the Book of Confessions (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1991), ch. 11. - Lien (2010, p.10)
About the footnote citation / edition history: Jack Rogers’ Presbyterian Creeds was first published in 1985 (252 pages; ISBN: 0664246273; 9780664246273). Another edition, the one cited by Boyd Lien as documenting in chapter 11, the constitutional process by which A Brief Statement was added to the Book of Confessions, was published in 1991 (ISBN: 9780664254964, 0664254969). Calvin of the Presbyterian Historical Society describes this print book and Supplement on a brief statement of faith Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). / Jack Rogers). A print and online versions of just the supplement also appear to be available separately: Jack Rogers. (1991). Presbyterian creeds: a guide to the Book of confessions: supplement on A brief statement of faith, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Westminster/John Knox Press, Louisville, Ky. OCLC # 1155205503, 1 online resource, 44 pages, WorldCat record; and OCLC # 24776576, 44 pages, 21 cm, WorldCat record.
An adult study guide, Biblical Cross-Reference “A Brief Statement of Faith” PCUSA (2016) from Skaneateles Presbyterian Church (NY) is available here https://skanpresby.org/phocadownloadpap/abtoffinallong.pdf 15 pages.
An archived version from the Presbyterian Mission Agency website is available here, https://web.archive.org/web/20120728223725/http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/101/brief-statement-faith/ This includes the Preface and the statement text. (I’ve taken the liberty of adding the text above and Preface below.)
In 1983 the two largest Presbyterian churches in the United States reunited. The “Plan for Reunion” called for the preparation of a brief statement of the Reformed faith for possible inclusion in The Book of Confessions. This statement is therefore not intended to stand alone, apart from the other confessions of our church. It does not pretend to be a complete list of all our beliefs, nor does it explain any of them in detail. It is designed to be confessed by the whole congregation in the setting of public worship, and it may also serve pastors and teachers as an aid to Christian instruction. It celebrates our rediscovery that for all our undoubted diversity, we are bound together by a common faith and a common task.
The faith we confess unites us with the one, universal church. The most important beliefs of Presbyterians are those we share with other Christians and especially with other evangelical Christians who look to the Protestant Reformation as a renewal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Diversity remains. But we are thankful that in our time the many churches are learning to accept, and even to affirm, diversity without divisiveness, since the whole counsel of God is more than the wisdom of any individual or any one tradition. The Spirit of Truth gives new light to the churches when they are willing to become pupils together of the Word of God. This statement therefore intends to confess the catholic faith.
We are convinced that to the Reformed churches a distinctive vision of the catholic faith has been entrusted for the good of the whole church. Accordingly, “A Brief Statement of Faith” includes the major themes of the Reformed tradition (such as those mentioned in the Book of Order, “Form of Government,” Chapter 2), without claiming them as our private possession, just as we ourselves hope to learn and to share the wisdom and insight given to traditions other than our own. And as a confession that seeks to be both catholic and Reformed, the statement (following the apostle’s blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14) is a trinitarian confession in which the grace of Jesus Christ has first place as the foundation of our knowledge of God’s sovereign love and our life together in the Holy Spirit.
No confession of faith looks merely to the past; every confession seeks to cast the light of a priceless heritage on the needs of the present moment and so to shape the future. Reformed confessions, in particular, when necessary even reform the tradition itself in the light of the Word of God. From the first, the Reformed churches have insisted that the renewal of the church must become visible in the transformation of human lives and societies. Hence “A Brief Statement of Faith” lifts up concerns that call most urgently for the church’s attention in our time. The church is not a refuge from the world; an elect people is chosen for the blessing of the nations. A sound confession, therefore, proves itself as it nurtures commitment to the church’s mission, and as the confessing church itself becomes the body by which Christ continues the blessing of his earthly ministry.
(This preface does not have confessional authority, but is included as an aid to interpret the “Brief Statement of Faith.”)
Book of Confessions | PC(USA). https://www.pcusa.org/resource/book-confessions
The Constitution of the PC (USA). https://pcusa.org/sites/default/files/boo_2023-2025_publishedversion_update_07112023.pdf
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brief_Statement_of_Faith
Timeline
June 1983 - Reunion; Plan for Reunion adopted which calls for the appointment of a special committee to draft a new shared confession
May 1984 - Rev. Dr. Randolph Taylor, Moderator of the 195th (1983) GA appoints Special Committee and urges the committee to submit their recommendations for the Bicentennial General Assembly in 1989
February 1988 - Committee sends draft of A Brief Statement of Faith: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to churches for comments and then revises it
The Brief Statement draft is the work of a committee that became a community - Stotts and Douglass (1990). Introduction, page 9.
1989 - Revised draft sent to the 201st General Assembly in Philadelphia, PA; and a committee of fifteen (which actually had sixteen members) was appointed to consider the report and recommendations of the special committee with power to revise the document.
1990 - Document presented at the 1990 GA and examined by the Standing Committee. It was sent to the floor unchanged. Document was passed (94% of commissioners).
