I’m a Baptist by conviction, but most of my teachers have been Presbyterians. The pastor under whose ministry I was converted was ordained in the PCA. The pastor who mentored me in high school was a Presbyterian. The church elder whose mentorship and example has shaped my life for 35 years comes from a Dutch Reformed background. All my seminary professors were Presbyterians, and a quick survey of the books on my shelves indicates that most of them were written by Presbyterians. In fact, I think I’ve only had one senior pastor in my life who wasn’t a Presbyterian.
Put simply, I’ve learned quite a bit from thinkers, teachers, and theologians who come from a denomination different from my own. Here are a few things I’ve learned from Presbyterians:
1. THE CONTINUITY BETWEEN OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
While Baptists emphasize discontinuity, Presbyterians helpfully stress the unity that exists across the testaments with the purposes of God, the people of God, and the way of salvation. This insight unlocked the Old Testament for me and gave me two-thirds of my Bible back.
2. THE IMPORTANCE OF CHURCH CONNECTIONS
Did you know that Presbyterians refer to their elder boards as “the
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