Our Confessional Standards
Grace OPC is a confessional church. That is, we set forth in summary statements what we understand the Scriptures to teach. These confessional documents are not above the Bible; the Bible alone is our infallible standard. The confessions serve as faithful, secondary summaries of the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures, and our officers vow to receive and adopt them sincerely.
The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)
The Confession sets out the Reformed understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, the church, and the Christian life. It was produced by the Westminster Assembly and was later adopted, with minor revisions, by American Presbyterians. It remains the primary doctrinal standard of our church.
The Larger Catechism (1647)
Written as a fuller instructional tool, the Larger Catechism explains Reformed theology in greater depth. It is especially helpful for teaching and for the careful study of Christian doctrine and duty.
The Shorter Catechism (1647)
The Shorter Catechism is a concise summary of the faith, prepared for wider use and for instructing children and new believers. Its opening question, that our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever, captures the heart of the Christian life.
Together these standards summarize the core teachings of the Reformed faith that we hold and proclaim.
The 2025 Modern English Study Version
We want every member of our congregation, young and old alike, to be able to read and study the doctrinal standards of our church. For that reason we provide the 2025 Modern English Study Version of the Westminster Standards, along with comparisons that place the modern wording next to the official constitutional text. You may read each document in your browser or download it as a PDF.
Modern English Study Version
The Confession of Faith
The Westminster Confession of Faith put into clear present day English so that it can be read and studied with ease, while keeping faithfully to the meaning of the constitutional text.
The Larger Catechism
The Westminster Larger Catechism in present day English. It gives a fuller account of Reformed doctrine and Christian duty and is well suited to careful study and teaching.
Two Column Comparisons
These documents place the constitutional text and the 2025 Modern English Study Version side by side in two columns.
The Confession of Faith
The official constitutional text of the Confession set beside the 2025 Modern English Study Version so the two can be read together.
The Larger Catechism
The constitutional text of the Larger Catechism placed next to the 2025 Modern English Study Version in two columns.
These documents are published by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. If the preview above does not load, use the View PDF or Download button for The Confession of Faith.