The name "Presbyterian" reflects not a commitment to a certain doctrine, but to a way of being together in community -- the way of shared power.  "Presbyterian" is derived from the Greek word presbyter (elder), which refers to the ordainable offices of leadership in the church.  A "presbyter" or "elder" is one of two types: 1) those who minister through the office of of "elder," or 2) those who minister through the office of "word and sacrament."

These two offices are equally ordained and they have equal voting power throughout the church; their ministry differs only in its function.  To emphasize this, the formal way of referring to these two offices is "ruling elder" (ordained elder) and "teaching elder" (ordained minister of the word and sacrament).  The Reformed tradition is the only Christian tradition in the world that ordains lay persons to a status equal with its clergy, without requiring formal seminary training.

Whether an elder minister or a word and sacrament minister, every presbyter is called by God, chosen by God's people, and then ordained for life to his or her office of leadership in the church.  The Reformed tradition seeks to balance its voting power equally between lay persons and clergy at all levels of church government.  That is, each presbyter has equal speaking and voting power in the local church and at every level of denominational government; and in each level of government beyond the local congregation (Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly), the denomination demands equal numbers of lay presbyters and clergy presbyters.  Every presbyter is considered to be a minister of the Gospel by the authority of Jesus Christ, through the will of the priesthood of believers.

In the local church, these presbyters (elders and clergy) make up the "session" and govern the life of the congregation.  This commitment to "representative democracy" (distinct from the "pure" democracy of congregationalism and the hierarchical system of an episcopacy) reflects the Reformed tradition's extreme concern that the consolidation of power is the "breeding ground" for sin.