The Revs. Kristin Hutson (Edgewater), Joseph Morrow (Fourth), David Black (First) concelebrate the Eucharist for Holy Saturday.Logo of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbytery of Chicago is one of the largest presbyteries in the denomination, representing more than 80 congregations and fellowship communities that reflect a broad spectrum of theological, cultural, and ethnic diversity.[1]
The Presbytery Assembly elects from among its elder commissioners representatives to the General Assembly, the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA). It is convened every two years.
Functions
Presbytery of Chicago office building at 25 NW Point Blvd, Elk Grove Village, Illinois.Presbytery of Chicago office in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.
According to the Book of Order, “The presbytery is responsible for the government of the church throughout its district, and for assisting and supporting the witness of congregations to the sovereign activity of God in the world, so that all congregations become communities of faith, hope, love, and witness[2]."
Main responsibilities
Oversight of Congregations and Ministers: The Presbytery of Chicago supervises the life and ministry of all congregations and ordained clergy within its bounds. This includes examining and approving pastors for service, ensuring congregational health, and providing guidance in times of transition or conflict.
Ordination and Preparation for Ministry: It examines candidates for ordination as ministers of Word and Sacrament, supports those in the process of discernment, and determines when individuals are ready for pastoral leadership.
Mission and Program Coordination: The Presbytery of Chicago organizes and supports mission initiatives, social justice advocacy, and community outreach efforts that extend the church's witness throughout the greater Chicago area.
Administrative and Judicial Functions: Acting as an ecclesiastical court, the Presbytery of Chicago upholds the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), handles disciplinary matters, and ensures compliance with denominational polity and ethical standards.
Support for Congregational Vitality: The Presbytery of Chicago provides training, grants, consulting, and other resources to help churches grow in membership, financial health, and community impact.
Representation and Connection: It serves as the connecting body between local congregations and higher governing councils—the Synod of Lincoln Trails and the General Assembly—representing local interests at the national level and communicating denominational initiatives back to the congregations.
Structure and governance
The Presbytery of Chicago functions as a mid-council within the Presbyterian Church (USA), positioned between the local Session of each congregation and the regional Synod of Lincoln Trails, which in turn relates to the denomination's General Assembly.
Presbytery Assembly
The Presbytery of Chicago is governed by a body of teaching elders (ordained ministers of Word and Sacrament) and ruling elders (ordained elders elected by their congregations) who each hold the office of elder commissioner. Together, the elder commissioners form the Presbytery Assembly. This assembly meets regularly to conduct business, examine candidates for ordination, approve pastoral calls, oversee mission priorities, and make policy decisions affecting the churches under its care.[1]
The work of the Presbytery Assembly is divided into commissions: Commission on Ministry (COM), Commission on Preparation for Ministry (CPM), among others.
The Presbytery Assembly elects from among its elder commissioners a Moderator.
Administration
Day-to-day operations are administered by a staff team led by an Executive Presbyter and a Stated Clerk, supported by the Presbytery Assembly commissions responsible for areas such as leadership development, congregational vitality, mission and justice, and preparation for ministry.
The Stated Clerk concurrently serves as the chief recordkeeper and business manager.
The Presbytery's structure emphasizes shared leadership and accountability, reflecting the Presbyterian principle that authority is distributed rather than hierarchical.
Theology
Bible
As a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Presbytery upholds the Bible as the written word of God.
There are only two Sacraments of the faith: baptism[3] and the Lord's Supper or Eucharist[4]
According to the Directory for Worship, "Sacraments are signs of the real presence and power of Christ in the Church, symbols of God's action. Through the Sacraments, God seals believers in redemption, renews their identity as the people of God, and marks them for service[5]."
Social theologies
The Presbytery of Chicago has ascribed to the validity of women in pastoral roles. It practices the Presbyterian Church (USA) commitment "to the equality of women in its councils, places of worship, and ministry areas[6]."
The Presbytery is committed to "deepen our understanding that diversity is not about optics or even simply about representation and that homogeneity is unnatural, unhealthy and opposed to the gospel. Truly diverse communities are generative, creative, and reflective of God's intent for creation." It is also committed to "attend to the intersections of oppressions where we and our communities are entangled. The ways that racism, patriarchy, misogyny, ableism, classism, and homophobia work in concert to create and sustain systems of dominance[7]."
The Presbytery shares in the denomination's commitment to "[celebrate] the gifts of all gender identities and sexual orientations in the life of the Church and [affirm] the full dignity and humanity of all people[8]."
History
The Presbytery traces its roots to the early development of Presbyterianism in the Midwest during the 19th century. Its member congregations include some of the city's oldest and most historically significant churches, as well as newer immigrant and multicultural communities.
With the decrease in membership across the Presbytery of Chicago, the Presbytery Assembly dissolved churches, sold properties, moved congregations, and even consolidated communities.
In 2009, Norwood Park Presbyterian Church and St. Andrews Presbyterian Church merged to create Friendship Presbyterian Church. They moved into the Norwood Park Metra Station for worship and activities before moving into a performing arts space. Partnering with a new development at 5150 N Northwest Hwy., they moved there in 2022 when construction was completed.[9] It has since become one of the leaders in LGBTQ inclusion and social justice activism within the Presbytery.
After selling its historic property, Ravenswood Presbyterian Church chose to continue worshiping elsewhere. Its members and worship participants are largely Latin American. In 2024, the congregation partnered with Mayfair Presbyterian Church, 4358 W. Ainslie Ave., where they currently hold services.[10]
New worshiping communities
The Presbytery has welcomed the creation of New Worshiping Communities. The Presbyterian Church (USA) explains it as, "creating new spaces for people to encounter God and experience the transformative power of his love. Our vision is to see the church come alive again, not just in buildings but also in communities of people — a church for every context[11]."
Historical records
Official documents and other artifacts of the Presbytery of Chicago are stored at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This includes records of baptism, confirmation, weddings, funerals, ordinations, and minutes of the Presbytery Assembly. They can be viewed in-person by request.
Member congregations
Edgewater Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest churches on the North Side of Chicago.
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