Presbyterian Church in Ireland
| Presbyterian Church in Ireland | |
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Modern logo of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
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| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Calvinist |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Moderator | Frank Sellar |
| Associations | World Communion of Reformed Churches |
| Region | Ireland |
| Founder | James I |
| Origin | 1610 |
| Branched from | Church of Scotland |
| Separations |
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| Congregations | 550 |
| Members | 240,000 |
| Official website | www |
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI; Irish: Eaglais Phreispitéireach in Éirinn, Ulster-Scots: Prisbytairin Kirk in Airlann) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in Ireland, and the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland. Like most Christian churches in Ireland, it is organised on an all-island basis, in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The church has approximately 240,000 members.
The Church has a membership of approximately 300,000 people in 540 in 403 charges across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. About 96% of the membership is in Northern Ireland. It is the second largest church in Northern Ireland, the first being the Roman Catholic Church. In the Republic the church is the second largest Protestant denomination, after the Church of Ireland. All the congregations of the church are represented up to the General Assembly (the church's government).
Presbyterianism in Ireland dates from the time of the Plantation of Ulster in 1610. During the reign of James I of England (James VI of Scotland) a large number of Scottish Presbyterians emigrated to Ireland. The first move away from the Church of Scotland, of which the Presbyterians in Ireland were part, saw the creation of the Presbytery of Ulster in 1642 by chaplains of a Scottish Covenanter army which had arrived to protect the mostly Protestant British (Scottish and English) settlers in Ulster and to crush the Irish Rebellion of 1641 threatening these settlers. It succeeded in protecting the settlers, but failed abysmally to crush the rebellion. Under the more secure protection of Cromwell congregations multiplied and new presbyteries were formed. However, after the Restoration, nonconforming ministers were removed from parishes of the Established Church, but no matter the opinions of the king on religion, the Irish administration could not afford to alienate such a substantial Protestant population and Presbyterianism was allowed to continue in the country, with the stipends of ministers paid through the regium donum – literally 'the King's gift'.
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