Presbyterianism is a part of the reformed tradition within Protestantism, which traces its origins to Britain, particularly Scotland.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. A part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the US, 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 whose congregations can also trace their history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian churches in the United States.
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply. Groups of local churches are governed by a higher assembly of elders known as the presbytery or classis; presbyteries can be grouped into a synod, and presbyteries and synods nationwide often join together in a general assembly. Responsibility for conduct of church services is reserved to an ordained minister or pastor known as a teaching elder, or a minister of the word and sacrament.
The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 46,500 members in 1,383 congregations with 608 active ministers, including 13 church related community workers.
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW) is a reformed and conservative evangelical denomination in both England and Wales with churches in Germany and Sweden.
The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster is a Christian denomination founded by Ian Paisley in 1951. Doctrinally, the church describes itself as fundamentalist, evangelical, and separatist. Most of its members live in Northern Ireland, where the church is headquartered. The church has additional congregations in the Republic of Ireland, Great Britain and Australia, and a sister denomination in North America that has congregations in Canada and the United States. It also has a sister denomination in Nepal which was formed from the Nepal mission to the Unreached in November 2013.
L'Église réformée du Québec, or "Reformed Church of Quebec", is a small conservative French-speaking Reformed Christian denomination located primarily within the Canadian province of Quebec.
The Presbyterian Church of Brazil is an Evangelical Protestant Christian denomination in Brazil. Oldest of the Reformed family of Protestantism in Brazil. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, having an estimate 1,011,300 members, 8,315 ordained ministers and 5,015 churches and 5,392 parishes. It is also the only Presbyterian denomination in Brazil present in all 26 States and the Federal District. It was founded by the American missionary Rev. Ashbel Green Simonton, who also oversaw the formal organization of the first congregation and the first Presbytery. Although the Presbyterian Church of Rio de Janeiro was only formally organized in January 1863, and the Brazilian church only left the jusrisdiction of the joint missions board of the American churches in 1888, when the Synod was formed, the denomination considers the date of Simonton's arrival in Brazil, August 12, 1859, as its foundation date.
Presbyterianism in England is practiced by followers of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism who practise the Presbyterian form of church government in England. Dating in England as a movement from 1588, it is distinct from Continental and Scottish forms of Presbyterianism. The Unitarian historian Alexander Gordon stated that whereas in Scotland, church government is based on a meeting of delegates, in England the individual congregation is the primary body of government. This was the practice in Gordon's day, however, most of the sixteenth and seventeenth century English theoreticians of Presbyterianism, such as Thomas Cartwright, John Paget, the Westminster Assembly of Divines and the London Provincial Assembly, envisaged a Presbyterian system composed of congregations, classes and synods. Historically Presbyterians in England were subsumed into the United Reformed Church in 1972. In more recent years the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales and the International Presbyterian Church have seen modest growth in England.
The Presbyterian Church of Nigeria is a Presbyterian church in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith.
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland 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 225,000 members.
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of India is a historic confessional Presbyterian denomination in India, established in the 19th century by Scottish and Irish missionaries.
The Conservative Presbyterian Church in Brazil is a confessional Reformed denomination, founded in the mid-1900s.
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Portugal is a result of evangelistic effort in Madeira between 1838 and 1846 by Robert Kalley, a Scottish minister, the mission continued in the continent in 1966. The first Presbyterian church was founded by Rev. Antonio de Matos, who arrived in Portugal in 1870. Matos was converted by Kalley, and studied in Scotland. Throughout the 19th and 20th century churches were planted in Madeira, Azores, Portugal. In 1926 a Presbytery was formed. In 1944 the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Portugal was formed. In 1946 a Theological Seminary was formed in Carcavelos, but moved to Lisbon in 1970. The denomination is the oldest non-Catholic church in Portugal. It is a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, the Conference of European Churches and the World Council of Churches.
The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongBoSu) was founded within JengRip Presbyterian church. In 1984 become a separated denomination. Pastor Han Chun-Keun, Pastor Kim Kuk-In, Pastor Lee Sun-Sik together with 50 pastors founded the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongJeongRip). In 1989 it adopted the current name. The Apostles Creed and the Westminster Confession the standards. In 2004 it had 3,800 members and 74 congregations served by 64 pastors. It had 4 Presbyteries and a General assembly.
The Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongSeungHoe) is a Reformed Presbyterian denomination founded in 1987 due to a split in the Presbyterian Church in Korea (HapDongBoSu). It subscribes the Apostles Creed and the Westminster Confession. In 2004 it had 10,000 members and 78 congregations, 64 ordained members.
The Renewed Presbyterian Church in Malawi was founded by the Renewed Presbyterian Church in Brazil. It has 13 congregations, 8 house fellowships and 890 members. According to the 2013 statistics the church had 30 pastors, 56 evangelists, 1,592 members, 30 congregations.
