Grace South Bay
AI summary — doctrinal positions on this page are inferred by AI from this church's own public statements and may be inaccurate.
Inherited from denomination
What Presbyterian Church in America teaches
Positions bound by the denomination's confessional standards. This is what the tradition teaches; whether this specific congregation publicly holds each is a separate question — see Statements below.
Confessional standard: Westminster Confession of Faith · Westminster Larger Catechism · Westminster Shorter Catechism
Affirms
- Infant BaptismSTRONGWestminster XXVIII; Book of Concord SC IV; Council of Trent Session VII; Wesleyan Articles Art. XVII
- Marriage as one man and one womanSTRONGGenesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Permissibility of divorce and remarriagestandardMatthew 19:9 (adultery ground); 1 Corinthians 7:15 (abandonment ground). Practice varies.
Denies
- Apostolic SuccessionstandardCongregational and presbyterian polity reject the necessity of tactile episcopal succession.
- Assumption of MarystandardUniversal Protestant rejection — not attested in Scripture; not received as dogma.
- Homosexual practice and biblical sexual ethicsSTRONGRomans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10; historic universal Christian teaching.
- Immaculate ConceptionSTRONGUniversal Protestant + Orthodox rejection. Orthodox reject on the grounds that they hold prepurification at the Annunciation, not conception.
- Perpetual Virginity of MarystandardNatural reading of Matthew 13:55–56 (brothers of Jesus); typical modern Baptist / evangelical position.
- TransubstantiationSTRONGOrthodox reject the Aristotelian metaphysics; Lutherans use 'sacramental union'; 39 Articles Art. XXVIII rejects explicitly; Reformed/Baptist reject substance-change.
- Women in pastoral / ordained officeSTRONG1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34; historic apostolic practice.
Wrestles with
- Believer's BaptismstandardPaedobaptist bodies practice adult baptism on credible profession where infant baptism was omitted, but do not consider it normative.
- Pacifism vs. just-warweakDefault just-war framework — usually unwritten. Inheriting at weak confidence.
- Real PresencestandardCalvin's spiritual presence (genuinely present but not physically) is neither strong affirm nor deny; Anglican/Methodist typically hold a receptionist view.
- TheotokosweakConfessionally valid title (Ephesus is a received council) but not used devotionally; retained in liturgy where liturgy is retained.
In their own words
Statements
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> About Grace South Bay – Grace South Bay Open/Close Menu A Presbyterian church in Silicon Valley  Skip to content Home About Staff Find Us Careers Worship Watch Listen Sermons Sermon Archive Podcast Submit Podcast Quesitons Connect Connect Card Ministries All Ministries Women’s Ministry Men’s Ministries Events Compassion Give Ways to Give Prayer Requests About Grace South Bay We exist to Gather the convinced and unconvinced into community where we Grow together as Jesus does His work of forgiving and renewing and then Go out tSource ↗
about_us
<!DOCTYPE html> Staff – Grace South Bay Open/Close Menu A Presbyterian church in Silicon Valley  Skip to content Home About Staff Find Us Careers Worship Watch Listen Sermons Sermon Archive Podcast Submit Podcast Quesitons Connect Connect Card Ministries All Ministries Women’s Ministry Men’s Ministries Events Compassion Give Ways to Give Prayer Requests Staff Grace South Bay Staff Bex Ballinger Elementary Co-Coordinator gracekidselementary@gracesouthbay.com Sandee Carlson Youth Ministry Assistant Bob Crossland Pastor bob@gracesouthSource ↗
about
About Grace South Bay – Grace South Bay Open/Close Menu A Presbyterian church in Silicon Valley  Skip to content Home About Staff Find Us Careers Worship Watch Listen Sermons Sermon Archive Podcast Submit Podcast Quesitons Connect Connect Card Ministries All Ministries Women’s Ministry Men’s Ministries Events Compassion Give Ways to Give Prayer Requests About Grace South Bay We exist to Gather the convinced and unconvinced into community where we Grow together as Jesus does His work of forgiving and renewing and then Go out to live for a story bigger than ourselves. Gather, Grow,Source ↗
about
Staff – Grace South Bay Open/Close Menu A Presbyterian church in Silicon Valley  Skip to content Home About Staff Find Us Careers Worship Watch Listen Sermons Sermon Archive Podcast Submit Podcast Quesitons Connect Connect Card Ministries All Ministries Women’s Ministry Men’s Ministries Events Compassion Give Ways to Give Prayer Requests Staff Grace South Bay Staff Bex Ballinger Elementary Co-Coordinator gracekidselementary@gracesouthbay.com Sandee Carlson Youth Ministry Assistant Bob Crossland Pastor bob@gracesouthbay.com Erin Crossland Nursery Coordinator erin@gracesouthbay.comSource ↗
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