The primary standard of our church is the Word of God, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, our only infallible rule of faith and practice. Our secondary standards, subordinate to the Word of God, are the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, which contain the system of doctrine found in Scripture.

It is often asked, “Why a Creed or Confession... isn’t the Bible enough?” In response to this question, we whole-heartedly confess that the Bible is most certainly enough, and in fact, is the only infallible rule of faith and life. However, this answer elicits more questions, “What do you believe about the Bible?” “What do you believe about Christ?” Jesus even asks this simple question of His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter’s confession of faith is, “You are the Christ, the Son of God,” was his reply. So, in essence, a confession or a creed provides definition and substance to what a church or body of believers says when it claims to be a “Bible-believing” church.

When we say that the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms are our secondary standards, we simply mean that we believe the Bible to teach these certain truths.

Additionally, the standards of government, discipline, and worship, sometimes called the tertiary standards of the OPC, although subordinate to the Word of God, have been adopted as part of our constitution and, therefore, may not be neglected without resulting in serious impairment of the life of the Church.

The Constitution of the OPC:

The Word of God, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, and the Book of Church Order containing the Form of Government, the Book of Discipline, and the Directory for the Public Worship of God.