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Presbyterian Church (USA)

Not to be confused with Presbyterian Church in America.
"PCUSA" redirects here. For the denomination that existed from 1789 to 1958, see Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. For other entities with similar names, see American Presbyterian Church.

Presbyterian Church (USA)
AbbreviationPCUSA
ClassificationProtestant
OrientationPresbyterian
ScriptureProtestant Bible
Theology
PolityPresbyterian
Co-moderatorsCecelia Armstrong and Anthony Larson
Stated Clerk & Exec DirJihyun Oh
Full communion
Associations
RegionUnited States
HeadquartersLouisville, Kentucky
OriginJune 10, 1983 (June 10, 1983)
Merger ofThe Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Separations
Congregations8,432 (as of 2024)[2][3]
Members1,045,848 active members (2024)[2][3]
Official websitepcusa.org Edit this at Wikidata
Fourth Presbyterian Church Chicago, PCUSA

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States. Its theological roots lie primarily in the Scottish Reformation, particularly going back to the reforms done by the Calvinist reformer and minister John Knox of Scotland.[4] Now known for its generally liberal stance on doctrine, The Presbyterian Church (USA) was established with 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.[5]

The church maintains a Book of Confessions, a collection of historic and contemporary creeds and catechisms, including its own Brief Statement of Faith.[6][7] It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.[8] The similarly named Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is a separate denomination whose congregations can also trace their history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian churches in the United States. Unlike the more conservative Presbyterian Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA) supports the ordination of women and affirms same-sex marriages. It also welcomes practicing gay and lesbian persons to serve in leadership positions as ministers, deacons, elders, and trustees.[9]

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States,[10] reporting 1,045,848 active members and 17,742 ordained ministers (including retired ones)[11] in 8,432 congregations at the end of 2024.[2] This number does not include members who are baptized but not confirmed, or the inactive members also affiliated.[12][13] For example, in 2005, the Presbyterian Church (USA) claimed 318,291 baptized but not confirmed members and nearly 500,000 inactive members in addition to active members.[14] In 2025, Pew Research Center estimated that 1 percent of US adults, or approximately 2.6 million people, self-identified with the PC(USA).[15] Its membership has been steadily declining over the past several decades; the trend has significantly accelerated in recent years, partly due to breakaway congregations.[16][17][18] Average denominational worship attendance dropped from 748,774 in 2013 to 446,546 in 2024.[19]

  1. ^ "American Presbyterian History - Week 13 – American Presbyterianism Post-1936" (PDF). Trinity Presbyterian Church. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference STAT2024 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference STAT2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "John Knox and the Scottish Reformation". Historic UK. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  5. ^ "Presbyterian Church (USA)," *Encyclopaedia Britannica*, accessed [insert date], https://www.britannica.com/topic/Presbyterian-Church-USA
  6. ^ "Confessions". Presbyterian Mission Agency. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  7. ^ "The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church(USA)" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  8. ^ "Ecumenical Partners and Dialogue – PC(USA) OGA". Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  9. ^ "US Presbyterian church recognizes gay marriage". BBC News. March 18, 2015. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  10. ^ Hawley, George (2017). Demography, Culture, and the Decline of America's Christian Denominations. Lexington Books. pp. 178–179.
  11. ^ "PC(USA) Research Services – Church Trends – Five Years at a Glance: Elders". Research Services, Presbyterian Mission Agency. PC(USA). Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  12. ^ "Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) – News & Announcements – Once a ruling elder, always a ruling elder". Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). August 6, 2013. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
  13. ^ "Clerks Corner: Categories of Membership, Defined by the Book of Order G-1.04". Presbytery of Philadelphia. January 13, 2017. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  14. ^ "PC(USA) membership down, financial giving up". The Presbyterian Outlook. June 26, 2006. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  15. ^ "Members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) | Religious Landscape Study". Pew Research Center. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  16. ^ "Comparative Statistics". Research Services, Presbyterian Mission Agency. PC(USA). 2012. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012.
  17. ^ "Addressing the Rumor that the PCUSA Is Going Out of Business Anytime Soon". The Aquila Report. December 19, 2012. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  18. ^ Weston, William J. (2008). "Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment" (PDF). Office of Theology and Worship. PC(USA). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2023. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "PC(USA) Research Services – Church Trends". Research Services, Presbyterian Mission Agency. PC(USA). Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
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