Presbyterian Church (USA)

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PC (USA), is a

Presbyterian Church
mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the
largest Presbyterian denomination in the country. The Presbyterian (USA)
Church (USA) was established with the 1983 merger of the
Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were
located in the Southern and border states, with the United
Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose
congregations could be found in every state.

The similarly named Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is a

separate denomination whose congregations can also trace their
history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian
churches in the United States.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian Abbreviation PC (USA)

denomination in the United States,[2] having 1,140,665 active Classification Mainline
members and 18,173 ordained ministers (including retired ones)[3] Protestant
in 8,705 congregations at the end of 2022.[1] This number does not
include members who are baptized but not confirmed, or the Orientation Reformed

inactive members also affiliated.[4][5] For example, in 2005, the Theology Moderate
Presbyterian Church (USA) claimed 318,291 baptized but not Polity Presbyterian
confirmed members and nearly 500,000 inactive members in
Co-moderators Ruth Santana-
addition to active members.[6] Its membership has been steadily
declining over the past several decades; the trend has significantly Grace and
accelerated in recent years, partly due to breakaway Shavon Starling-
congregations.[7][8][9] Average denominational worship attendance Louis
dropped to 431,379 in 2022 from 748,774 in 2013.[10] Stated clerk Bronwen Boswell
(Acting)
History Associations National Council
of Churches
World
Origins
Communion of
Presbyterians trace their history to the Protestant Reformation in Reformed
the 16th century. The Presbyterian heritage, and much of its Churches
theology, began with the French theologian and lawyer John World Council of
Calvin (1509–1564), whose writings solidified much of the Churches
Reformed tradition that came before him in the form of the
sermons and writings of Huldrych Zwingli. From Calvin's Region United States
headquarters in Geneva, the Reformed movement spread to other Headquarters Louisville,
parts of Europe.[11] John Knox, a former Roman Catholic priest Kentucky
from Scotland who studied with Calvin in Geneva, took Calvin's Origin June 10, 1983
teachings back to Scotland and led the Scottish Reformation of
1560. Because of this reform movement, the Church of Scotland Merger of The Presbyterian
Church in the
embraced Reformed theology and presbyterian polity.[12] The United States
Ulster Scots brought their Presbyterian faith with them to Ireland, and the United
where they laid the foundation of what would become the Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church in Ireland.[13] Church in the
United States of
Immigrants from Scotland and Ireland brought Presbyterianism to
America
North America as early as 1640, and immigration would remain a
large source of growth throughout the colonial era.[14] Another Separations Presbyterian
source of growth were a number of New England Puritans who Church in
left the Congregational churches because they preferred America (PCA)
presbyterian polity. In 1706, seven ministers led by Francis (1973)[a]
Makemie established the first American presbytery at Philadelphia
Evangelical
in the Province of Pennsylvania, which was followed by the
Presbyterian
creation of the Synod of Philadelphia in 1717.[15]
Church (EPC)
The First Great Awakening and the revivalism it generated had a (1981)[b]
major impact on American Presbyterians. Ministers such as ECO: A Covenant
William and Gilbert Tennent, a friend of George Whitefield, Order of
emphasized the necessity of a conscious conversion experience
Evangelical
and pushed for higher moral standards among the clergy.[16]
Presbyterians
Disagreements over revivalism, itinerant preaching, and
(2012)
educational requirements for clergy led to a division known as the
Old Side–New Side Controversy that lasted from 1741 to Congregations 8,705 as of
1758.[17] 2022[1]
Members 1,140,665 active
In the South, the Presbyterians were evangelical dissenters, mostly
Scotch-Irish, who expanded into Virginia between 1740 and 1758. members
Spangler (2008) argues they were more energetic and held (2022)[1]
frequent services better attuned to the frontier conditions of the Official website pcusa.org (http
colony. Presbyterianism grew in frontier areas where the Anglicans s://pcusa.org)
had made little impression. Uneducated whites and blacks were
attracted to the emotional worship of the denomination, its a. ^ This denomination separated
emphasis on biblical simplicity, and its psalm singing. from PCUS before the merger.
b. ^ This denomination separated
Some local Presbyterian churches, such as Briery in Prince from UPCUSA before the merger.
Edward County, owned slaves. The Briery church purchased five
slaves in 1766 and raised money for church expenses by hiring them out to local planters.[18]

After the United States achieved independence from Great Britain, Presbyterian leaders felt that a national
Presbyterian denomination was needed, and the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
(PCUSA) was organized. The first general assembly was held in Philadelphia in 1789.[19] John
Witherspoon, president of Princeton University and the only minister to sign the Declaration of
Independence, was the first moderator.
Not all American Presbyterians participated in the creation of the PCUSA
General Assembly because the divisions then occurring in the Church of
Scotland were replicated in America. In 1751, Scottish Covenanters began
sending ministers to America, and the Seceders were doing the same by 1753.
In 1858, the majority of Covenanters and Seceders merged to create the
United Presbyterian Church of North America (UPCNA).[20]

19th century

In the decades after independence many American Protestants, including John Witherspoon, a
Calvinists (Presbyterians and Congregationalists), Methodists, and Founding Father of the
Baptists,[21][22] were swept up in Christian revivals that would later become United States and first
known as the Second Great Awakening. Presbyterians also helped to shape moderator of the
voluntary societies that encouraged educational, missionary, evangelical, and Presbyterian Church in
reforming work. As its influence grew, many non-Presbyterians feared that the the United States of
PCUSA's informal influence over American life might effectively make it an America
established church.[23]

The Second Great Awakening divided the PCUSA over revivalism

and fear that revivalism was leading to an embrace of Arminian
theology. In 1810, frontier revivalists split from the PCUSA and
organized the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.[24] Throughout
the 1820s, support and opposition to revivalism hardened into well-
defined factions, the New School and Old School respectively. By
the 1838, the Old School–New School Controversy had divided
the PCUSA. There were now two general assemblies each
claiming to represent the PCUSA.[25]

In 1858, the New School split along sectional lines when its
Southern synods and presbyteries established the pro-slavery
United Synod of the Presbyterian Church.[26] Old School
Presbyterians followed in 1861 after the start of hostilities in the
American Civil War with the formation of the Presbyterian Church
in the Confederate States of America.[27] The Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church and Manse
in the CSA absorbed the smaller United Synod in 1864. After the in Baltimore, Maryland
war, this body was renamed the Presbyterian Church in the United
States (PCUS) and was commonly nicknamed the "Southern
Presbyterian Church" throughout its history.[26] In 1869, the northern PCUSA's Old School and New
School factions reunited as well and was known as the "Northern Presbyterian Church".[28]

20th century to the present

The early part of the 20th century saw continued growth in both major sections of the church. It also saw
the growth of Fundamentalist Christianity (a movement of those who believed in the literal interpretation of
the Bible as the fundamental source of the religion) as distinguished from Modernist Christianity (a
movement holding the belief that Christianity needed to be re-interpreted in light of modern scientific
theories such as evolution or the rise of degraded social conditions brought on by industrialization and
urbanization).
Open controversy was sparked in 1922, when Harry Emerson
Fosdick, a modernist and a Baptist pastoring a PCUSA
congregation in New York City, preached a sermon entitled "Shall
the Fundamentalists Win?" The crisis reached a head the following
year when, in response to the New York Presbytery's decision to
ordain a couple of men who could not affirm the virgin birth, the
PCUSA's General Assembly reaffirmed the "five fundamentals":
the deity of Christ, the Virgin Birth, the vicarious atonement, the
inerrancy of Scripture, and Christ's miracles and resurrection.[29] Church of the Pilgrims (built 1929) in
This move against modernism caused a backlash in the form of the Washington, D.C.
Auburn Affirmation — a document embracing liberalism and
modernism. The liberals began a series of ecclesiastical trials of
their opponents, expelled them from the church and seized their
church buildings. Under the leadership of J. Gresham Machen, a
former Princeton Theological Seminary New Testament professor
who had founded Westminster Theological Seminary in 1929, and
who was a PCUSA minister, many of these conservatives would
establish what became known as the Orthodox Presbyterian
Church in 1936. Although the 1930s and 1940s and the ensuing
neo-orthodox theological consensus mitigated much of the
polemics during the mid-20th century, disputes erupted again
beginning in the mid-1960s over the extent of involvement in the
civil rights movement and the issue of ordination of women, and,
especially since the 1990s, over the issue of ordination of
homosexuals.

