Through the centuries, Presbyterian candidates for ordination are asked if they “receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed tradition.” Yet, through most of the church’s history, these “essentials” have not been explicitly stated. To provide unity to the church, details of its shared covenant of faith, and clear direction for ministry candidates and church leaders, the Essential Tenets were written and made part of the ECO Presbyterians Constitution. This class will look these in detail at the Essential Tenets and the Reformed theology from which they were drawn. The class will be taught by Laura Smit, the principal writer of the Essential Tenets.