Christ Church Columbus is a Protestant, Reformed, Evangelical, Presbyterian Church.

We are Presbyterian

“Presbyterian” refers to our type of government. The leaders of our local church are “elders,” (which in Greek sounds a bit like “presbyters”) who govern the church together. As a group, these local elders are called the “session.”  The body that governs a large geographical area of churches is called a “Presbytery.” The body that governs the entire denomination is called “General Assembly.” This kind of church government can be seen in its beginning stages in the New Testament in such passages as Titus 1 and Acts 15. And yet, long before the time of the early church, God’s people recognized the value of being under the authority of a plurality (group) of elders—even as early as the time of Moses (Exodus 18:17-23).

Unfortunately, today, many associate Presbyterianism with progressive ideology and politics. We, however, reject the theological innovations of the 20^th and 21^st century that undermined faith in an inerrant, infallible Bible, and that have led to the embrace of anarchy in every area of life. We are committed to the “ancient paths,” the faith held by Christians for 2,000 years of church history.

We are Protestant

To say that we are Protestant means that our theological heritage descends from the Protestation Reformation of the 16th century and the theology of reformers such as John Calvin and Martin Luther. In a nutshell, this means we believe:

1. In the Bible alone—God’s Word is true and we recognize and submit ourselves to its authority.
2. In Christ alone—Jesus alone is our hope for salvation.
3. In Grace alone—We can only be saved because of God’s gracious choice to save.
4. In Faith alone—We can receive this grace of God by faith alone.
5. To the glory of God alone—The main purpose of everything, including salvation, is the glory of God. 

We are Reformed

To say that we are Reformed means that we have a high view of the sovereignty of God and that the fall of man has had devastating effects on every one of Adam’s descendants.

• We believe that from the day Adam sinned, every one of his descendants has been born corrupted in every part of his or her being. None of us is as bad as he might be but all of us are tainted by sin in every area of our life—our thoughts, words and deeds are all twisted. We are, therefore, unable to do what God’s righteous law requires, and therefore are lost and without hope, except in God’s sovereign mercy
• We believe that salvation is granted by God freely. He is not bound to save anyone in particular and He is not bound to condemn anyone in particular. He has mercy on whom He has mercy and He hardens whom He hardens (Romans 9:18). Salvation belongs to Him and He can give it to whomever He pleases.
• We believe that Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself on the cross did actually secure salvation for absolutely everyone the Father chose to save and that the Holy Spirit will apply Jesus’ saving work to absolutely everyone for whom Jesus died. Negatively put, this means that the atonement of Jesus was limited to the elect.
• We believe that when God is gracious to a sinner, He imparts new life to him and makes him alive forever. There is no possibility of a redeemed Christian rejecting the mercy of God—everyone who is chosen by God to receive His grace receives it. God’s grace is, in a word, irresistible!
• We believe that those God saves, God protects. All whom God rescues with the blood of His Son, to whom He gives His Spirit, those who receive eternal life…get a life that is eternal! As Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one is able to snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28).

We are Evangelical

The “evangel” is the gospel, the good news that Jesus saves sinners. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) tells us to spread the good news in our community, city, state, nation, and world. The gospel is the “power of salvation for all who believe” and is therefore the hope of the world, not simply a message to be repeated within the walls of the church.