Mergers
The First Presbyterian Church in
Manhattan, New York City, seen from
The Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was
the south down Fifth Avenue
joined by the majority of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church,
mostly congregations in the border and Southern states, in 1906. In
1920, it absorbed the Welsh Calvinist
Methodist Church. The United Presbyterian
Church of North America merged with the
PCUSA in 1958 to form the United
Presbyterian Church in the United States of
America (UPCUSA).

Under Eugene Carson Blake, the

UPCUSA's stated clerk, the denomination
entered into a period of social activism and
ecumenical endeavors, which culminated in
the development of the Confession of 1967
which was the church's first new
confession of faith in three centuries. The Evolution of Presbyterianism in the United States
170th General Assembly in 1958
authorized a committee to develop a brief
contemporary statement of faith. The 177th General Assembly in 1965 considered and amended the draft
confession and sent a revised version for general discussion within the church. The 178th General
Assembly in 1966 accepted a revised draft and sent it to presbyteries throughout the church for final
ratification. As the confession was ratified by more than 90% of all presbyteries, the 178th General
Assembly adopted it in 1967. The UPCUSA also adopted a Book of Confessions in 1967, which would
include the Confession of 1967, the Westminster Confession and Westminster Shorter Catechism, the
Heidelberg Catechism, the Second Helvetic and Scots Confessions and the Barmen Declaration.[30]

An attempt to reunite the United Presbyterian Church in the USA with the Presbyterian Church in the
United States in the late 1950s failed when the latter church was unwilling to accept ecclesiastical
centralization. In the meantime, a conservative group broke away from the Presbyterian Church in the
United States in 1973, mainly over the issues of women's ordination and a perceived drift toward
theological liberalism. This group formed the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).

Attempts at union between the churches (UPCUSA and PCUS) were renewed in the 1970s, culminating in
the merger of the two churches to form the Presbyterian Church (USA) on June 10, 1983. At the time of
the merger, the churches had a combined membership of 3,121,238.[31] Many of the efforts were
spearheaded by the financial and outspoken activism of retired businessman Thomas Clinton who died two
years before the merger. A new national headquarters was established in Louisville, Kentucky in 1988
replacing the headquarters of the UPCUSA in New York City and the PCUS located in Atlanta, Georgia.

The merger essentially consolidated moderate-to-liberal American Presbyterians into one body. Other US
Presbyterian bodies (the Cumberland Presbyterians being a partial exception) place greater emphasis on
doctrinal Calvinism, literalist hermeneutics, and conservative politics.

For the most part, PC(USA) Presbyterians, not unlike similar mainline traditions such as the Episcopal
Church and the United Church of Christ, are fairly progressive on matters such as doctrine, environmental
issues, sexual morality, and economic issues, though the denomination remains divided and conflicted on
these issues. Like other mainline denominations, the PC(USA) has also seen a great deal of demographic
aging, with fewer new members and declining membership since 1967.

Social justice initiatives and renewal movements

In the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, the General Assembly of PC(USA)adopted several social justice
initiatives, which covered a range of topics including: stewardship of God's creation, world hunger,
homelessness, and LGBT issues. As of 2011 the PC(USA) no longer excludes Partnered Gay and Lesbian
ministers from the ministry. Previously, the PC(USA) required its ministers to remain "chastely in
singleness or with fidelity in marriage." Currently, the PC(USA) permits teaching elders to perform same-
gender marriages. On a congregational basis, individual sessions (congregational governing bodies) may
choose to permit same-gender marriages.[32]

These changes have led to several renewal movements and denominational splinters. Some conservative-
minded groups in the PC(USA), such as the Confessing Movement and the Presbyterian Lay Committee
(formed in the mid-1960s)[33] have remained in the main body, rather than leaving to form new, break-
away groups.

Breakaway Presbyterian denominations

Several Presbyterian denominations have split from PC(USA) or its predecessors over the years. For
example, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church broke away from the Presbyterian Church in the USA (PC-
USA) in 1936.

More recently formed Presbyterian denominations have attracted PC(USA) congregations disenchanted
with the direction of the denomination, but wishing to continue in a Reformed, Presbyterian denomination.
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), which does not allow ordained female clergy, separated from
Presbyterian Church in the United States in 1973 and has subsequently become the second largest
Presbyterian denomination in the United States. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), which gives
local presbyteries the option of allowing ordained female pastors, broke away from the United Presbyterian
Church and incorporated in 1981. A PC(USA) renewal movement, Fellowship of Presbyterians (FOP)
(now The Fellowship Community), held several national conferences serving disaffecting Presbyterians.
FOP's organizing efforts culminated with the founding of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical
Presbyterians (ECO), a new Presbyterian denomination that allows ordination of women but is more
conservative theologically than PC(USA).

In 2013 the presbyteries ratified the General Assembly's 2012 vote to allow the ordination of openly gay
persons to the ministry and in 2014 the General Assembly voted to amend the church's constitution to
define marriage as the union of two persons instead of the union of a man and woman, which was ratified
(by the presbyteries) in 2015. This has led to the departure of several hundred congregations. The majority
of churches leaving the Presbyterian Church (USA) have chosen to join the Evangelical Presbyterian
Church or ECO. Few have chosen to join the larger more conservative Presbyterian Church in America,
which does not permit female clergy.[34]

Youth

Since 1983 the Presbyterian Youth Triennium has been held every three years at Purdue University in West
Lafayette, Indiana, US, and is open to Presbyterian high school students throughout the world. The very
first Youth Triennium was held in 1980 at Indiana University and the conference for teens is an effort of the
Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the nation; Cumberland Presbyterian
Church; and Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, the first African-American denomination to
embrace Presbyterianism in the reformed tradition.[35]

Since 1907, Montreat, North Carolina has hosted a youth conference every year. In 1983, Montreat
Conference Center became a National Conference Center of the PC(USA) when the northern and southern
denominational churches reunited.[36]

Structure

Constitution

The Constitution of PC(USA) is composed of two portions: Part I, the Book of Confessions and Part II, the
Book of Order. The Book of Confessions outlines the beliefs of the PC(USA) by declaring the creeds by
which the Church's leaders are instructed and led. Complementing that is the Book of Order which gives
the rationale and description for the organization and function of the Church at all levels. The Book of
Order is currently divided into four sections – 1) The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity 2) The Form of
Government, 3) The Directory For Worship, and 4) The Rules of Discipline.

