St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church (denomination)
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church is a Christian denomination in Argentina that began in 1829 when Scottish settlers arrived. The first church was in Monte Grande, Buenos Aires Province. At first it had ties to the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, but those ties were later cut. In 1838 the church opened St. Andrew's Scots School, which later helped establish the University of San Andrés.
By 2019 the church had about 1,000 members, 56 elders, 14 ministers and 10 congregations. Its main office is on Avenida Belgrano in Buenos Aires, with churches and missions in the City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Province, and Entre Ríos Province. The church follows Reformed theology and Presbyterian government.
St. Andrew's was once affiliated with the EPC denomination but left in 2008. It is now part of the World Communion of Reformed Churches and a member of the Argentine Federation of Evangelical Churches.
Beliefs and practice: the Bible is viewed as God’s special revelation and the only rule of faith and life, with freedom for individuals to interpret Scripture. The church affirms the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647) and its Larger and Shorter Catechisms as a precise summary of biblical doctrine.
Government: the church uses a Presbyterian form of church government with Elders. Its three courts are the Church Session, the Presbytery, and the General Assembly. The Church Session is elected by the congregation and meets regularly; the Presbytery includes teaching Elders and some ruling Elders and meets a few times a year; the General Assembly is the highest court. The church currently does not have a General Assembly. The governing book is the Book of Order.
Logo: the burning bush with the Latin motto nec tamen consumebatur, a symbol long associated with Presbyterianism, drawn from Exodus 3:2.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:06 (CET).