 | The Reverend Doctor Cathy Northrup was born in Ft. Meade, MD, and was raised in a variety of places in the United State and Germany, as her father was in Counter Intelligence with the Army. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a double major in English and Religion. She graduated from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC, and practiced law with the Federal Reserve Board for a number of years before attending Union Theological Seminaryin Richmond, VA. She graduated from Union, and served several churches in North and South Carolina, at the same time obtaining her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Northrup is currently the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS. She is married and has two black Labrador dogs who were rescued from abusive situations. You can contact Dr. Northrup at cnorthrup@firstpresbywichita.org or by phone at (316) 263-0248, ext. 26. |
Religion
2008-05-01 13:20:00
Virgin Mary’s role in salvation
Question: I know each of you represents a different faith. Can you tell me, in accordance with your faith, how important is the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary towards one’s salvation?
Answer: In the Presbyterian Church (USA), there is not a required belief with respect to Mary for salvation. We understand that our salvation is a gift of God through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.
We do affirm the Apostles’ Creed which declares that Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” We also believe that Mary was a human being and a sinner. She is recognized for her great faith, however, answering the Lord when he called her through the angel, “Here I am, a servant of the Lord. Let it me to me according to your word.”