Councils

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has a representative form of government, known as presbyterian polity,
with four levels of government and administration, as outlined in the Book of Order. The councils
(governing bodies) are as follows:

1. Session (of a Congregation)

2. Presbytery
 3. Synod
4. General Assembly

Session

At the congregational level, the governing body is called the

session, from the Latin word sessio, meaning "a sitting". The
session is made up of the pastors of the church and all elders
elected and installed to active service. Following a pattern set in the
first congregation of Christians in Jerusalem described in the Book
of Acts in the New Testament, the church is governed by presbyters
(a term and category that includes elders and Ministers of Word and
Sacrament, historically also referred to as "ruling or canon elders"
because they measure the spiritual life and work of a congregation
and ministers as "teaching elders").[37]

The elders are nominated by a nominating committee of the

congregation; in addition, nominations from the floor are
Brick Presbyterian Church (New York
permissible. Elders are then elected by the congregation. All elders
City)
elected to serve on the congregation's session of elders are required
to undergo a period of study and preparation for this order of
ministry, after which the session examines the elders-elect as to
their personal faith; knowledge of doctrine, government, and
discipline contained in the Constitution of the church, and the
duties of the office of elder. If the examination is approved, the
session appoints a day for the service of ordination and
installation.[38] Session meetings are normally moderated by a
called and installed pastor and minutes are recorded by a clerk, who
is also an ordained presbyter. If the congregation does not have an
installed pastor, the Presbytery appoints a minister member or
elected member of the presbytery as moderator with the Bel Air Presbyterian Church in
concurrence of the local church session.[39] The moderator presides California
over the session as first among equals and also serves as a
"liturgical" bishop over the ordination and installation of elders and
deacons within a particular congregation.

The session guides and directs the ministry of the local church, including almost all spiritual and fiduciary
leadership. The congregation as a whole has only the responsibility to vote on: 1) the call of the pastor
(subject to presbytery approval) and the terms of call (the church's provision for compensating and caring
for the pastor); 2) the election of its own officers (elders and deacons); 3) buying, mortgaging, or selling
real property. All other church matters such as the budget, personnel matters, and all programs for spiritual
life and mission, are the responsibility of the session. In addition, the session serves as an ecclesiastical
court to consider disciplinary charges brought against church officers or members.

The session also oversees the work of the deacons, a second body of leaders also tracing its origins to the
Book of Acts. The deacons are a congregational-level group whose duty is "to minister to those who are in
need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the
community of faith." In some churches, the responsibilities of the deacons are taken care of by the session,
so there is no board of deacons in that church. In some states, churches are legally incorporated and
members or elders of the church serve as trustees of the corporation. However, "the power and duties of
such trustees shall not infringe upon the powers and duties of the Session or of the board of deacons." The
deacons are a ministry board but not a governing body.

Presbytery

A presbytery is formed by all the congregations and the Ministers of Word and Sacrament in a geographic
area together with elders selected (proportional to congregation size) from each of the congregations. Four
special presbyteries are "non-geographical" in that they overlay other English-speaking presbyteries,
though they are geographically limited to the boundaries of a particular synod (see below); it may be more
accurate to refer to them as "trans-geographical." Three PC(USA) synods have a non-geographical
presbytery for Korean language Presbyterian congregations, and one synod has a non-geographical
presbytery for Native American congregations, the Dakota Presbytery. There are currently 166 presbyteries
for the 8,705 congregations in the PC(USA).[40]

Only the presbytery (not a congregation, session, synod, or General Assembly) has the responsibility and
authority to ordain church members to the ordered ministry of Word and Sacrament, also referred to as a
Teaching Elder, to install ministers to (and/or remove them from) congregations as pastors, and to remove a
minister from the ministry. A Presbyterian minister is a member of a presbytery. The General Assembly
cannot ordain or remove a Teaching Elder, but the Office of the General Assembly does maintain and
publish a national directory with the help of each presbytery's stated clerk.[41] Bound versions are
published bi-annually with the minutes of the General Assembly. A pastor cannot be a member of the
congregation he or she serves as a pastor because his or her primary ecclesiastical accountability lies with
the presbytery. Members of the congregation generally choose their own pastor with the assistance and
support of the presbytery. The presbytery must approve the choice and officially install the pastor at the
congregation, or approve the covenant for a temporary pastoral relationship. Additionally, the presbytery
must approve if either the congregation or the pastor wishes to dissolve that pastoral relationship.

The presbytery has authority over many affairs of its local congregations. Only the presbytery can approve
the establishment, dissolution, or merger of congregations. The presbytery also maintains a Permanent
Judicial Commission, which acts as a court of appeal from sessions, and which exercises original
jurisdiction in disciplinary cases against minister members of the presbytery.[42]

A presbytery has two elected officers: a moderator and a stated clerk. The Moderator of the presbytery is
elected annually and is either a minister member or an elder commissioner from one of the presbytery's
congregations. The Moderator presides at all presbytery assemblies and is the chief overseer at the
ordination and installation of ministers in that presbytery.[43] The stated clerk is the chief ecclesial officer
and serves as the presbytery's executive secretary and parliamentarian in accordance with the church
Constitution and Robert's Rules of Order. While the moderator of a presbytery normally serves one year,
the stated clerk normally serves a designated number of years and may be re-elected indefinitely by the
presbytery. Additionally, an Executive Presbyter (sometimes designated as General Presbyter, Pastor to
Presbytery, Transitional Presbyter) is often elected as a staff person to care for the administrative duties of
the presbytery, often with the additional role of a pastor to the pastors. Presbyteries may be creative in the
designation and assignment of duties for their staff. A presbytery is required to elect a Moderator and a
Clerk, but the practice of hiring staff is optional. Presbyteries must meet at least twice a year, but they have
the discretion to meet more often and most do.

See "Map of Presbyteries and Synods".[44]

Synod
Presbyteries are organized within a geographical region to form a synod. Each synod contains at least three
presbyteries, and its elected voting membership is to include both elders and Ministers of Word and
Sacrament in equal numbers. Synods have various duties depending on the needs of the presbyteries they
serve. In general, their responsibilities (G-12.0102) might be summarized as: developing and implementing
the mission of the church throughout the region, facilitating communication between presbyteries and the
General Assembly, and mediating conflicts between the churches and presbyteries. Every synod elects a
Permanent Judicial Commission, which has original jurisdiction in remedial cases brought against its
constituent presbyteries, and which also serves as an ecclesiastical court of appeal for decisions rendered by
its presbyteries' Permanent Judicial Commissions. Synods are required to meet at least biennially. Meetings
are moderated by an elected synod Moderator with support of the synod's Stated Clerk. There are currently
16 synods in the PC(USA) and they vary widely in the scope and nature of their work. An ongoing current
debate in the denomination is over the purpose, function, and need for synods.

