PURPOSE
The Millbrook Church is a local congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), a Presbyterian denomination established in 1981 when its first General Assembly convened, and as such will be led by the Holy Scriptures and guided by the constitution containing the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Book of Order. |
SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR OUR MINISTRY
|
Mission Statement
Millbrook Presbyterian is a family centered in Christ, committed to ministries that provide education in God's Word, safety to all who enter, spirituality and community support.
Vision
To know Christ, and to Make Him Known.
Core Values
Salvation: Millbrook's ministry is to present the Good News of Jesus Christ in such a way that all who seek safety and support under her wings will also find salvation and strength for their journey through a relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Safety: Millbrook's desire is to provide a safe haven, a sanctuary, a place to seek refuge for those seeking spiritual guidance.
Support: Millbrook strives to provide systems of support that meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those who wish to abide in her family.
Safety: Millbrook's desire is to provide a safe haven, a sanctuary, a place to seek refuge for those seeking spiritual guidance.
Support: Millbrook strives to provide systems of support that meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those who wish to abide in her family.
Food Pantry
Our Food Pantry is back open on Wednesdays from 1 PM to 4 PM. The giving of food to the needy and disadvantaged or to those who just need a little extra help is biblical in origin. We understand the need that is out there, therefore we encourage you to limit your use of the Food Pantry to once or twice a month to ensure we have enough food to help everyone. A few scriptures outlining the giving of food are: Matthew 25:35-45; Matthew 25:40; Proverbs 19:17; Hebrews 23:16; John 3:17; and Luke 6:38. There are many more you can look up, and these named here are just a few.
The Food Pantry also accepts donations of food or monetary donations (to supplement what we purchase from the Food Bank on a weekly basis). Food donations are prayerfully accepted at the office Wednesday from 1 PM to 4 PM. Monetary donations are accepted via this website on the "Home" page under donations, by mail or at the office on Wednesday from 1 PM to 4 PM. We are very grateful for any help you choose to give us.
The Food Pantry also accepts donations of food or monetary donations (to supplement what we purchase from the Food Bank on a weekly basis). Food donations are prayerfully accepted at the office Wednesday from 1 PM to 4 PM. Monetary donations are accepted via this website on the "Home" page under donations, by mail or at the office on Wednesday from 1 PM to 4 PM. We are very grateful for any help you choose to give us.
"Safe Place"
Millbrook Church is a "Safe Place" for all Children and Youth. We will help you find the correct agency to help you and make sure that you get to that agency. Our official office hours are Wednesdays 1 PM to 4 PM, however someone is here at other times also. Come in if the gate is open and we will help you.
Millbrook Church is a "Safe Place" for all Children and Youth. We will help you find the correct agency to help you and make sure that you get to that agency. Our official office hours are Wednesdays 1 PM to 4 PM, however someone is here at other times also. Come in if the gate is open and we will help you.
Our Elders and Staff
Scott Drake - Pastor
Annette Ackerman - Board Elder - Moderator
Rachel Ebrahimzadeh - Board Elder - Clerk of the Board
Carolie Jensen - Board Elder
Carolie Jensen - Church Administrator
Robert and Annette Ackerman - Discipleship & Pastoral Care
Larry Jensen - Building and Grounds
Annette Ackerman - Board Elder - Moderator
Rachel Ebrahimzadeh - Board Elder - Clerk of the Board
Carolie Jensen - Board Elder
Carolie Jensen - Church Administrator
Robert and Annette Ackerman - Discipleship & Pastoral Care
Larry Jensen - Building and Grounds

Did You Know The History of Millbrook Church
In 1899 the Presbytery of San Francisco decided to "plant" a mission church in the Central Valley (Fresno). This was the start of Millbrook Church. Millbrook Church was, originally The First United Presbyterian Church of Fresno, California.
In 1900 we had our first church services in a home here in Fresno until we were able to find a building to meet in.
We were first incorporated in 1923, BUT the Church was first established in the Tower District on the corner of Olive and Yosemite Streets in 1906. We were in full swing by 1921.
Millbrook Church is one of the Foundation Churches of Fresno County. We were the first Presbyterian Church in Fresno. From our beginning we were considered a "mission church". In the beginning of 1945 our name changed to Calvary United Presbyterian Church.
In November 1945 we were self-supporting and were no longer a mission status church and changed our name back to First United Presbyterian church.
