God's love, shared with all
Harbor View is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), reformed in tradition and always reforming. Here is the heart of what we hold to, how we worship, and how a Presbyterian church is led. You do not need to have it all figured out to belong here, so bring your questions with you.
What we hold to
Our vision is short, and it comes straight from Jesus: sharing God's love with all.
God's love comes first
Before anything we do, decide, or understand, there is God's love, given freely and never earned. Presbyterians call that grace, and everything else stands on it.
We follow Jesus Christ
We hold to his life and teaching, his death and resurrection, and his call to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Scripture leads us
We read the Bible together as the church's witness to God's Word, trusting the Holy Spirit to teach us through it, and we keep listening for what it asks of us now.
Faith shows up in love
Mark 12:31, the verse behind our vision, tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We take that as marching orders rather than a sentiment.
What that looks like here
What “Reformed” means
The Reformed tradition grew out of the sixteenth century Reformation, and its watchword is that the church is reformed and always to be reformed according to the Word of God. In practice that means holding our convictions seriously and holding them open to correction.
It also means we trust that God is sovereign and gracious, that salvation is God's gift rather than our own achievement, and that ministry belongs to the whole congregation and not only to the ordained.
Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Presbyterians observe two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. We baptize both infants and adults, because baptism is first of all a sign of God's grace reaching toward us, not a report on what we have accomplished.
At the Lord's Supper the table belongs to Christ rather than to us, and everyone who trusts him is welcome there, children included. Our pastor presides at both sacraments, and members of the congregation help serve.
How a Presbyterian church is led
The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word for elder. Our congregation is led by elders whom the congregation itself elects and ordains to serve on the Session, and our pastor serves as a teaching elder among them, equal in voice rather than set above them. The Book of Order asks that they lead with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.
We are also a connected church. Harbor View belongs to Charleston Atlantic Presbytery, which belongs in turn to a regional synod and to the national General Assembly, with checks and balances at every level. Presbyterians are fond of doing things decently and in order, and we come by the reputation honestly.
A big tent
The PC(USA) is often called a big tent. Our members arrive from many denominational backgrounds and hold a range of convictions, and that is by design. Presbyterians have long held that Christ is Lord of the conscience, which means there is room here to wrestle, to question, and to disagree in love.
Come as you are. You belong here.
From the wider church
Harbor View does not write its own doctrine. We share the confessions and the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and these are the primary sources if you would like to read further.
Who we are: the PC(USA) (opens in new tab)
The denomination's own introduction to its Reformed theology, history, representational leadership, and social witness.
The history of Presbyterianism (opens in new tab)
The PC(USA) Historical Society on where Presbyterians came from and how the denomination took shape.
The Book of Confessions (opens in new tab)
The creeds and confessions that shape Presbyterian belief, from the Nicene Creed through the Confession of Belhar. PDF.
The Book of Order (opens in new tab)
The church's constitution: how Presbyterian congregations worship, govern themselves, and stay accountable to one another. 2025 to 2027 edition, PDF.
Come and see for yourself
The best way to learn what a church believes is to sit with it on a Sunday morning. You are welcome exactly as you are.