Synods of the Presbyterian Church (USA)

Synod of Alaska-Northwest
Synod of Boriquen (Puerto Rico)
Synod of the Covenant
Synod of Lakes and Prairies
Synod of Lincoln Trails
Synod of Living Waters
Synod of Mid-America
Synod of Mid-Atlantic
Synod of the Northeast
Synod of the Pacific
Synod of the Rocky Mountains
Synod of South Atlantic
Synod of Southern California and Hawaii First Presbyterian Church in
Phoenix, Arizona
Synod of the Southwest
Synod of the Sun
Synod of the Trinity

See also the List of Presbyterian Church (USA) synods and

presbyteries.[45]

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the highest governing body of the

PC(USA). Until the 216th assembly met in Richmond, Virginia in
2004, the General Assembly met annually; since 2004, the General
Assembly has met biennially in even-numbered years. It consists of
commissioners elected by presbyteries (not synods), and its voting
membership is proportioned with parity between elders and
Ministers of Word and Sacrament. There are many important
responsibilities of the General Assembly. Among them, The Book
of Order lists these four:

1. to set priorities for the work of the church in keeping with Cathedral of Hope in Pittsburgh
the church's mission under Christ
 2. to develop overall objectives for mission and a comprehensive strategy to guide the church
at every level of its life
3. to provide the essential program functions that are appropriate for overall balance and
diversity within the mission of the church, and
4. to establish and administer national and worldwide ministries of witness, service, growth,
and development.

Elected officials

The General Assembly elects a moderator at each assembly who

moderates the rest of the sessions of that assembly meeting and
continues to serve until the next assembly convenes (two years
later) to elect a new moderator or co-moderator. Currently, the
denomination is served by Co-Moderators Ruth Santana-Grace and
Shavon Starling-Louis who were elected at the 225th General
Assembly (2022). They followed Elona Street-Stewart and
Gregory Bentley, who were elected at the 224th General Assembly
(2020).[46] At the 223rd Assembly in St Louis, MO, Co-
Moderators Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Cindy Kohmann were
elected. See a complete listing of past moderators at another
Wikipedia Article.

A Stated Clerk is elected to one or more four-year terms and is

responsible for the Office of the General Assembly which conducts Fort Washington Presbyterian
the ecclesiastical work of the church. The Office of the General Church
Assembly carries out most of the ecumenical functions and all of
the constitutional functions at the Assembly. There have been four
Stated Clerks since reunion: James Andrews (1984–1996), Clifton
Kirkpatrick (1996–2008), Gradye Parsons (2008–2016), and J.
Herbert Nelson (2016–2023).[47]

Bronwen Boswell was appointed Acting Stated Clerk in June 2023

to serve the remaining year of Nelson's term. She will be ineligible
to apply for the stated clerk position in 2024, and will have limited
responsibilities focused primarily on completing plans for the 2024
GA and unification of the OGA and PMA.[48]

Nelson is the first African American to be elected to the office, and

is a third-generation Presbyterian pastor.[49] Nelson announced he
would not seek re-election to a third term,[50] and stepped down as
Stated Clerk in June 2023, a year before his second term ended.[51]
Reported tensions that likely influenced the decision to resign
include struggling efforts since 2016 to unify the OGA and PMA
agencies, and struggling efforts to return to normal following the First Presbyterian Church
pandemic.[52] (Plattsburgh, New York)
The Stated Clerk is also responsible for the records of the denomination, a function formalized in 1925
when the General Assembly created the "Department of Historical Research and Conservation" as part of
the Office of the General Assembly. The current "Department of History" is also known as the Presbyterian
Historical Society.[53]

Structure

Six agencies carry out the work of the General Assembly. These
are the Office of the General Assembly, the Presbyterian Publishing
Corporation, the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, the
Board of Pensions, the Presbyterian Foundation, and the
Presbyterian Mission Agency (formerly known as the General
Assembly Mission Council).

The Board of Pensions is the oldest and largest of the PCUSA

agencies, originally founded in 1717 as the Fund for Pious Uses.
The Board provides those who work for congregations and
affiliated ministries with healthcare, retirement, and income
protection benefits. With over $12 billion in assets, the Board of
Pensions is one of the largest Church Plans in the United States.
The General Assembly directly elects the Board of Directors and
the President. The current President is Rev. Dr. Frank Clark
Spencer. In addition to its benefits program, the Board's education
department runs CREDO conferences, the PCUSA's largest in
service education program for ministers. The Board's Assistance
Peachtree Presbyterian Church in
Program provides financial assistance in the form of income and
Atlanta, GA is currently the largest
housing supplements, emergency grants, and debt reduction to
PC(USA) congregation
current and retired members based on need.

The General Assembly elects members of the Presbyterian Mission

Agency Board (PMAB) (formerly General Assembly Mission Council). There are 48 elected members of
the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (40 voting members; 17 non-voting delegates), who represent
synods, presbyteries, and the church at-large.[54] Members serve one six-year term, with the exception of
the present Moderator of the General Assembly (one two-year term), the past Moderator of the General
Assembly (one two-year term), the moderator of Presbyterian Women (one three-year term), ecumenical
advisory members (one two-year term, eligible for two additional terms), and stewardship and audit
committee at-large members (one two-year term, eligible for two additional terms). Among the elected
members' major responsibilities is the coordination of the work of the program areas in light of General
Assembly mission directions, objectives, goals and priorities. The PMAB meets three times a year. The
General Assembly elects an executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency who is the top
administrator overseeing the mission work of the PC(USA). Past Executive Director of the PMA is Ruling
Elder Linda Bryant Valentine(2006-2015), and Interim RE Tony De La Rosa. Elected in 2018 is Teaching
Elder Diane Givens Moffett (2018– ).

The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) is the highest Church court of the
denomination. It composed of one member elected by the General Assembly from each of its constituent
synods (16). It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Synod Permanent Judicial Commission cases
involving issues of Church Constitution, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. The General
Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission issues Authoritative Interpretations of The Constitution of the
Presbyterian Church (USA) through its decisions.
www.ipc-usa.org/worship/

Affiliated seminaries

The denomination maintains affiliations with ten seminaries in the United States. These are:

Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas

Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia
Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville. Kentucky
McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Princeton Theological Seminary, the first chartered by the General Assembly, in Princeton,
New Jersey
San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, Marin County, California – Acquired
by University of Redlands (disputed)[55][56]
Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia and Charlotte, North Carolina
University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa

Two other seminaries are related to the PC(USA) by covenant agreement: Auburn Theological Seminary in
New York, New York, and Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

There are numerous colleges and universities throughout the United States affiliated with PC(USA). For a
complete list, see the article Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. For more information,
see the article PC(USA) seminaries.

While not affiliated with the PC(USA), Fuller Theological Seminary has educated many candidates for
PC(USA) ministry and its former president, Mark Labberton, is an ordained minister of the PC(USA).[57]

Demographics

When the United Presbyterian Church in the USA merged with the Presbyterian Church in the United
States there were 3,131,228 members. Statistics shows steadily decline since 1983. (The combined
membership of the PCUS and United Presbyterian Church peaked in 1965 at 4.25 million communicant
members.[58])

According to the PC(USA) data collection, active membership is defined as a member who has been
confirmed, or made similar profession of faith, has been baptized, and attends regularly.[59] The reported
data on active members do not include "inactive members."[60] In addition to active members, the
PC(USA) archives data on members who are baptized, but not confirmed, and who are inactive. For
example, in 2005, the PC(USA) reported 2.3 million active members, 318,291 baptized, but not confirmed,
members, and 466,889 inactive members; the total number of members in 2005 was 3.1 million.[61]

The PC (USA) has had the sharpest decline in their active membership among the Protestant denominations
in U.S.A. The denomination lost more than a million active members between 2005 and 2019. As of 2022,
the denomination has 1,140,665 active members and about 8,705 local congregations.[1]
The average local Presbyterian Church has 131 members (the mean in Year Membership pct change
2022).[63] About 21% of the total congregations report between 1 and
1984 3,100,951 −0.98
25 members. Another 22% report between 26 and 50 members.
Another 23% report between 51 and 100 members. The average 1985 3,057,226 −1.43
worship attendance of a local Presbyterian congregation is 50 (38% of 1986 3,016,488 −1.35
members). The largest congregation in the PC(USA) is Peachtree
Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with a reported membership
of 7,396 (2022). It was reported that about 32% of the Presbyterian
members nationwide are over 71 years old (2022). Membership,
attendance, and demographics may be skewed because about 20% of
local churches representing an estimated 10% of members (generally
smaller churches) did not report statistics in 2022.