1991 - Document sent to presbyteries for their approval. 166 presbyteries voted for and two against.
People
I’ll be verifying, expanding with brief bios and roles, and reorganizing, as time allows.
Jack L. Stotts, 1932 - 2008
Role: Chair - Obituary
Jane Dempsey Douglass, 1933 - present. (Elder, Professor at Princteon Theological Seminary, and ecclesiastical historian). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Dempsey_Douglass
Role: Vice-chair of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Special Committee to Prepare a Brief Statement of Reformed Faith, adopted in 1991. Sources: James F. Kay (1999). "A Special Issue Honoring Jane Dempsey Douglass". The Princeton Seminary Bulletin. New series. Vol. 20, no. 1. p. v. Available from the Internet Archive (link above). | Jack L. Stotts and Jane Dempsey Douglass. Editors. To Confess the Faith Today. Westminster John Knox Press, 1990. This book is an introduction to the deliberations of the special committee assigned to formulate a new Brief Statement of Faith for the newly reunited Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), for possible inclusion in the Book of Confessions.
Jack Bartlett Rogers, January 23, 1934 – July 14, 2016. (Minister). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Rogers_(minister)
Role: (TBD) - His Website
Ann Barr Weems, 1934 - 2016 | Poet | Obituary (Dignity Memorial website)
Special Committee
William (Bill) Skinner II, June 24, 1932 - April 21, 2011 | Obituary at Powell Funeral Homes
GA Committee of 15
Sandra Hawley
Member of the 1991 GA Committee that received the votes of the presbyteries and recommended final approval of the BSF to the Assembly. “It was a big celebration in our committee…”
William C. Placher and David Willis-Watkins, Belonging to God: A Commentary on A Brief Statement of Faith (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), p. 9.
The authors were members of the Special Committee appointed to write the statement. (Committee of 21)
J. Randolph Taylor | J. Randolph Taylor, architect of Presbyterian reunion, dies by Jerry Van Marter in Worldwide Faith News Archive, Note #6992 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS: 04-January-2002 02003
First Moderator. Appointed the committee of 21 to write new faith statement
Tino Ballesteros
Eugenia Gamble - In Jones (2024), Eugenia describes some of her BSF experiences.
Role - GA Committee of 15
Rev. Dr. Henry Fawcett
GA Committee of 15
Paige Maxwell McRight
Commissioner who wrote the resolution
What’s New in A Statement of Faith
Covenantal Life
Diversity
The Moderator was “to appoint a committee representing diversities of points of view and of groups within the reunited Church to prepare a Brief Statement of Faith.” - Coulter, Mulder, Weeks (1992), p. 22-23
Gender / Women
A Brief Statement of Faith (1991) corrects the limitations on women of the Reformation confessions. - Steve Schussett (2012)
Family Relationship / God-language / Heart of God
Jesus Lens
Lifestyle / Stewardship of creation
Trinitarian Structure
Bibliography
A Brief Statement of Faith. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). https://pcusa.org/sites/default/files/biblicalbases.pdf
A Declaration of Faith. 1977. Presbyterian Church in the United States. https://www.pcusa.org/resource/declaration-faith
James K. Thompson. Way down south in Dixie land. Presbyterian Outlook (July 3, 2013). https://pres-outlook.org/2013/07/way-down-south-in-dixie-land/ (about A Declaration of Faith)
The Plan for Reunion of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America to form the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). (Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, 1981).
Matthew W. Bussell. Still Reforming: The Need for a New Confession in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). PhD Dissertation, Claremont Graduate University. 2022. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1423&context=cgu_etd
Milton J. Coulter, Mulder, John M, and Louis B. Weeks. Editors. The Pluralistic Vision: Presbyterians and mainstream protestant education and leadership. Louisville, KY, Westminster / John Knox Press, 1992. Introduction by the editors, p. 21-36.
Steve Schussett. Exploring the “Book of Confessions” (Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding). CMP, a ministry of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louisville, Kentucky. 2012. p. 10. This study is available from the PC (USA) store: https://www.pcusastore.com/Content/Site119/FilesSamples/176839680757LGP_00000126694.pdf
The Constitution of the PC (USA). https://pcusa.org/sites/default/files/boo_2023-2025_publishedversion_update_07112023.pdf
Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brief_Statement_of_Faith
Jack L. Stotts and Jane Dempsey Douglass. Editors. To Confess the Faith Today. Westminster John Knox Press, 1990.
Jack Rogers. Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to the Book of Confessions. Westminster John Knox Press, 1991.
Boyd Lien. A Brief Statement of Faith (Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding) 2010. This study is available from the PC (USA) store: https://www.pcusastore.com/Content/Site119/FilesSamples/176793680723LGP_00000126662.pdf
Ann Laird Jones. (2024). From Your Synod Moderator Advent Season, Synod Moderator's Corner / By synod. https://synodlw.org/2024/10/from-your-synod-moderator-3/ Eugenia Gamble writes about her participation as a member of the Committee of 15.
Should I also make available a similar analysis of A Declaration of Faith?