Frequently Asked Questions

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What do you believe?

As Christians we share a long heritage that connects us with other Christians throughout history, beginning in the sacred scriptures of the Bible, and grounded in both the Apostle's Creed and the Nicean Creed. As Presbyterians specifically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) we are guided by the confessions of the reformed tradition, specifically those found in the Book of Confessions, which can be found here.

Are you really a church?

The confessions mentioned above speak of a universal church that encompasses all Christians in all times and places. In this sense, we are decidedly a church--or at least part of it. On the other hand, particular churches in our denomination are organized and created according to a specific process described in the PC(USA) Book of Order, and bound to a geographic location within a Presbytery and a Synod. By this definition, we are not a church, but are rather a ministry officially connected to the Office of Evangelism & Growth of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Why do you use the word "Church" in your name?

One of our organizing tasks is to explore what it means to be a community of faith (in other words, a church) in a virtual environment. The environment may be virtual, but all of the people and relationships in our community are very real. By calling ourselves "church" we remind ourselves of this critical aspect of our mission. Finally, our name predates our affiliation with the PCUSA, and reflects the long-standing tradition in Presbyterian culture of naming the first gathering of believers in a new place "1st Presbyterian Church of XYZ." For those who find this problematic, you are more than welcome to think of 1PCSL as "1st Presbyterian Community of Second Life" or something similar.