Most PC(USA) members are white (89% in 2022). Other racial and
ethnic members include African-Americans (4.5%), Asians (3.7%),
Hispanics (1.5%), and others (1%). Despite declines in the total
membership of the PC(USA), the percentage of racial-ethnic minority
members has stayed about the same since 1995. The ratio of female
members (61%) to male members (39%) has also remained stable since
the mid-1960s.[70]

Beliefs
The Presbyterian Church (USA) adheres to Reformed theology.[71]
The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church teaches:

1. The election of the people of God for service as

well as for salvation;
2. Covenant life marked by a disciplined concern
for order in the church according to the Word of
God;
3. A faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and
seeks proper use of the gifts of God's creation;
4. The recognition of the human tendency to
idolatry and tyranny, which calls the people of
God to work for the transformation of society by
seeking justice and living in obedience to the
Word of God” (G-2.0500).[71]

Worship
The session of the local congregation has a great deal of freedom in the
style and ordering of worship within the guidelines set forth in the
Directory for Worship section of the Book of Order.[72] Worship varies
from congregation to congregation. The order may be very traditional
and highly liturgical, or it may be very simple and informal. This
variance is not unlike that seen in the "High Church" and "Low
Church" styles of the Anglican Church. The Book of Order suggests a
worship service ordered around five themes: "gathering around the
Word, proclaiming the Word, responding to the Word, the sealing of the
Word, and bearing and following the Word into the world." Prayer is 1987 2,976,937 −1.33
central to the service and may be silent, spoken, sung, or read in unison
1988 2,938,830 −1.30
(including the Lord's Prayer). Music plays a large role in most
PC(USA) worship services and ranges from chant to traditional 1989 2,895,706 −1.49
Protestant hymns, to classical sacred music, to more modern music, 1990 2,856,713 −1.36
depending on the preference of the individual church and is offered
prayerfully and not "for entertainment or artistic display." Scripture is 1991 2,815,045 −1.48
read and usually preached upon. An offering is usually taken.[73] 1992 2,780,406 −1.25

1993 2,742,192 −1.39

The pastor has certain responsibilities which are not 1994 2,698,262 −1.63
subject to the authority of the session. In a particular
1995 2,665,276 −1.24
service of worship the pastor is responsible for:
1996 2,631,466 −1.28
1. the selection of Scripture lessons to be read,
1997 2,609,191 −0.85
2. the preparation and preaching of the sermon or
exposition of the Bible, 1998 2,587,674 −0.83

3. the prayers offered on behalf of the people and 1999 2,560,201 −1.07
those prepared for the use of the people in
2000 2,525,330 −1.38
worship,
4. the music to be sung, 2001 2,493,781 −1.27

5. the use of drama, dance, and other art forms. 2002 2,451,969 −1.71
2003 2,405,311 −1.94
The pastor may confer with a worship committee in
planning particular services of worship. 2004 2,362,136 −1.83

2005 2,316,662 −2.10

— [W-1.4005]
2006 2,267,118 −2.05
The Directory for Worship in the Book of Order provides the directions 2007 2,209,546 −2.61
for what must be, or may be included in worship. During the 20th
2008 2,140,165 −3.23
century, Presbyterians were offered optional use of liturgical books:
2009 2,077,138 −3.03
The Book of Common Worship of 1906 2010 2,016,091 −3.03
The Book of Common Worship of 1932
2011 1,952,287 −3.29
The Book of Common Worship of 1946
The Worshipbook of 1970 2012 1,849,496 −5.26[62]
The Book of Common Worship of 1993 2013 1,760,200 −4.83[63]
The Book of Common Worship of 2018
2014 1,667,767 −5.54[64]
For more information, see Liturgical book of the Presbyterian Church 2015 1,572,660 −5.70[65]
(USA)
2016 1,482,767 −5.71
In regard to vestments, the Directory for Worship leaves that decision 2017 1,415,053 −4.56
up to the ministers. Thus, on a given Sunday morning service, a
2018 1,352,678 -4.41[66]
congregation may see the minister leading worship in street clothes,
Geneva gown, or an alb. Among the Paleo-orthodoxy and emerging 2019 1,302,043 -3.74[67]
church Presbyterians, clergy are moving away from the traditional
2020 1,245,354 -4.35[68]
black Geneva gown and reclaiming not only the more ancient Eucharist
2021 1,193,770 -4.14[69]

2022 1,140,665 -4.45[1]

vestments of alb and chasuble, but also cassock and surplice (typically a full-length Old English style
surplice which resembles the Celtic alb, an ungirdled liturgical tunic of the old Gallican Rite).

The Service for the Lord's Day

The Service for the Lord's Day is the name given to the general format or ordering of worship in the
Presbyterian Church as outlined in its Constitution's Book of Order. There is a great deal of liberty given
toward worship in that denomination, so while the underlying order and components for the Service for the
Lord's Day is extremely common, it varies from congregation to congregation, region to region.

Typical Presbyterian Church USA Order of Worship would look like this. This is taken from Madison
Avenue Presbyterian Church, NYC Order of Worship | Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (http://www.
mapc.com/worship/order-of-worship/) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20181116173414/http://ww
w.mapc.com/worship/order-of-worship/) November 16, 2018, at the Wayback Machine

The creation of the Service for the Lord's Day was one of the most positive contributions of the
Worshipbook of 1970. The Book of Common Worship of 1993 leaned heavily upon this service.

The Book of Common Worship The Book of Common Worship,1993 The Book of Common Worship The
Book of Common Worship, Daily Prayer 2018

Influence
Presbyterians are among the wealthiest religious groups and are
disproportionately represented in American business, law, and
politics.[74][75][65] Many of the nation's oldest educational
institutions, such as Princeton University, were founded by
Presbyterian clergy or were associated with the Presbyterian
Church.[76][77]

Historically, Presbyterians were overrepresented among American

scientific elite and Nobel Prize winners.[78][79] According to
Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States by Harriet Roxbury Presbyterian Church,
Zuckerman, between 1901 and 1972, 72% of American Nobel Boston
Prize laureates have come from a Protestant background, mostly
from Episcopalian, Presbyterian or Lutheran background.[79]

The Boston Brahmins, who were regarded as the nation's social and cultural elites, were often associated
with the American upper class, Harvard University;[80] and the Episcopal and the Presbyterian
Church.[81][82] Old money in the United States was typically associated with White Anglo-Saxon
Protestant ("WASP") status,[83] particularly with the Episcopal and Presbyterian Church.[84]

Many Presbyterians have been Presidents, the latest being Ronald Reagan;[85] and they represent 13% of
the U.S. Senate, despite being only 2.2% (under 0.4% as of 2021) of the general population.[86]
Presbyterians are among the wealthiest Christian denominations in the United States,[87] Presbyterians tend
also to be better educated and they have a high number of graduate (64%) and post-graduate degrees (26%)
per capita.[88] According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, Presbyterians ranked as the fourth
most financially successful religious group in the United States, with 32% of Presbyterians living in
households with incomes of at least $100,000.[89]

Missions
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has, in the past, been a leading United States denomination in mission
work, and many hospitals, clinics, colleges and universities worldwide trace their origins to the pioneering
work of Presbyterian missionaries who founded them more than a century ago.