In 1952 the site at 3620 N Millbrook Ave, Fresno, Ca was donated to Millbrook Presbyterian Church by the Thornhill Family. A lovely cow pasture next to some future housing tracts. In 1956 the property in the tower district was sold and the last service was held there on Easter Sunday 1956.
Between 1956 and 1957 we held services in the American Legion Hall while we were building our current home
We moved the Church to the Millbrook Ave Address on Easter 1957 for our first service in the Fellowship Hall.
In 1958 with the merger of the United Presbyterian church of North America and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, thus becoming PCUSA we again changed our name, to Millbrook United Presbyterian Church.
In 1959 the Sanctuary was finished.
In the 1960's the Office and Classrooms as well as Bradley Hall were constructed.
The Sanctuary was completed in 1964.
Cavitt Hall (Offices and Classrooms) was completed in 1974.
In 1997 we again changed the name to Milbrook Presbyterian Church.
In 1998 the Sanctuary was remodeled.
In 2008 we changed from the PCUSA to the EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
In 2020 the Sanctuary was being restored due to a small fire and much smoke damage.
In 2022 the Board of Elders brought before the congregation the motion to once again change the name of the Church, to Millbrook Church.
Quick History of the Presbyterian Church and our Principles
Being Presbyterian refers to a theological heritage started by Martin Luther and refined by John Calvin.
The roots of the Presbyterian Church go all the way back to Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 “theses” or questions for discussion on the church door (the town bulletin board) of his town in Wittenburg, Germany. Because of the recent invention of the printing press, within two weeks Luther’s disagreements with existing church doctrine were circulating all over Europe. The Protestant Reformation had begun.
The new reforms within the church soon attracted a bright young student in France, named John Calvin. Calvin, a lawyer by trade, wrote a brilliant articulation of this “reformed” faith, at age 29. He called it, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. People now refer to it as Calvin’s Institutes. His work attracted great attention because of its insight, depth, and clarity. Calvin eventually would settle in the town of Geneva, Switzerland and become an important figure in the new reformation of the church. The Presbyterian Church today finds it theological roots in the writings of John Calvin.
The first Presbyterian Church was organized in America in the early 1700’s in Philadelphia. Just preceding the Civil War, the church broke into two separate denominations, which reunited in 1983. Our denomination’s official name is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). This is the “mainline” Presbyterian denomination a body of 2.6 million believers in 11,000 congregations.
Martin Luther thought the greatest danger to the Christian’s life was legalism. John Calvin believed the greatest danger was idolatry, the pursuit of, longing for, and trust in things and persons in place of God.
Our Form of Church Government
The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Bible, from the Greek word for “elder.” The Presbyterian denomination takes its name from its form of church government, which is to be governed by elders. There are various types of church government, such as “hierarchical” – the Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist churches; “congregational” – Baptist and Congregational churches; and “representative” – Presbyterian Churches. The Presbyterian Church is a representative form of church government in which the congregation elects church officers to lead the congregation. The Presbyterian Church is representative at every level – Congregations elect elders to serve on the Session, Sessions elect commissioners to go to Presbytery meetings, and Presbyteries elect commissioners to go to Synod and General Assembly meetings. Our nation’s government was patterned after the Presbyterian representative model. Elders in the Presbyterian Church seek to discern the will of God for a congregation and vote their conscience before God. Our congregation has three classes of four elders serving of a rotating basis. Congregational elections for new elders are held each year, generally in the fall. All members of the congregation are entitled to vote on the electing of their officers. The Vision Statement for Central’s Session is – “By example, to lead the congregation in the way of Jesus Christ.”
What Presbyterians Believe
Presbyterians Are:
Presbyterian Principles
Presbyterians believe in a sovereign God.
The Presbyterian Church has a strong view of the majesty, power, and omnipotence of God. This informs many things we do. Our worship is reverent and seeks to focus our hearts and minds on God. We believe God works in peoples’ hearts in God’s own timing and therefore we do not try to orchestrate the when’s and how’s of people’s salvation. The belief in a sovereign God is also foundational to the difficult and often misunderstood doctrine of predestination. Predestination states, simply put, that God chooses us first before we ever even think about responding to God. God’s choice and our response complete our salvation.
Presbyterians are formed and reformed by the Bible.
