Our Denomination
Escondido OPC is a congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a denomination committed to the authority of Scripture, the Reformed faith, and the mission Christ has given his church.
A Brief History
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church began in 1936 during a difficult period in American Presbyterianism. At the center of the controversy was a basic question: would the church continue to hold firmly to the authority of Scripture and the historic truths of the Christian faith?
One of the leading figures was J. Gresham Machen, a New Testament scholar who had taught at Princeton Theological Seminary and later helped establish Westminster Theological Seminary. Machen and others believed that growing theological liberalism within the Church was undermining doctrines the church had long confessed, including the inspiration of Scripture, the virgin birth of Christ, and his saving work on the cross.
Eventually, Machen and a number of other ministers and congregations formed a new denomination committed to Scripture and the Reformed faith. It was first called the Presbyterian Church of America, but the name was changed to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 1939.
Since then, the OPC has remained a relatively small denomination, but one deeply committed to faithful preaching, church planting, Christian education, and missions. Its churches continue to confess the Reformed faith summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms while seeking to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ at home and abroad.
Orthodox
The word orthodox means “right” or “sound” belief. It expresses our desire to receive and hold faithfully the Christian faith taught in Scripture and confessed by Christ’s church through the centuries. We gladly stand with the historic church in confessing the Trinity, the full deity and humanity of Christ, his death and resurrection, and salvation through Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone.
In our name, Orthodox does not mean Eastern Orthodox. The OPC is a Protestant and Reformed church, committed to the sole authority of Scripture and to the historic Christian faith as summarized in the Westminster Standards.
What Does Our Name Mean?
Presbyterian
The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbyteros, meaning “elder.” Throughout Scripture, God provides elders to shepherd and oversee his people, and the New Testament calls churches to appoint qualified men to this work (1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9).
At Escondido OPC, Christ alone is the Head of the church, and he cares for his people through the officers he has appointed. Our teaching elders, or pastors, labor especially in preaching and teaching the Word, while our ruling elders join them in shepherding and overseeing the congregation. Together, the pastor and ruling elders form the session, which cares for the spiritual life of the local church. Our deacons serve the congregation especially in ministries of mercy and practical care.
Presbyterian churches are also connected to one another. Our elders and ministers share in the work of the presbytery, and the churches together participate in the General Assembly, providing mutual accountability, care, and cooperation in the work of Christ’s church.
Church
The church is more than a building, a weekly event, or a collection of individuals who happen to share similar beliefs. Christ gathers a people to himself and joins them together as his body, where the gospel is proclaimed and his people are built up in faith and love as they are conformed more and more to the image of Christ.
For that reason, the life of the church centers on the ordinary things Christ has given his people: the preaching of his Word, the sacraments, prayer, worship, fellowship, and the loving care of one another. We gather each Lord’s Day to receive God’s gifts together and are then sent into our homes, vocations, and communities to live faithfully as his people.
Learn More About the OPC
As part of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Escondido OPC shares in the work of Worldwide Outreach through Christian Education, Home Missions, and Foreign Missions.
Together, these ministries strengthen the church through teaching and discipleship, establish new congregations at home, and carry the gospel to the nations.