Key Takeaways
The big picture
Presbyterian Christianity is usually known for structured worship, strong Bible teaching, and shared leadership by elders. Pentecostal Christianity is usually known for lively worship and a strong focus on the Holy Spirit’s power today.
Christ’s presence is treated as serious in every case
Catholic teaching speaks of Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist in a way tied to sacrifice and to a change in what the bread and wine truly are. Many Presbyterians speak of a real spiritual presence: Christ truly meets believers by the Holy Spirit, without the idea that the bread and wine become Christ’s body and blood. Many Pentecostals treat Communion mainly as remembrance and obedience, while still expecting it to be a deep moment with God.
Heaven, purgatory, and hell often mark a clear line
Catholic teaching includes heaven, purgatory, and hell. Most Presbyterians and Pentecostals do not accept purgatory, and they speak instead of heaven and hell, with final judgment still ahead.
Local reality in January 2026
As of January 9, 2026, public listings point to two Presbyterian congregations in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico (North America): one commonly called Divine Savior Presbyterian Church, and one commonly called Prince of Peace National Presbyterian Church.
Story & Details
What this article is about
This article explains the difference between Presbyterian and Pentecostal Christianity in simple, careful words. It then turns to two Presbyterian congregations that public pages place in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico (North America), because real places help make big ideas feel clear.
Presbyterian: faith shaped by teaching and elders
Presbyterian churches belong to the wider Reformed family that grew from the Protestant Reformation. A key idea is shared leadership. Local congregations are guided by elders, not only by one leader. These elders sit in councils, and churches connect to wider councils beyond the local level.
In daily church life, this often means a calm order of worship, steady preaching, and careful teaching. The service may feel planned and balanced: prayer, Bible reading, sermon, and songs in a set flow. Many Presbyterians also care strongly about education, because they want faith to be understood, not only felt.
Historically, many Presbyterian ideas link to the work of Reformation leaders such as John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland (Europe). That history still shapes the way many Presbyterian churches talk about God’s grace, Scripture, and church order.
Pentecostal: faith shaped by the Holy Spirit’s power
Pentecostalism began in the early nineteen hundreds in the United States (North America) and spread quickly across the world. A key idea is a strong expectation that the Holy Spirit acts in clear ways today, not only in the past. Pentecostal churches often encourage believers to seek an empowering experience of the Holy Spirit, and many communities connect that with spiritual gifts.
In daily church life, this often means energetic music, spontaneous prayer, and space for testimonies. Some services include prayer for healing, or prayer that feels very direct and personal. The style can vary from one church to another, but the tone often stays the same: God is near, God speaks, and God strengthens believers for life and mission.
Christ’s presence in Communion: different language, real weight
The question “Is Christ present?” is not small. It goes to the heart of worship.
Catholic teaching speaks about the Eucharist as a memorial that also makes present Christ’s saving work, and it uses strong sacrificial language. It also teaches a real presence tied to the Eucharist in a way that is unique and objective.
Many Presbyterians speak with a different kind of seriousness. The bread and wine are not treated as changing into Christ’s body and blood. Yet the Lord’s Supper is not treated as “only a symbol,” either. Many Reformed and Presbyterian statements describe a real spiritual presence: Christ truly gives himself to believers by the Holy Spirit, and believers truly receive Christ by faith. The meal is often described as spiritual nourishment, and it calls for reverence and self-examination.
Many Pentecostal churches take Communion as an ordinance: an act of obedience and remembrance that Jesus commanded. The focus is often on gratitude and on the cross. In many Pentecostal settings, the moment can still feel intense and sacred, because the church expects God to meet people, convict, comfort, and renew. The typical difference is not “serious versus not serious.” The typical difference is the theological frame used to explain what is happening.
Coping with the afterlife question: heaven, purgatory, hell
The words are simple, but the ideas are heavy.
Catholic teaching includes purgatory: a final purification for some who die in God’s grace but still need cleansing. Catholic teaching also speaks of heaven as full communion with God and hell as final separation from God.
Most Presbyterians and Pentecostals do not accept purgatory. Classic Reformed teaching speaks of an intermediate state after death and before the final resurrection: the righteous are with God, and the wicked are separated from God, while the final judgment is still ahead. Many Pentecostal statements also emphasize final judgment and eternal separation from God for the unrepentant. Differences exist inside each tradition, but the usual pattern is clear: purgatory is a Catholic doctrine, not a standard Presbyterian or Pentecostal one.
Two Presbyterian congregations in Poza Rica
General theology becomes easier when it has local shape.
One public listing names a congregation commonly called Divine Savior Presbyterian Church and places it on Peru Street in Poza Rica. A phone number is published with that listing: 782 255 5272. Another public page connected with the same congregation also places it on Peru Street. These public pages give a practical starting point for a visit, even when some details vary between pages.
Another set of public pages points to a congregation commonly called Prince of Peace National Presbyterian Church. A public directory listing places it on Diez Street in Poza Rica and publishes a phone number: 782 824 1321. A public site for Prince of Peace also publishes a weekly schedule. On that site, Sunday activities include prayer at 8:30 a.m. local time / 3:30 p.m. in the Netherlands (Europe), worship at 9:00 a.m. local time / 4:00 p.m. in the Netherlands (Europe), Christian education at 10:30 a.m. local time / 5:30 p.m. in the Netherlands (Europe), and worship at 12:00 p.m. local time / 7:00 p.m. in the Netherlands (Europe). The same site lists midweek prayer and Bible study at 7:00 p.m. local time / 2:00 a.m. in the Netherlands (Europe) on the next day, and a nightly home devotion time at 9:00 p.m. local time / 4:00 a.m. in the Netherlands (Europe) on the next day.
