Who are Presbyterians?

We Presbyterians value the life of the mind. We understand that God alone is lord of the conscience, and it is up to each individual to understand what these principles mean in his or her life.

We nurture this quest through resources that reflect our understanding of God and what God expects of us at different times in history.

We practice representative government, in which the congregation selects presbyters (also knows as elders) to lead (the name of our church means “ruled by elders.”)

 “Ruling Elders,” lay people chosen by the congregation, meet in a council known as the “session.” The session seeks to strengthen and nurture the faith life of the congregation.

The pastor of the congregation, usually a “Teaching Elder” (or minister of the word and sacrament) customarily moderates the session.

Both kinds of elders come together in a regional council called the “presbytery.” This body seeks to strengthen and nurture the faith life of the congregations it represents. We are a congregation of the Presbytery of Northern New England.

Presbyteries elect both kinds of elders to larger councils called “synods,” and to a national council known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly meets every two years to strengthen and nurture the faith life of the whole church.

To learn more, visit the PC(USA) denominational website.