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Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Pentecostal

A side-by-side comparison of Presbyterian / Reformed and Pentecostal teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.

Presbyterian / Reformed

The Reformed tradition follows the teaching of John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and their heirs, and Presbyterian churches are its best-known family. It stresses the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and government by elders (presbyters).

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Pentecostal

Pentecostalism began in the early 1900s, notably at the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles. It teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in Acts and 1 Corinthians, including tongues and healing, are active today. It is among the fastest-growing Christian movements.

More about Pentecostal Christianity

At a glance

Where they differ: Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Style of worship.

Varies within one or both: Church government; Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.

Side by side

Question	Presbyterian / Reformed	Pentecostal
Authority: Scripture and traditionAgree	Scripture alone is the supreme authority. Confessions such as the Westminster Confession are subordinate standards that summarize its teaching.	The Bible is the inspired and final authority. Believers also expect the Holy Spirit to guide them personally, always tested against Scripture.
Books of the BibleAgree	66 books. The Westminster Confession says the Apocrypha is not inspired and has no authority in the church.	66 books.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons, as defined at Nicaea and Constantinople and restated in the Reformed confessions.	Most Pentecostals, including the Assemblies of God, are Trinitarian. A smaller “Oneness” wing rejects the doctrine and teaches that Father, Son and Spirit are modes of one person.
How a person is savedAgree	Justification by grace alone through faith alone, with salvation entirely God’s work from election to glory. Good works are the fruit and evidence of faith.	Saved by grace through faith in Christ, usually with an emphasis on new birth and a personal experience of conversion. It is often followed by a distinct experience called baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Can a saved person fall away?Differ	No. The “perseverance of the saints” holds that those whom God has truly chosen will be kept in faith to the end, though they may stumble seriously.	Most classical Pentecostal bodies, such as the Assemblies of God, hold that a believer can forfeit salvation, though some Pentecostals teach eternal security.
Predestination and free willDiffer	God unconditionally chose those he would save before the foundation of the world, which is the classic Calvinist position. Its five points are often summarized by the acronym TULIP.	Generally Arminian: Christ died for all, and each person can accept or refuse. A small number of Reformed Pentecostals hold to election.
BaptismDiffer	A sign and seal of God’s covenant promise. Infants of believers are baptized, generally by sprinkling or pouring, and baptism is not thought to save automatically.	Believer’s baptism by immersion, as an act of obedience and a public witness. Baptism is distinguished from baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Differ	Christ is truly present, but spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, for those who receive by faith. It is a sign and seal, not a change in the elements.	An ordinance in memory of Christ’s death. It is often marked with a sense of God’s presence and healing.
Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer	Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper.	Two ordinances, water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some Pentecostal groups add foot washing.
Church governmentVaries	Governed by elders. Each congregation is led by a session of elders, which belongs to a presbytery, then a regional synod and a national General Assembly.	Varies. The Assemblies of God combines congregational and presbyterian features, and the Church of God in Christ has bishops.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Varies. The PC(USA) ordains women as pastors and elders, while the PCA and other conservative bodies reserve those offices for men.	Varies. The Assemblies of God ordains women, and some other Pentecostal bodies reserve pastoral office for men.
Mary and the saintsAgree	Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus, and saints are remembered as examples. Prayer is directed to God alone.	Mary is honored as the mother of Jesus. Pentecostals do not pray to her or the saints.
Death, purgatory and hellAgree	Purgatory is rejected. Believers pass at once into Christ’s presence and await the resurrection. The unsaved face eternal punishment.	Believers go directly into Christ’s presence at death. Pentecostals hold to a literal heaven and hell and expect the return of Christ.
Style of worshipDiffer	Centered on the preaching of the Word. Worship is more sober than in Catholic or Lutheran churches and traditionally uses hymns and psalms, with some congregations now using contemporary music.	Expressive and Spirit-led, with lively music, spontaneous prayer, testimony and an openness to prophecy, tongues and healing.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries	The Spirit gives gifts to the church. Traditionally, many Reformed teachers held that miraculous gifts ended with the apostles (cessationism), while others, including charismatic Presbyterians, disagree.	All the gifts of the Spirit continue today. Most teach baptism in the Holy Spirit as a separate experience after conversion, and many teach speaking in tongues as the initial sign of it.
Day of worshipAgree	Sunday, called the Lord’s Day. Some Reformed churches apply the Sabbath commandment to Sunday strictly.	Sunday.
Best known for	The sovereignty of God, careful doctrine, government by elders and a long history of education and biblical scholarship.	Speaking in tongues, healing, lively worship and rapid growth in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.

Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Pentecostal