Presbyterian Church (USA) | |
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Abbreviation | PC(USA) |
Classification | Protestant |
Orientation | Mainline Reformed |
Theology | Combination of Old School and New School Presbyterianism with Confessing Movement, neo-orthodox, Low Church, Barthian, ecumenical, neo-evangelical, progressive, Christian left, Christian feminism, and some moderate to liberal influences |
Polity | Presbyterian |
Moderator | Denise Anderson and Jan Edmiston (Co-Moderators) |
Associations | National Council of Churches; World Communion of Reformed Churches; World Council of Churches |
Region | United States |
Headquarters | Louisville, Kentucky |
Origin | June 10, 1983 |
Merger of | The Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America |
Separations | ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (2012) |
Congregations | 9,642 as of 2015 |
Members | 1,572,660 active members (2015) 2.8 million total members (2014) |
Official website | www |
The Presbyterian Church (USA), or PC(USA), is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. A part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S., and known for its relatively progressive stance on doctrine. The PC(USA) was established by 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 is a separate denomination, many of whose congregations were originally in the Presbyterian Church (USA), or its predecessors Presbyterian Church in the United States and United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.
The denomination had 1,572,660 active members and 20,077 ordained ministers in 9,642 congregations at the end of 2015. This number does not include the inactive members also affiliated. Its membership has been declining over the past several decades. The PC(USA) remains the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States. In 2015, Pew Research estimated that 1% of the U.S population self-identify as PC(USA). In 2012–14, when all members were included, it was reported to have 2.8 million total. The PC(USA) is a member of the National Council of Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the World Council of Churches (WCC), and Christian Churches Together. Denominational offices are located in Louisville, Kentucky. The WCC reports that the PC(USA) has a higher possible number of 1.9 million members.