Presbyterians believe in the Bible and use it as the unique and authoritative guide for how to live and what to believe. The sermons on Sunday try to explain and interpret the Bible rather than the preacher’s latest ideas. We encourage people to read the Bible in their own devotional times and participate in group-settings such as Sunday School and Wednesday evening classes. For Presbyterians the Bible is not just to be read by preachers and scholars. We believe that the Bible is so clear, in its major themes and principles, that everybody can understand the story of salvation, primarily by reading the Bible in a regular and consistent discipline.
Presbyterians are a people of community.
Presbyterians believe that you cannot live the Christian life effectively apart from other people. God has given us the church for our mutual support, correction, and encouragement. We need a relationship with other Christians in order to be all that God intends us to be. This is one of the reasons the Presbyterian Church has a connectional form of church government. Through the Presbyteries, Synods, and the General Assembly each local congregation stays connected to the larger church. It is also one of the reasons we work together in teams for ministry. We need to do the work of Christ with other people. We believe God calls people to be connected with a local congregation and church membership is the way we recognize and celebrate that calling.
Presbyterians are a people of mission.
Presbyterians believe that we cannot simply live in our own sheltered world. God has called us to take the gospel to the entire world. God has called us to exhibit the kingdom of Christ to our community. The Presbyterian Church sends missionaries into all corners of the globe, through the regular offerings of local churches. Our denomination has been instrumental in taking the gospel to many other countries in this century. Each local congregation participates in mission activities in its specific community, on a national level, and on a global scale. Presbyterians have always looked outside themselves and their own concerns to work to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission. Today the mission field is also in our own backyard as we seek to share the gospel with the almost 50% of Americans not connected with any local church.
Presbyterians are a people of the mind.
Presbyterians believe that the mind is a terrible thing to waste. God has given us our minds as gracious gifts. Our reasoning faculties ought to be trained for the service of God. This is why ministers in the Presbyterian Church are held to the highest academic standards. It is why the training of elders and Sunday School teachers is so very important in the Presbyterian church. It is why we encourage everyone to grow in knowledge of the Bible, church history, theology, and an understanding of the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life.
Presbyterians have two sacraments.
The Presbyterian Church does not have many ceremonies and rituals. This is because we do not want to distract from the two most important ceremonies Christ left to the church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe these are the only two ceremonies, which we call sacraments, which Christ instituted for the church throughout the ages. Baptism is administered only once as a sign of our forgiveness from sin and our entrance into the family of God. We administer baptism to infants and children in anticipation of their faith and with the promise of parents to raise them in the “training and instruction of the Lord.” We administer the Sacrament of Baptism to adults upon their public profession of faith. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is repeated often in the Presbyterian Church. Our congregation celebrates it on the first Sunday of every month. This ceremony reminds us, over and over, that we need the spiritual nourishment Christ brings to us and that Christ, our living Savior, is present with us, now and in the future.
In 1899 the Presbytery of San Francisco decided to "plant" a mission church in the Central Valley (Fresno). This was the start of Millbrook Church. Millbrook Church was, originally The First United Presbyterian Church of Fresno, California.
In 1900 we had our first church services in a home here in Fresno until we were able to find a building to meet in.
We were first incorporated in 1923, BUT the Church was first established in the Tower District on the corner of Olive and Yosemite Streets in 1906. We were in full swing by 1921.
Millbrook Church is one of the Foundation Churches of Fresno County. We were the first Presbyterian Church in Fresno. From our beginning we were considered a "mission church". In the beginning of 1945 our name changed to Calvary United Presbyterian Church.
In November 1945 we were self-supporting and were no longer a mission status church and changed our name back to First United Presbyterian church.
In 1952 the site at 3620 N Millbrook Ave, Fresno, Ca was donated to Millbrook Presbyterian Church by the Thornhill Family. A lovely cow pasture next to some future housing tracts. In 1956 the property in the tower district was sold and the last service was held there on Easter Sunday 1956.
Between 1956 and 1957 we held services in the American Legion Hall while we were building our current home
We moved the Church to the Millbrook Ave Address on Easter 1957 for our first service in the Fellowship Hall.
In 1958 with the merger of the United Presbyterian church of North America and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, thus becoming PCUSA we again changed our name, to Millbrook United Presbyterian Church.
In 1959 the Sanctuary was finished.
In the 1960's the Office and Classrooms as well as Bradley Hall were constructed.
The Sanctuary was completed in 1964.
