The member congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA), in addition to sharing their "governance by Elders" are connected to one another in mission, bedrock theology, and mutual accountability. Each local congregation is governed by a Session composed of Elders and Pastors of that particular church.

In a given area, all the individual congregations are drawn together in a representative body known as the Presbytery. The Canton area Presbyterian churches are part of the Muskingum Valley Presbytery which has its offices in New Philadelphia, Ohio. One hundred local churches in the area from Marietta to Canton, and from Alliance to Mansfield send representatives to the meetings of the Presbytery. Together, we Presbyterians plan and direct mission activities in our area, maintain a resource center, provide executive and pastoral leadership for our congregations, and share our joy in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just as each congregation in a Presbytery sends representatives to meetings of the Presbytery, so also does each Presbytery send its representatives to meeting of the Synod, or regional body, to which we belong. Our particular Synod is the Synod of the Covenant which is comprised of the presbyteries throughout the states of Ohio and Michigan. The Synod of the Covenant maintains its offices in Columbus, Ohio.

The highest representative body in the Presbyterian Church (USA) is the General Assembly which meets once per year. Each Presbytery in our denomination sends its representatives to the General Assembly where the over-arching theology and direction of the Church is determined. The national offices for the Presbyterian Church (USA) are located in Louisville, Kentucky.

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