Public pages are not always perfectly aligned, so a short message or call is often the simplest way to confirm the current schedule before arriving.
A tiny Dutch mini-lesson for a church visit
Dutch examples are kept in Dutch, with a clear meaning first and then a careful word-by-word guide.
A simple whole-sentence meaning: This is a polite way to ask for the address.
Dutch: Wat is het adres?
Word by word: Wat = what; is = is; het = the; adres = address.
Register note: neutral and everyday.
A simple whole-sentence meaning: This is a polite way to ask when the service starts.
Dutch: Hoe laat begint de dienst?
Word by word: Hoe = how; laat = late; begint = begins; de = the; dienst = service.
Register note: neutral and everyday.
A simple whole-sentence meaning: This is a polite thank-you.
Dutch: Dank u wel.
Word by word: Dank = thanks; u = you (polite); wel = well.
Register note: polite; often used with people not close friends.
Conclusions
The clearest difference
Presbyterian and Pentecostal Christianity can both be centered on Christ, Scripture, and worship, yet they often feel different in practice. Presbyterian life is often shaped by ordered worship, strong teaching, and shared leadership by elders. Pentecostal life is often shaped by energetic worship and a strong expectation of the Holy Spirit’s work and gifts today.
The most important shared point
Both traditions can treat Communion as sacred and meaningful, even when they describe Christ’s presence in different ways and do not use Catholic sacrificial language.
One local next step in January 2026
As of January 9, 2026, public pages point to two Presbyterian congregations in Poza Rica, Veracruz, Mexico (North America): a Divine Savior congregation and a Prince of Peace congregation. For a person who wants to understand Presbyterian faith on the ground, these two doors make the ideas concrete.
Selected References
[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/presbyterian
[2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pentecostalism
[3] https://pcusa.org/how-we-serve/churches-church-leaders/ruling-elders-deacons
[4] https://pcusa.org/sacraments-lords-supper-faqs
[5] https://ag.org/Beliefs/Position-Papers/Baptism-in-the-Holy-Spirit
[6] https://ag.org/Beliefs/Position-Papers/Final-Judgment
[7] https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_two/section_two/chapter_one/article_3/v_the_sacramental_sacrifice_thanksgiving%2C_memorial%2C_presence.html
[8] https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_three/article_12/iii_the_final_purification%2C_or_purgatory.html
[9] https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_three/article_12/iv_hell.html
[10] https://www.wrs.edu/assets/docs/Courses/Westminster%20Standards/WCF_29–Lords_Supper.pdf
[11] https://www.wrs.edu/assets/docs/Courses/Westminster%20Standards/WCF_32–After_Death_Resurrection_Dead.pdf
[12] https://www.allbiz.mx/iglesia-presbiteriana-el-divino_1R-782-255-5272
[13] https://ipardemexico.blogspot.com/2012/01/el-divino-salvador-poza-rica-ver.html
[14] https://www.comerciosenmexico.com/mx/4226007/iglesia-nacional-presbiteriana-principe-de-paz
[15] https://www.principedepaz.mx/inicio
[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uikO-Zmz3vo
Appendix
Key terms in plain words
Afterlife: Life beyond death in Christian belief, often discussed with ideas like judgment, heaven, and hell, and sometimes an intermediate state before the final resurrection.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit: A Pentecostal phrase for an empowering work of the Holy Spirit that many Pentecostals describe as distinct from conversion and often connect with speaking in tongues.
Communion: The Christian meal with bread and wine (or juice), also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist, understood in different ways across traditions.
Elder: In Presbyterian life, a congregational leader chosen to share spiritual oversight and governance, usually serving with other elders in a council.
Eucharist: A central Catholic term for Communion, taught as thanksgiving, memorial, sacrifice in a unique sense, and real presence.
Heaven: Final life with God, described as joy and full communion with God.
Hell: Final separation from God, described in many traditions as lasting and real.
Lord’s Supper: A common Protestant name for Communion, especially in Reformed and Presbyterian settings, often described as remembrance and spiritual nourishment.
Pentecostalism: A Christian movement that emphasizes the Holy Spirit’s work today, including spiritual gifts, and often encourages an empowering experience of the Holy Spirit.
Presbyterianism: A Reformed family of churches known for governance by elders and councils, and for a strong emphasis on preaching and teaching.
Purgatory: In Catholic teaching, a final purification after death for some who die in God’s grace and friendship, distinct from hell.
Reformed tradition: A Protestant tradition shaped by the Reformation, closely linked with Presbyterian history and theology, often associated with leaders such as Calvin.
Spiritual gifts: Gifts believed to be given by the Holy Spirit for the church’s life and mission, often highlighted in Pentecostal settings.
Transubstantiation: A Catholic term for the change taught to occur in the Eucharist, where bread and wine become Christ’s body and blood while appearances remain.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 