Cavitt Hall (Offices and Classrooms) was completed in 1974.
In 1997 we again changed the name to Milbrook Presbyterian Church.
In 1998 the Sanctuary was remodeled.
In 2008 we changed from the PCUSA to the EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
In 2020 the Sanctuary was being restored due to a small fire and much smoke damage.
In 2022 the Board of Elders brought before the congregation the motion to once again change the name of the Church, to Millbrook Church.
Quick History of the Presbyterian Church and our Principles
Being Presbyterian refers to a theological heritage started by Martin Luther and refined by John Calvin.
The roots of the Presbyterian Church go all the way back to Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed 95 “theses” or questions for discussion on the church door (the town bulletin board) of his town in Wittenburg, Germany. Because of the recent invention of the printing press, within two weeks Luther’s disagreements with existing church doctrine were circulating all over Europe. The Protestant Reformation had begun.
The new reforms within the church soon attracted a bright young student in France, named John Calvin. Calvin, a lawyer by trade, wrote a brilliant articulation of this “reformed” faith, at age 29. He called it, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. People now refer to it as Calvin’s Institutes. His work attracted great attention because of its insight, depth, and clarity. Calvin eventually would settle in the town of Geneva, Switzerland and become an important figure in the new reformation of the church. The Presbyterian Church today finds it theological roots in the writings of John Calvin.
The first Presbyterian Church was organized in America in the early 1700’s in Philadelphia. Just preceding the Civil War, the church broke into two separate denominations, which reunited in 1983. Our denomination’s official name is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A). This is the “mainline” Presbyterian denomination a body of 2.6 million believers in 11,000 congregations.
Martin Luther thought the greatest danger to the Christian’s life was legalism. John Calvin believed the greatest danger was idolatry, the pursuit of, longing for, and trust in things and persons in place of God.
Our Form of Church Government
The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Bible, from the Greek word for “elder.” The Presbyterian denomination takes its name from its form of church government, which is to be governed by elders. There are various types of church government, such as “hierarchical” – the Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist churches; “congregational” – Baptist and Congregational churches; and “representative” – Presbyterian Churches. The Presbyterian Church is a representative form of church government in which the congregation elects church officers to lead the congregation. The Presbyterian Church is representative at every level – Congregations elect elders to serve on the Session, Sessions elect commissioners to go to Presbytery meetings, and Presbyteries elect commissioners to go to Synod and General Assembly meetings. Our nation’s government was patterned after the Presbyterian representative model. Elders in the Presbyterian Church seek to discern the will of God for a congregation and vote their conscience before God. Our congregation has three classes of four elders serving of a rotating basis. Congregational elections for new elders are held each year, generally in the fall. All members of the congregation are entitled to vote on the electing of their officers. The Vision Statement for Central’s Session is – “By example, to lead the congregation in the way of Jesus Christ.”
What Presbyterians Believe
Presbyterians Are:
- Protestant. We come from the protestant Reformation that began in the 1500’s with the theological thought of Martin Luther and John Calvin.
- Reformed and always reforming. We try to always reform our life and practice, both individually and corporately, according to the teachings of scriptures.
- Elected by God’s grace. We believe we have been chosen by God’s grace. However, this election is not primarily for privilege, but rather for service. It leads us to gratitude and assurance in our faith, and is best recognized in retrospect.
- Saved to share the good news with the world around us. Missions have always been a strong emphasis of our denomination.
- Bible centered. The scriptures of the Old and New Testament are our only authoritative guide for faith and life.
- Yielded to God for God’s work in the world. This means being good stewards of God’s creation. It means working for peace and justice. We seek to change unjust social structures where they exist.
- Thinkers of our faith. We believe that God has given us minds to use for his service. We believe that the life of the mind is a service to God. Therefore, we study our faith in order to love God with our mind, as well as our heart and soul.
- Encouraged by what we believe God can do. Presbyterians tend to balance an undue pessimism about the world with a sense that, with God, all things are possible. We pray for and work for the kingdom of God in the world, knowing that all good things ultimately come from God.
- Relying on God’s grace by faith for our salvation. It is not our works, nor our righteousness that saves us. Our salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. No matter how much good we do, we are always sinners saved by grace.
- Inspired to worship God in all we do. Worship is our #1 priority. Our primary reason for existence is to “glorify God and enjoy him forever”. We make personal prayer a priority and regularly gather to worship with God’s people.
