The Presbytery has the oversight of a group of congregations within a specific geographical area. It is the essential court of the Presbyterian system in administering its general order, the higher courts being constituted simply by a wider application of the general principles of the Presbytery. The precedent for this court is found in the example of the Apostolic church. The name is scriptural, derived from the Greek of the New Testament.
The Presbytery shall have as its primary responsibility the initiation, planning, organization and administration of programs designed to enable it to carry on the mission of God in Christ’s Church by word and deed in the Presbytery and also in the local congregations, the General Synod and the whole world. In order to institute and supervise the general work of the Presbytery, the Presbytery has the power to appoint boards, commissions, or committees.
In extenuating circumstances, the General Synod may assign a church to a Presbytery regardless of the established geographical areas. Except for those circumstances the geographical areas are as follows:
Canadian Presbytery – Constituted to be effective January 4, 2004, it was formed by the division of Northeast Presbytery at the Canadian Border and includes the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Mr. Bill McKay, Stated Clerk; Reverend Jeffrey J. Kingswood, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Catawba Presbytery – Constituted in 1919 by the division of First Presbytery. It now includes all of the state of South Carolina, except for the western counties of Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Barnwell, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg, and Union; the state of Louisiana; and the state of Texas. Reverend Guy H. Smith, Jr, DD, Stated Clerk; Reverend David H. Lauten, Minister & His Work Chairman.
First Presbytery – Constituted in October 1800, it was formed by the division of the Associate Reformed Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia. It now includes the state of North Carolina and the following counties in Appalachia: Kentucky – Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, Perry, and Whitley; Tennessee – Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington; Virginia – Lee, Russell, Scott, Washington, and Wise. Reverend Gerald Hallman, Interim Clerk; Reverend Robert C. Wilson, DMin, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Florida Presbytery – Constituted October 16, 1963 by the division of Second Presbytery. It now includes the state of Florida. Rev. Ray Cameron, Stated Clerk; Reverend David M. Rockness DD, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Mississippi Valley Presbytery – Constituted in 1931 when the Memphis and Louisville Presbyteries merged. It now includes the states of Arkansas, Kentucky except for the counties of Bell, Clay, Harlan, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Leslie, Letcher, Perry, and Whitley, Mississippi, Missouri, and the western part of the state of Tennessee west of the Tennessee River. Reverend Tim Phillips, Stated Clerk; Reverend Charles Todd, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Northeast Presbytery – Constituted January 1, 1987, it was formed by the division of Virginia Presbytery. It now includes the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; Washington, DC and in Virginia the County of Fairfax, the independent city of Alexandria, the independent city of Falls Church, and in West Virginia those counties north of the southern boundaries of Preston, Taylor, Harrison, Doddridge, Ritchie and Wood counties. Reverend Fredrick S. Carr DMin, Stated Clerk; Reverend William C. Sutherland, Minister & His Work Credentials Committee Chairman.
Pacific Presbytery – Constituted July 10, 1997 when the General Synod entered into a covenant relationship with certain ministers and congregations of the independent U.S. Presbytery to establish the Pacific Presbytery. It includes the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Reverend Daniel Lim, Stated Clerk.
Second Presbytery – Constituted in October 1800, it was formed by the division of the Associate Reformed Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia. It now includes the state of Georgia and the Western South Carolina counties of Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Barnwell, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg, and Union. Reverend L. Calvin Draffin, Stated Clerk; Reverend John D. Cook, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery – Constituted in 1937, it now includes the state of Alabama, the eastern two-thirds of the state of Tennessee east of the Tennessee River except for the counties of Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Sevirr, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington, and the Cleveland Street Church, New Albany, Mississippi. Mr. Scott Mitchell, Stated Clerk; Reverend Charles F. Edgar, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Virginia Presbytery – Constituted in 1854, it includes the State of Virginia, except for the counties of Fairfax, Lee, Russell, Scott, Washington, and Wise, the independent city of Alexandria, the independent city of Falls Church, and the State of West Virginia except for the counties north of the southern boundaries of Preston, Taylor, Harrison, Doddridge, Ritchie, and Wood Counties. Reverend William M. Harris Jr, DD, Stated Clerk; Reverend Robert C. Gordon, Minister & His Work Chairman.