In 2008, the church supported about 215 (70 as of 2021) missionaries abroad annually.[90] Many churches
sponsor missionaries abroad at the session level (the local church level), and these are not included in
official statistics.

A vital part of the world mission emphasis of the denomination is building and maintaining relationships
with Presbyterian, Reformed and other churches around the world, even if this is not usually considered
missions.

The PC(USA) is a leader in disaster assistance relief and also participates in or relates to work in other
countries through ecumenical relationships, in what is usually considered not missions, but deaconship.

Ecumenical relationships and full communion partnerships

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) determines and approves ecumenical statements,
agreements, and maintains correspondence with other Presbyterian and Reformed bodies, other Christians
churches, alliances, councils, and consortia. Ecumenical statements and agreements are subject to the
ratification of the presbyteries. The following are some of the major ecumenical agreements and
partnerships.

The church is committed to "engage in bilateral and multilateral dialogues with other churches and
traditions in order to remove barriers of misunderstanding and establish common affirmations."[91] As of
2012 it is in dialog with the Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church, the Korean Presbyterian Church in
America, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, and the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops. It also participates in international dialogues through the World
Council of Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The most recent international
dialogues include Pentecostal churches, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Orthodox Church in America,
and others.

In 2011 the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico, in 2012 the Mizoram Presbyterian Church[92] and in
2015 the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil along with the Evangelical Presbyterian and Reformed
Church in Peru severed ties with the PCUSA because of the PCUSA's teaching with regard to
homosexuality.[93]

National and international ecumenical memberships

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is in corresponding partnership with the National Council of Churches,
the World Communion of Reformed Churches,[94] and the World Council of Churches. It is a member of
Churches for Middle East Peace.

Formula of agreement

In 1997 the PCUSA and three other churches of Reformation

heritage: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the
Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ,
acted on an ecumenical proposal of historic importance, known as
A Formula of Agreement. The timing reflected a doctrinal
consensus which had been developing over the past thirty-two
years coupled with an increasing urgency for the church to
proclaim a gospel of unity in contemporary society. In light of
identified doctrinal consensus, desiring to bear visible witness to the
unity of the Church, and hearing the call to engage together in
God's mission, it was recommended:

That the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the

Presbyterian Church (USA), the Reformed Church in
America, and the United Church of Christ declare on
the basis of A Common Calling and their adoption of
this A Formula of Agreement that they are in full
communion with one another. Thus, each church is
entering into or affirming full communion with three
other churches.[95] Old Whaler's Church (Sag Harbor)

— Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Book of Order

(2009/2011), C-1

The term "full communion" is understood here to specifically mean that the four churches:

recognize each other as churches in which the gospel is rightly preached and the
sacraments rightly administered according to the Word of God;
withdraw any historic condemnation by one side or the other as inappropriate for the life and
faith of our churches today;
continue to recognize each other's Baptism and authorize and encourage the sharing of the
Lord's Supper among their members; recognize each other's various ministries and make
provision for the orderly exchange of ordained ministers of Word and Sacrament;
establish appropriate channels of consultation and decision-making within the existing
structures of the churches;
commit themselves to an ongoing process of theological dialogue in order to clarify further
the common understanding of the faith and foster its common expression in evangelism,
witness, and service;
pledge themselves to living together under the Gospel in such a way that the principle of
mutual affirmation and admonition becomes the basis of a trusting relationship in which
respect and love for the other will have a chance to grow.
The agreement assumed the doctrinal consensus articulated in A Common Calling:The Witness of Our
Reformation Churches in North America Today, and is to be viewed in concert with that document. The
purpose of A Formula of Agreement is to elucidate the complementarity of affirmation and admonition as
the basic principle of entering into full communion and the implications of that action as described in A
Common Calling.

The 209th General Assembly (1997) approved A Formula of Agreement and in 1998 the 210th General
Assembly declared full communion among these Protestant bodies.

National and international ecumenical memberships

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is in corresponding partnership with the National Council of Churches,
the World Communion of Reformed Churches,[96] Christian Churches Together, and the World Council of
Churches.

World Communion of Reformed Churches

As of June 2010, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches merged with the Reformed Ecumenical
Council to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The result was a form of full communion
similar to that outline in the Formula of Agreement, including orderly exchange of ministers.

Churches Uniting in Christ

The PC(USA) is one of nine denominations that joined to form the Consultation on Church Union, which
initially sought a merger of the denominations. In 1998 the Seventh Plenary of the Consultation on Church
Union approved a document "Churches in Covenant Communion: The Church of Christ Uniting" as a plan
for the formation of a covenant communion of churches. In 2002 the nine denominations inaugurated the
new relationship and became known as Churches Uniting in Christ. The partnership is considered
incomplete until the partnering communions reconcile their understanding of ordination and devise an
orderly exchange of clergy.

Current controversies

Homosexuality

Paragraph G-6.0106b of the Book of Order, which was adopted in 1996, prohibited the ordination of those
who were not faithful in heterosexual marriage or chaste in singleness. This paragraph was included in the
Book of Order from 1997 to 2011, and was commonly referred to by its pre-ratification designation,
"Amendment B".[97] Several attempts were made to remove this from the Book of Order, ultimately
culminating in its removal in 2011. In 2011, the Presbyteries of the PC(USA) passed Amendment 10-A
permitting congregations to ordain openly gay and lesbian elders and deacons, and allowing presbyteries to
ordain ministers without reference to the fidelity/chastity provision, saying "governing bodies shall be
guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates".[98]

Many Presbyterian scholars, pastors, and theologians have been heavily involved in the debate over
homosexuality over the years. The Presbyterian Church of India's cooperation with the Presbyterian
Church (USA) was dissolved in 2012 when the PC(USA) voted to ordain openly gay clergy to the
ministry.[99] In 2012, the PC(USA) granted permission, nationally,
to begin ordaining openly gay and lesbian clergy.[100]

Since 1980, the More Light Churches Network has served many
congregations and individuals within American Presbyterianism
who promote the full participation of all people in the PC(USA)
regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Covenant
Network of Presbyterians was formed in 1997 to support repeal of
"Amendment B" and to encourage networking amongst like-
minded clergy and congregations.[101] Other organizations of
Presbyterians, such as the Confessing Movement and the Alliance
of Confessing Evangelicals, have organized on the other side of the
issue to support the fidelity/chastity standard for ordination, which
was removed in 2011.

The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to allow same-sex marriages

on June 19, 2014, during its 221st General Assembly, making it Church of the Pilgrims in
one of the largest Christian denominations in the world to allow Washington, D.C. indicating its
same-sex unions. This vote lifted a previous ban, and allows support for LGBT rights
pastors to perform marriages in jurisdictions where it is legal.
Additionally, the Assembly approved amending the Book of Order
that would change the definition of marriage from "between a man and a woman" to "between two people,
traditionally between a man and a woman".