- Attached to one another by bonds of love. Every person matters to God. Every person’s gift is needed in the church. Everyone is of value and worth in God’s sight. We believe that the church is built up by the exercise of God’s peoples’ spiritual gifts therefore we encourage everyone to find a place to serve.
- Never afraid to adjust our organizational practices in order to share the gospel more effectively. We are slow to change our theology, but quick to change our practices when it helps us take the unchanging gospel into a rapidly changing world.
Presbyterian Principles
Presbyterians believe in a sovereign God.
The Presbyterian Church has a strong view of the majesty, power, and omnipotence of God. This informs many things we do. Our worship is reverent and seeks to focus our hearts and minds on God. We believe God works in peoples’ hearts in God’s own timing and therefore we do not try to orchestrate the when’s and how’s of people’s salvation. The belief in a sovereign God is also foundational to the difficult and often misunderstood doctrine of predestination. Predestination states, simply put, that God chooses us first before we ever even think about responding to God. God’s choice and our response complete our salvation.
Presbyterians are formed and reformed by the Bible.
Presbyterians believe in the Bible and use it as the unique and authoritative guide for how to live and what to believe. The sermons on Sunday try to explain and interpret the Bible rather than the preacher’s latest ideas. We encourage people to read the Bible in their own devotional times and participate in group-settings such as Sunday School and Wednesday evening classes. For Presbyterians the Bible is not just to be read by preachers and scholars. We believe that the Bible is so clear, in its major themes and principles, that everybody can understand the story of salvation, primarily by reading the Bible in a regular and consistent discipline.
Presbyterians are a people of community.
Presbyterians believe that you cannot live the Christian life effectively apart from other people. God has given us the church for our mutual support, correction, and encouragement. We need a relationship with other Christians in order to be all that God intends us to be. This is one of the reasons the Presbyterian Church has a connectional form of church government. Through the Presbyteries, Synods, and the General Assembly each local congregation stays connected to the larger church. It is also one of the reasons we work together in teams for ministry. We need to do the work of Christ with other people. We believe God calls people to be connected with a local congregation and church membership is the way we recognize and celebrate that calling.
Presbyterians are a people of mission.
Presbyterians believe that we cannot simply live in our own sheltered world. God has called us to take the gospel to the entire world. God has called us to exhibit the kingdom of Christ to our community. The Presbyterian Church sends missionaries into all corners of the globe, through the regular offerings of local churches. Our denomination has been instrumental in taking the gospel to many other countries in this century. Each local congregation participates in mission activities in its specific community, on a national level, and on a global scale. Presbyterians have always looked outside themselves and their own concerns to work to fulfill Christ’s Great Commission. Today the mission field is also in our own backyard as we seek to share the gospel with the almost 50% of Americans not connected with any local church.
Presbyterians are a people of the mind.
Presbyterians believe that the mind is a terrible thing to waste. God has given us our minds as gracious gifts. Our reasoning faculties ought to be trained for the service of God. This is why ministers in the Presbyterian Church are held to the highest academic standards. It is why the training of elders and Sunday School teachers is so very important in the Presbyterian church. It is why we encourage everyone to grow in knowledge of the Bible, church history, theology, and an understanding of the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life.
Presbyterians have two sacraments.
The Presbyterian Church does not have many ceremonies and rituals. This is because we do not want to distract from the two most important ceremonies Christ left to the church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe these are the only two ceremonies, which we call sacraments, which Christ instituted for the church throughout the ages. Baptism is administered only once as a sign of our forgiveness from sin and our entrance into the family of God. We administer baptism to infants and children in anticipation of their faith and with the promise of parents to raise them in the “training and instruction of the Lord.” We administer the Sacrament of Baptism to adults upon their public profession of faith. The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is repeated often in the Presbyterian Church. Our congregation celebrates it on the first Sunday of every month. This ceremony reminds us, over and over, that we need the spiritual nourishment Christ brings to us and that Christ, our living Savior, is present with us, now and in the future.
The History of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church
The EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church) is an expression of the Protestant Reformation led by John Calvin in Switzerland in the 100's that was subsequently developed by John Knox in Scotland in the same century. Responding to what they saw as a denial of the gospel and the corruption of the Roman Church, they called for reform that was explicitly based on the Bible as the authoritative Word of God.
