Palm City Presbyterian Church

What We Believe:


We are an ECO Presbyterian church. Our faith is based on the Bible (Old and New Testaments). Of course, the Bible is fairly long, so we have condensed our most important beliefs into a document called our Essential Tenets. You can download a copy by clicking the button below. A ten-class video series discussing the Essential Tenets of ECO can be accessed from our Resources page. Click here for a direct link to the video series.


Our faith is also expressed in a set of documents called our Confessional Standards. These are statements of faith written by our fathers and mothers in the faith. They include: the Nicene Creed, the Apostles Creed, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Standards, and the Declaration of Barmen. We recognize these as reliable guides to what the Bible teaches. You can download a copy of our Confessional Standards by clicking the button below.


Essential Tenets


Confessional Standards


People sometimes ask, What does Presbyterian mean? It means our church is led by elders. The congregation elects people to serve as elders. These elders, together with the pastors, govern the church. You don’t have to be old to be an elder. The title is meant as an honor, and it comes from the Bible. See, for example, 1 Timothy 5:17 and 1 Peter 5:1-3. The churches in the New Testament had elders, so ours is a biblical model of organizing the church. Our elders are elected to serve a three-year term. Both men and women can be elders in our church. The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbyteros, which means “elder.”


Want a quick snapshot of what we believe? Scroll down for a quick summary!

What We Believe

A Living Savior

The world is a mess, and every one of us is part of the problem. We need a Savior. That Savior is Jesus Christ. The eternal Son of God took flesh and became a human being. He revealed to us who God is and taught us how God wants us to live. But he knew we could never get it right on our own. Our problem is not a lack of knowledge; it's in our hearts. So, Jesus died on the cross, in our place, bearing the wrath our sins deserved, so that we might be forgiven and reconciled to God. On the third day, God the Father raised him from the dead. He lives and reigns, and someday he will make all things new.   

A Holy Calling

Through his Holy Spirit, God claims us and makes us his own. The gospel calls us to turn from our small dreams and petty idols to the true and living God. But we cannot do that on our own. God has to reach down and pick us up by the scruff of the neck. He gives us faith and a desire for him. This is grace. Because he has loved us with such a great love, we want to honor him with our lives. We belong to him, so we want to live that way.


We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Scripture alone tells us what to believe and do. And it is all to the glory of God alone.   


A Joyful Community

Following Jesus means a life of joy and belonging. A Christian can be honest about the pain and struggle of life because we know Christ is with us—and we have our brothers and sisters in faith. Following Jesus is not something you can do alone. It's a team sport. That's how he tells us to do it. He also says that if you love him, you have to love his people too. We rejoice that he has brought us together in community, and we strive to share our joys and burdens. As an ECO congregation, PCPC ordains both men and women to all offices in the church, because we are convinced that's what scripture says we should do.   

A Heart for Others

The purpose of human life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The purpose of the church is to continue the ministry of Jesus until he returns. That's why God saves us: so we can love God and neighbor. We continue Jesus' ministry by sharing the good news and showing compassion for others. We have many local and global ministry partners. God is changing lives near and far, and we love being part of that. We especially love when God changes lives right in our midst: when people find a place to belong, when they hear the Savior's call, when they use their gifts and abilities to bless others. Maybe God is calling you? We'd love to help you on your journey.