General Assembly 2006

The 2006 Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church,[102] in theory,
attempted to find common ground. Some felt that the adoption of this report provided for a clear local
option mentioned, while the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Clifton Kirkpatrick went on record as
saying, "Our standards have not changed. The rules of the Book of Order stay in force and all ordinations
are still subject to review by higher governing bodies." The authors of the report stated that it is a
compromise and return to the original Presbyterian culture of local controls. The recommendation for more
control by local presbyteries and sessions is viewed by its opposition as a method for bypassing the
constitutional restrictions currently in place concerning ordination and marriage, effectively making the
constitutional "standard" entirely subjective.

In the General Assembly gathering of June 2006, Presbyterian voting Commissioners passed an
"authoritative interpretation", recommended by the Theological Task Force, of the Book of Order (the
church constitution). Some argued that this gave presbyteries the "local option" of ordaining or not
ordaining anyone based on a particular presbytery's reading of the constitutional statute. Others argued that
presbyteries have always had this responsibility and that this new ruling did not change but only clarified
that responsibility. On June 20, 2006, the General Assembly voted 298 to 221 (or 57% to 43%) to approve
such interpretation. In that same session on June 20, the General Assembly also voted 405 to 92 (with 4
abstentions) to uphold the constitutional standard for ordination requiring fidelity in marriage or chastity in
singleness.

General Assembly 2008

The General Assembly of 2008 took several actions related to homosexuality. The first action was to adopt
a different translation of the Heidelberg Catechism from 1962, removing the words "homosexual
perversions" among other changes. This will require the approval of the 2010 and 2012 General
Assemblies as well as the votes of the presbyteries after the 2010 Assembly.[103] The second action was to
approve a new Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 of the Book of Order allowing for the ordaining
body to make decisions on whether or not a departure from the standards of belief of practice is sufficient to
preclude ordination.[104] Some argue that this creates "local option" on ordaining homosexual persons. The
third action was to replace the text of "Amendment B" with new text: "Those who are called to ordained
service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-
4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow
where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the
instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each
governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450)
establishes the candidate's sincere efforts to adhere to these standards."[105] This would have removed the
"fidelity and chastity" clause. This third action failed to obtain the required approval of a majority of the
presbyteries by June 2009. Fourth, a resolution was adopted to affirm the definition of marriage from
Scripture and the Confessions as being between a man and a woman.[106]

General Assembly 2010

In July 2010, by a vote of 373 to 323, the General Assembly voted to propose to the presbyteries for
ratification a constitutional amendment to remove from the Book of Order section G-6.0106.b. which
included this explicit requirement for ordination: "Among these standards is the requirement to live either in
fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in
singleness." This proposal required ratification by a majority of the 173 presbyteries within 12 months of
the General Assembly's adjournment.[107][108] A majority of presbytery votes was reached in May 2011.
The constitutional amendment took effect July 10, 2011.[109] This amendment shifted back to the ordaining
body the responsibility for making decisions about whom they shall ordain and what they shall require of
their candidates for ordination. It neither prevents nor imposes the use of the so-called "fidelity and
chastity" requirement, but it removes that decision from the text of the constitution and places that judgment
responsibility back upon the ordaining body where it had traditionally been prior to the insertion of the
former G-6.0106.b. in 1997. Each ordaining body, the session for deacon or elder and the presbytery for
minister, is now responsible to make its own interpretation of what scripture and the confessions require of
ordained officers.

General Assembly 2014

In June 2014, the General Assembly approved a change in the wording of its constitution defining marriage
as a contract "between a woman and a man" to that of a contract "between two people, traditionally a man
and a woman". It allowed gay and lesbian weddings within the church and further allowed clergy to
perform same-sex weddings. That revision gave clergy the choice of whether or not to preside over same-
sex marriages; clergy were not compelled to perform same-sex marriages.

Property ownership

PC(USA)'s book of order includes a "trust clause", which grants ownership of church property to the
presbytery. Under this trust clause, the presbytery may assert a claim to the property of the congregation in
the event of a congregational split, dissolution (closing), or disassociation from the PC(USA). This clause
does not prevent particular churches from leaving the denomination, but if they do, they may not be entitled
to any physical assets of that congregation unless by agreement with the presbytery. Recently this provision
has been vigorously tested in courts of law.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

In June 2004, the General Assembly met in Richmond, Virginia, and adopted by a vote of 431–62 a
resolution that called on the church's committee on Mission Responsibility through Investment (MRTI) "to
initiate a process of phased, selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel". The
resolution also said "the occupation ... has proven to be at the root of evil acts committed against innocent
people on both sides of the conflict".[110] The church statement at the time noted that "divestment is one of
the strategies that U.S. churches used in the 1970s and 80s in a successful campaign to end apartheid in
South Africa".

A second resolution, calling for an end to the construction of a wall by the state of Israel, passed.[111] The
resolution opposed to the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, regardless of its location, and
opposed the United States government making monetary contribution to the construction. The General
Assembly also adopted policies rejecting Christian Zionism and allowing the continued funding of
conversionary activities aimed at Jews. Together, the resolutions caused tremendous dissent within the
church and a sharp disconnect with the Jewish community. Leaders of several American Jewish groups
communicated to the church their concerns about the use of economic leverages that apply specifically to
companies operating in Israel.[112] Some critics of the divestment policy accused church leaders of anti-
Semitism.[113][114][115]

In June 2006, after the General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama changed policy (details), both pro-
Israel and pro-Palestinian groups praised the resolution. Pro-Israel groups, who had written General
Assembly commissioners to express their concerns about a corporate engagement/divestment strategy
focused on Israel,[116] praised the new resolution, saying that it reflected the church stepping back from a
policy that singled out companies working in Israel.[117] Pro-Palestinian groups said that the church
maintained the opportunity to engage and potentially divest from companies that support the Israeli
occupation, because such support would be considered inappropriate according to the customary MRTI
process.

In August 2011, the American National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus (NMEPC) endorsed the
boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.[118]

In January 2014, The PC(USA) published "Zionism unsettled", which was commended as "a valuable
opportunity to explore the political ideology of Zionism".[119] One critic claimed it was anti-Zionist and
characterised the Israeli–Palestinian as a conflict fueled by a "pathology inherent in Zionism".[120] The
Simon Wiesenthal Center described the study guide as "a hit-piece outside all norms of interfaith dialogue.
It is a compendium of distortions, ignorance and outright lies – that tragically has emanated too often from
elites within this church".[121] The PC(USA) subsequently withdrew the publication from sale on its
website.[122]

On June 20, 2014, the General Assembly in Detroit approved a measure (310–303) calling for divestment
from stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions in protest of Israeli policies on the West
Bank. The vote was immediately and sharply criticized by the American Jewish Committee which accused
the General Assembly of acting out of anti-Semitic motives. Proponents of the measure strongly denied the
accusations.[123]
In June 2022, at its 225th General Assembly, the church's Committee on International Engagement voted to
declare Israel an apartheid state and designate Nakba Day. The committee also called for an end to Israel's
blockade of the Gaza Strip and affirmed the "right of all people to live and worship peacefully" in
Jerusalem.[124]