While reacting to the abuses of the church in the 16th century, the Reformed wing of the Reformation has roots extending back to Bernard of Clairvaux of the 12th and And Augustine of the 4th Centuries. The Reformed movement spread throughout western and northern Europe in the 17th century - the Westminster Confession of Faith was written at mid-century in England. Our spiritual ancestors came to North America during the 17th century. Francis Makemie, Jonathan Dickinson and William Tennent were leaders who helped establish the Presbyterian church in North America, where the first presbytery was formed in 1709. A link in our historical chain is Jonathan Edwards, who triggered the First Great Awakening in New England in the mid 18th century.
IN THE BEGINNING
In late1980, a group of pastors and elders began meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, for prayer and planning. They came from the two mainline Presbyterian denominations at the time. The United Presbyterian Church of the USA (UPCUSA - the "northern church") and the Presbyterian Church US (PCUS - the 'southern church"). These leaders had become increasingly distressed by theological liberalism and institutional resistance to change in their denominations. They wanted for form a Church that took seriously the Bible, the theology of the historic confessions of the faith, and the evangelical fervor of the founders of American Presbyterianism. They envisioned a denomination that was really evangelical and really Presbyterian hence the name. In addition, the motto, "In Essentials Unity, In Non-essentials Liberty, in All Things Charity; Truth in Love," was adopted.
IN ESSENTIALS - UNITY
Six months later, the EOC's first General Assembly met at Ward Presbyterian Church near Detroit, with 12 churches represented. To ensure that the ideals of faith would remain foundational to the new denomination, the Assembly drafted an intentionally brief list of essential beliefs. The Essentials of our Faith" define a church that is biblical and orthodox in theology, Presbyterian in Church government, and evangelical in sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
IN NON-ESSENTIALS - LIBERTY
Even though our founders valued purity of faith, they wisely saw the danger of division over non-essential issues. To protect the new denomination from needless strife, the founders promoted an understanding of freedom in which less essential matters were left to the conscience of individual churches and believers. This understanding includes such matters as freedom of a local church to elect its own officers, to exercise spiritual gifts, to worship, and to determine its philosophy of ministry. Our EPC churches study the Scriptures and make their own decisions about these issues. At presbytery (regional) and General Assembly (national) meetings, church leaders take for granted that they will work and worship with other leaders who differ with them on these and other non-essential matters.
IN ALL THINGS - CHARITY (TRUTH IN LOVE)
The final statement of our motto speaks of love. We are fellow pilgrims, walking together with our Lord. We have individually received His charity toward us, so we extend that charity to each other. We speak the truth to define our faith and share it with others. We speak that truth with love for our brothers and sisters, and for our Savior and Lord.
A PRESENT AND FUTURE HOPE
The EPC slowly grew throughout the 1980's and 1990's. most of this growth came from churches departing the mainline Presbyterian bodies. In addition, successful church planting was occurring. The EPC went global in 1987, when churches in Argentina formed a presbytery that joined us. In 2004, this presbytery was released as a national church with which we enjoy fraternal relations.
At the beginning of the new century, a sense of unease and dissatisfaction became evident as leaders concluded that "doing church" in the 21st century was different from doing it in the 20th century. the 2005 General Assembly created a Long Range Planning Committee to explore the future of the denomination. This committee discovered and embraced "missional" as a key element of effective church ministry and outreach in the 21st century. "Missional" was added to the commitments of the EPC in 2009 - the EPC is a denomination of Presbyterian, Reformed, Evangelical and Missional churches.
While the EPC was discussing missional church, the New Wineskins (a renewal group among mainline Presbyterians) was doing the same. In 2006, leaders of the EPC and the New Wineskins met for the first time. What ultimately resulted was the 2007 creation of transitional presbyteries and transitional membership for churches and ministers seeking to depart their current denomination and come to the EPC. In 2007, there were 182 churches with approximately 7,000 members in the EPC. By August 2015, there were 70 churches in the denomination. By July 2019, the EPC had grown to 630 churches with approximately 145,000 members.
We believe that God created the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to be a significant part of His plan for the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the earth, the expansion of His Kingdom, and the renewal of believers. It is our conviction that, like the ancient Queen Esther, God has brought us together for such a time as this.
The EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church) is an expression of the Protestant Reformation led by John Calvin in Switzerland in the 100's that was subsequently developed by John Knox in Scotland in the same century. Responding to what they saw as a denial of the gospel and the corruption of the Roman Church, they called for reform that was explicitly based on the Bible as the authoritative Word of God.
