The Presbyterian Church (USA)

The Presbyterian Church of Chestertown is a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is Reformed in its theology and Presbyterian in its church government.

Today’s Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was created by the 1983 reunion of the two main branches of Presbyterians in America separated since the Civil War — the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. The latter had been created by the union of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the United Presbyterian Church of North America in 1958.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is distinctly a confessional and a connectional church, distinguished by the representation of elders in its government. The church has a membership of 1.6 million in all 50 states and Puerto Rico with nearly 10 thousand congregations and worshiping communities.

Each church is governed by the Session, a board of elders and pastors elected by the local congregation. Churches in a geographical territory are overseen by a Presbytery, half of which is all the pastors in the area and the other half are elected Elders from churches in that area, Presbyteries are organized into Synods. Synods combine to become the General Assembly, which represents the entire denomination.