Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), commonly referred to as PCUSA, is a prominent mainline Protestant denomination in the United States, comprising approximately 9,300 congregations and about 1.4 million members as of 2017. This church's governance is distinctive, as it operates through a representative structure involving elected elders and ordained ministers, a model that contrasts with other denominations such as Congregationalists and Roman Catholics. The name "Presbyterian" is derived from the Greek term for elder, reflecting this governance style, which emphasizes community leadership and decision-making.
Tracing its origins to the Protestant Reformation, specifically to the teachings of John Calvin and John Knox, PCUSA was established in the early 18th century in North America, with the first presbytery formed in Philadelphia in 1706. Throughout its history, the denomination has undergone various splits and reunions, often influenced by theological debates, social issues, and the ordination of women. The church has faced a decline in membership, particularly following significant votes on social issues, including same-sex marriage.
The core beliefs of PCUSA emphasize grace, original sin, and the sovereignty of God, with rituals primarily consisting of baptism and the Lord's Supper. Overall, PCUSA embodies a rich history and a complex structure, reflecting both its theological commitments and the challenges of contemporary religious life.
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Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Formation: 1529 CE; 1700s in the United States; 1983 Presbyterian Church (USA)
- Founders: Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin in Switzerland; John Knox in England and Scotland
The Presbyterian Church (USA), or PC(USA), is a large, mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States, one that is made up of about 8,517 congregations with around 1.1 million members, as of 2023. Along with the Lutherans and Congregationalists, Presbyterians trace their origins to the very beginning of the Protestant Reformation in Europe.
The Presbyterians are unique in their organization, insofar as elected elders, or presbyters, govern congregations alongside ordained ministers. This arrangement differs from that of the Congregationalists, who are governed by leaders within the congregation; Presbyterians are governed by elected lay leaders.
The name of the denomination comes from the Greek word for elder, which church founders took from the Bible. It specifically refers to the way the Presbyterian Church is governed, which is one of the three basic forms of Christian church government. Some are hierarchical, like the Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Methodist churches. Others are congregational, as in Baptist and Congregational churches. The third is representative, which is how the PC(USA) is organized.
In the PC(USA), church congregations elect the officers who will lead the congregation. This representative structure continues at every level of the PC(USA) organization. Congregations elect elders who serve on a governing board known as the Session. Each Session elects commissioners to attend meetings of the Presbytery. Presbyteries elect commissioners to attend meetings of the Synod and General Assembly. The structure of the US government somewhat resembles the model of Presbyterian churches.
Like many formerly mainstream Protestant churches, the PC(USA) has experienced a steady decline in membership. From 1996 through 2016, membership fell from 2.63 million to 1.48, a 43 percent decline. PC(USA) membership has not increased since the reunited church was formed in 1983. Controversial General Assembly votes since 2005 accelerated the decline in membership, most notably the vote in 2014 to allow same-sex marriage. Following that decision, some thirty-four thousand Black American congregations in fifteen different denominations broke their ties with the PC(USA). Likewise, many departing members of PC(USA) itself joined more conservative Presbyterian denominations. Most remaining PC(USA) congregations were small, with the majority of PC(USA) members concentrated in larger parishes.
History
The PC(USA) can trace its roots back to the period that saw the start of the Swiss Reformation, which occurred at almost the same time as Martin Luther’s efforts in Wittenberg, Germany. Both Presbyterian and Reformed churches have the same origins, with much of their theology derived from John Calvin’s sixteenth-century writings. The Presbyterian Church in America can trace its own development to the Reformed Church ideas that John Knox brought to England and Scotland.
Presbyterians settled on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the North American colonies and moved westward into the new lands in the 1630s. In 1706, seven Presbyterian ministers formed the Presbytery of Philadelphia, making it the first presbytery in the Americas. The Philadelphia Synod was formed in 1716.
In 1788, the Philadelphia Synod formed the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and adopted a constitution. According to the Presbyterian Historical Society, the General Assembly "included a form of government, a directory of worship, and subscription to the Westminster Confession and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms." The General Assembly’s first meeting was held in 1789. By the early 1800s, the Church had established its long-standing tradition of missions, both within the United States and abroad.