While reacting to the abuses of the church in the 16th century, the Reformed wing of the Reformation has roots extending back to Bernard of Clairvaux of the 12th and And Augustine of the 4th Centuries. The Reformed movement spread throughout western and northern Europe in the 17th century - the Westminster Confession of Faith was written at mid-century in England. Our spiritual ancestors came to North America during the 17th century. Francis Makemie, Jonathan Dickinson and William Tennent were leaders who helped establish the Presbyterian church in North America, where the first presbytery was formed in 1709. A link in our historical chain is Jonathan Edwards, who triggered the First Great Awakening in New England in the mid 18th century.
IN THE BEGINNING
In late1980, a group of pastors and elders began meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, for prayer and planning. They came from the two mainline Presbyterian denominations at the time. The United Presbyterian Church of the USA (UPCUSA - the "northern church") and the Presbyterian Church US (PCUS - the 'southern church"). These leaders had become increasingly distressed by theological liberalism and institutional resistance to change in their denominations. They wanted for form a Church that took seriously the Bible, the theology of the historic confessions of the faith, and the evangelical fervor of the founders of American Presbyterianism. They envisioned a denomination that was really evangelical and really Presbyterian hence the name. In addition, the motto, "In Essentials Unity, In Non-essentials Liberty, in All Things Charity; Truth in Love," was adopted.
IN ESSENTIALS - UNITY
Six months later, the EOC's first General Assembly met at Ward Presbyterian Church near Detroit, with 12 churches represented. To ensure that the ideals of faith would remain foundational to the new denomination, the Assembly drafted an intentionally brief list of essential beliefs. The Essentials of our Faith" define a church that is biblical and orthodox in theology, Presbyterian in Church government, and evangelical in sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
IN NON-ESSENTIALS - LIBERTY
Even though our founders valued purity of faith, they wisely saw the danger of division over non-essential issues. To protect the new denomination from needless strife, the founders promoted an understanding of freedom in which less essential matters were left to the conscience of individual churches and believers. This understanding includes such matters as freedom of a local church to elect its own officers, to exercise spiritual gifts, to worship, and to determine its philosophy of ministry. Our EPC churches study the Scriptures and make their own decisions about these issues. At presbytery (regional) and General Assembly (national) meetings, church leaders take for granted that they will work and worship with other leaders who differ with them on these and other non-essential matters.
IN ALL THINGS - CHARITY (TRUTH IN LOVE)
The final statement of our motto speaks of love. We are fellow pilgrims, walking together with our Lord. We have individually received His charity toward us, so we extend that charity to each other. We speak the truth to define our faith and share it with others. We speak that truth with love for our brothers and sisters, and for our Savior and Lord.
A PRESENT AND FUTURE HOPE
The EPC slowly grew throughout the 1980's and 1990's. most of this growth came from churches departing the mainline Presbyterian bodies. In addition, successful church planting was occurring. The EPC went global in 1987, when churches in Argentina formed a presbytery that joined us. In 2004, this presbytery was released as a national church with which we enjoy fraternal relations.
At the beginning of the new century, a sense of unease and dissatisfaction became evident as leaders concluded that "doing church" in the 21st century was different from doing it in the 20th century. the 2005 General Assembly created a Long Range Planning Committee to explore the future of the denomination. This committee discovered and embraced "missional" as a key element of effective church ministry and outreach in the 21st century. "Missional" was added to the commitments of the EPC in 2009 - the EPC is a denomination of Presbyterian, Reformed, Evangelical and Missional churches.
While the EPC was discussing missional church, the New Wineskins (a renewal group among mainline Presbyterians) was doing the same. In 2006, leaders of the EPC and the New Wineskins met for the first time. What ultimately resulted was the 2007 creation of transitional presbyteries and transitional membership for churches and ministers seeking to depart their current denomination and come to the EPC. In 2007, there were 182 churches with approximately 7,000 members in the EPC. By August 2015, there were 70 churches in the denomination. By July 2019, the EPC had grown to 630 churches with approximately 145,000 members.
We believe that God created the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to be a significant part of His plan for the proclamation of the gospel to the ends of the earth, the expansion of His Kingdom, and the renewal of believers. It is our conviction that, like the ancient Queen Esther, God has brought us together for such a time as this.