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.
