Presbyteries
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. Reverend Richard Vander Vaart, Stated Clerk; Reverend Kevin Carter, 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. Reverend Benjamin Glaser, Stated Clerk; Reverend Buzzy Elder, 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. As of 2019, it now includes Surry, Yadkin, Davies, Rowan, Cabarrus, and Union counties, along with all North Carolina counties westward, 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, Rus- sell, Scott, Washington, and Wise. Reverend Mark James, Clerk; Reverend Joseph Rolison Minister & His Work Chairman; Ken McMullen, Candidates & Exams Committee Chairman.
Florida Presbytery – Constituted October 16, 1963, by the division of Second Presbytery. It now includes the states of Florida, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. (Synod 2021) Reverend Charlie Lewis, Stated Clerk; Reverend Mike Avato, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Grace Presbytery – To be constituted in January 2019, will be defined geographically as including the following North Carolina counties: Stokes, Forsyth, Davidson, Montgomery, Richmond, and all other NC counties to the east. Rev. Brian Howard, Stated Clerk; Rev. Ross Durham, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Mississippi Valley Presbytery – Constituted in 1931 when the Memphis and Louisville Presbyteries merged. It now includes the states of Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, the western part of the state of Tennessee west of the Tennessee River, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and the state of Texas. Reverend Tim Phillips, Stated Clerk; Reverend Kent Moorlach, Minister & His Work Chairman.
Northeast Presbytery – Constituted on January 1, 1987, it was formed by the division of Virginia Presbytery. It now includes the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, 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. (2012 Synod) Reverend G.J. Gerard, 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 was dissolved in 2024.
Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery – Constituted in 1937, it now includes the state of Alabama and Georgia, 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, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, Union, and Washington, and the Cleveland Street Church, New Albany, Mississippi. Rev. Seth Philbrick, Stated Clerk.
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 Frank Heinsohn, Stated Clerk; Reverend Robert C. Gordon, Minister & His Work Chairman.