List of notable congregations

Independent Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama[125]
Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, California
Brick Presbyterian Church (New York City)
Church of the Covenant (Boston)
Church of the Pilgrims (Washington DC)
the Cathedral of Hope (Pittsburgh), also known as East Liberty Presbyterian Church[126]
Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)
First Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, North Carolina)[127]
First Presbyterian Church of Dallas (Dallas, Texas)
First Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)
First Presbyterian Church (Nashville, Tennessee)
First Presbyterian Church (Philadelphia)
First Presbyterian Church (Springfield, Illinois)
Fort Street Presbyterian Church (Detroit, Michigan)
Fort Washington Presbyterian Church
Fourth Presbyterian Church (Chicago)
Highland Presbyterian Church (Kentucky)
Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee
Kirk in the Hills (Bloomfield Township, Oakland County)
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church (New York City)
Myers Park Presbyterian Church (Charlotte, North Carolina)
National Presbyterian Church (Washington, District of Columbia)
Old Pine Street Church (Philadelphia)
Peachtree Presbyterian Church (Atlanta)
Rutgers Presbyterian Church (New York City)
Second Presbyterian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Second Presbyterian Church (Nashville, Tennessee)
Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh
University Presbyterian Church (Seattle, Washington)
Village Presbyterian Church (Prairie Village, Kansas)
Westminster Presbyterian Church (Los Angeles)
Westminster Presbyterian Church (Minneapolis)
West-Park Presbyterian Church (Manhattan)
Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (Severna Park, Maryland)

See also
United States
portal
 Calvinism portal

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities
Churches Uniting in Christ
Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)
Ghost Ranch
Ordination exams
Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church in America
Presbyterian Church (USA) Hezbollah controversy
Presbyterian Youth Connection
Reformed Churches in North America
Religion in Louisville, Kentucky
Protestantism in the United States
Christianity in the United States
Category:American Presbyterians

References
1. Church (U.S.A.), Presbyterian (May 1, 2023). "PC(USA) church membership still in decline"
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Presbyterian Church USA General Assembly Return to 'Customary Corporate Engagement
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Bibliography
General Assembly (2009), "The Rules of Discipline", Book of Order, Louisville: Presbyterian
Church (USA).
Hall, Russell E. (Summer 1982), "American Presbyterian Churches—A Genealogy, 1706–
1982", Journal of Presbyterian History, 60: 95–128
Longfield, Bradley J. (2013), Presbyterians and American Culture: A History (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=wDdybyrOc-IC), Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster Johh Knox Press,
ISBN 9780664231569
Oast, Jennifer (November 2010), " 'The Worst Kind of Slavery': Slave-Owning Presbyterian
Churches in Prince Edward County, Virginia", Journal of Southern History, 76 (4): 867–900.

Further reading
Alvis, Joel L Jr (1994), Religion and Race: Southern Presbyterians, 1946–1983, 197 pp.
Balmer, Randall; Fitzmier, John R (1993), The Presbyterians, 274 pp. Excellent survey by
scholars; good starting place.
Banker, Mark T (1993), Presbyterian Missions and Cultural Interaction in the Far Southwest,
1850–1950, 225 pp.
Bender, Norman J (1996), Winning the West for Christ: Sheldon Jackson and
Presbyterianism on the Rocky Mountain Frontier, 1869–1880, 265 pp.
Boyd, Lois A; Brackenridge, R Douglas (1983), Presbyterian Women in America: Two
Centuries of a Quest for Status, 308 pp.
Fraser, Brian J (1988), The Social Uplifters: Presbyterian Progressives and the Social
Gospel in Canada, 1875–1915, 212 pp.
Hirrel, Leo P (1998), Children of Wrath: New School Calvinism and Antebellum Reform, 248
pp.
Klempa, William, ed. (1994), The Burning Bush and a Few Acres of Snow: The Presbyterian
Contribution to Canadian Life and Culture, 290 pp.
LeBeau, Bryan F (1997), Jonathan Dickinson and the Formative Years of American
Presbyterianism, 252 pp.
Loetscher, Lefferts A (1983), A Brief History of the Presbyterians, 224 pp. A good overview.
Longfield, Bradley J (1991), The Presbyterian Controversy: Fundamentalists, Modernists,
and Moderates, 333 pp.
Lucas, Sean Michael (2006), On Being Presbyterian: Our Beliefs, Practices, and Stories,
ISBN 1596380195.
McKim, Donald K (2003), Presbyterian Beliefs: A Brief Introduction, ISBN 0664502539.
Moir, John S (1975), Enduring Witness: A History of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 311
pp.
 Noll, Mark; Hart, DG; Westerkamp, Marilyn J (2006), "What Has Been Distinctly American
about American Presbyterians?", Journal of Presbyterian History, 84 (1): 6–22.
Parker, Harold M Jr (1988), The United Synod of the South: The Southern New School
Presbyterian Church, 347 pp.
Presbyterian Church (USA) (c. 1999), Book of Confessions: Study Edition (https://archive.or
g/details/bookofconfession00pres), Louisville, KY: Geneva Press, ISBN 0-664-50012-9.
Presbyterian Presence: The Twentieth-Century Experience.
Coalter, Milton J; Mulder, John M; Weeks, Louis B, eds. (1992), The Pluralistic Vision:
Presbyterians and Mainstream Protestant Education and Leadership. 417 pp.
Coalter, Milton J; Mulder, John M; Weeks, Louis B, eds. (1992), The Organizational
Revolution: Presbyterians and the American Denominationalism. 391 pp.
Coalter, Milton J; Mulder, John M; Weeks, Louis B, eds. (1990), The Confessional
Mosaic: Presbyterians and Twentieth-Century Theology. 333 pp.
Coalter, Milton J; Mulder, John M; Weeks, Louis B, eds. (1990), The Mainstream
Protestant "Decline": The Presbyterian Pattern. 263 pp.
———; ———; Weeks, Louis B, eds. (1990), The Presbyterian Predicament: Six
Perspectives, 179 pp.
Smith, Frank Joseph (1985), The History of the Presbyterian Church in America, 607 pp.
Thompson, Ernest Trice (1963), Presbyterians in the South, vol. 1, 1607–1861, 629 pp.
Wellman, James K Jr (1999), The Gold Coast Church and the Ghetto: Christ and Culture in
Mainline Protestantism, 241 pp. (on Chicago's elite Fourth Presbyterian Church).
Weston, William J (1997), Presbyterian Pluralism: Competition in a Protestant House, 192
pp.
Yohn, Susan M (1995), A Contest of Faiths: Missionary Women and Pluralism in the
American Southwest, 266 pp.

External links
Official website (https://pcusa.org)
"PC(USA)", Data Archives (https://web.archive.org/web/20140528071650/http://www.theard
a.com/Denoms/D_1477.asp), The Association of Religion, archived from the original (http://
www.thearda.com/Denoms/D_1477.asp) (profile) on May 28, 2014, retrieved December 17,
2009.
PC(USA)-related colleges and universities (https://web.archive.org/web/20061004182225/ht
tp://www.apcu.net/memberschools.htm), APCU, archived from the original (http://www.apcu.n
et/memberschools.htm) on October 4, 2006.
The Presbyterian Historical Society (http://www.history.pcusa.org/), PC(USA).
Westminster-John Knox Books, Louisville, Kentucky (http://www.wjkbooks.com/), PC(USA).
Presbyterian Lay Committee (http://www.layman.org/about-us/) (official website).
A pastoral statement on COVID-19 (https://www.presbyterianmission.org/wp-content/upload
s/Coronovirus-Covid-19-Statement3.pdf)

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