Our Standards

When the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was formed in 1788, it adopted (with minor revisions) the Westminster Confession of Faith, Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1647), as its secondary standards (the Bible itself being the only infallible rule of faith and practice). Officers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church take a vow to “sincerely receive and adopt” these confessional documents “as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures.”

• Preface
• Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF)
• Larger Catechism (LC)
• Shorter Catechism (SC)

The following PDF documents contain the Confession and Catechisms with full Scripture proofs:

• Title page, contents and preface
• Westminster Confession of Faith with Scripture proofs
• Larger Catechism with Scripture proofs
• Shorter Catechism with Scripture proofs
• Scripture Index

The Confession of Faith and Catechisms with Proof Texts (hardbound book) is available for order here.

See also Modern English Study Version (a helpful paraphrase of the Confession of Faith, but not a part of our doctrinal Standards); First Catechism (for children); Larger Catechism bulletin inserts; table showing the American revisions to the Confession of Faith.