The representative nature of the denomination meant that individual congregations governed themselves as they saw best. Consequently, internal conflicts have been experienced by the Church almost from its founding. Presbyterian denominations have split and rejoined several times. In the 1800s, disputes—especially over slavery—divided the Church. In 1861, the southern and northern parts of the Church split. Both halves of the Presbyterian Church reunited in 1983, becoming a single PC(USA) denomination.
However, disagreements over such issues as the ordination of female clergy caused schisms. The role of women, combined with profound disagreements over the divinity of Jesus and the authority of scripture, caused a splinter group to leave the Church in 1973. The separatist group is now known as the Presbyterian Church in America. In 1980, the Evangelical Presbyterian Organization formed. The issue of same-sex marriage caused another schism in 2012. It was then that a new denomination formed—ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
The process of schism and reunion is an ongoing feature of Presbyterianism. However, like other mainline Protestant churches, the number of followers continues to shrink. PC(USA) has lost at least 1 percent of its congregants each year since 1966. Into the mid-2020s, PC(USA) continued to lose congregations and members.
Beliefs and Practices
The overriding belief of the PC(USA) is rooted in the same narrative as that of all other Christians. The offense of original sin is infinite, making its impact total and irremediable. Human pride completely corrupted all humanity forever. God was born as a human in Jesus out of love for humanity, and Jesus paid the price for human sin.
Presbyterians believe that there is nothing any human can do to remediate original sin. Humans cannot even accept God’s offer of forgiveness. God offers grace and responds to an individual’s reception of the offer. Everything is in God’s hands, nothing in the individual’s.
This idea is embellished by Calvinism. The best known of its tenets is the idea of double predestination, a phrase meaning that God decided, before the beginning of existence, the destiny of everything, including the salvation or damnation of every individual. The purpose of human existence is to glorify God.
Presbyterians have comparatively few rituals. They have only two sacraments—baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion or the Eucharist in other Christian denominations). Baptism, done at any age, is by aspersion rather than immersion.
The Presbyterian tradition is confessional, which means members give confessions of faith. Such a confession is not entirely individual because the community agrees on the theology of the confessions of its members. However, it is not like Roman Catholic confession. It is not expressed in atonement but as a declaration of faith. Within this tradition, many different approaches have been adopted by different Presbyterian denominations. In keeping with the representative structure of the Church itself, the potential variations are nearly endless.
In the end, each individual is destined for heaven or hell. Heaven is a state of blessedness. Saved individuals exist in the presence of God. No one can live a life free of sin, but the so-called elect or saints can exist in a state of blessedness as they pass through life, which is a journey toward heaven or hell. The elect experience the love of God and are aware that the point of existence is to glorify God, not to pursue one’s own happiness.
Bibliography
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Fortson, S. Donald. The Presbyterian Story. PLC Publications, 2012.
Longfield, Bradley J. Presbyterians and American Culture: A History. Westminster John Knox, 2013.
Lucas, Sean Michael. On Being Presbyterian: Our Beliefs, Practices, and Stories. P & R, 2006.
McKim, Donald K. More Presbyterian Questions, More Presbyterian Answers: Exploring Christian Faith. Geneva, 2011.
“PC(USA) Overall - Four Years at a Glance: Membership Diversity.” Church Trends, 4 Feb. 2025, church-trends.pcusa.org/overall/pcusa/diversity/5. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
“PC(USA) Overall - Year at a Glance: Membership.” Church Trends, church-trends.pcusa.org/overall/pcusa/membership/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
"Presbyterian and Reformed." Patheos, www.patheos.com/Library/Presbyterian. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Rumble, L. The Presbyterians. Radio Replies Press Society, 1948.
Scanlon, Leslie. "2017 PC (USA) Membership Statistics Released." The Presbyterian Outlook, 7 Sept. 2022, pres-outlook.org/2018/06/2017-pcusa-membership-statistics-released. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.