First Presbyterian Church of Lockhart, Texas

What Presbyterians Believe

How did the Presbyterian Church begin?

Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. Our heritage, and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings synthesized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him. Calvin did much of his writing in Geneva, Switzerland. From there, the Reformed movement spread to other parts of Europe and the British Isles. Many of the early Presbyterians in America came from England, Scotland and Ireland.

The first American Presbytery was organized at Philadelphia in 1706. The first General Assembly was held in the same city in 1789, and it was convened by the Rev. John Witherspoon, the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence.

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