Good question. The number of denominations in the Christian faith can make anybody's head spin. For us, it's a question of governance. The Presbyterian Church (USA) is part of the Protestant church, and we trace our roots to Scotland during the Reformation of the mid 1500's. John Knox, a disciple of John Calvin, helped reform the churches in Scotland by coming up with a new form of government. (Other churches throughout Europe also reformed their church rule according to this model, though only the Scottish churches and some English churches used the name "Presbyterian.")

So what was the new form of government Knox and the others came up with? A Presbyterian congregation selects and appoints teaching elders (the pastors) and ruling elders. Together, these elders make up the Session. They join with the Sessions of other congregations within the same geographical region to form a "Presbytery." There are 173 presbyteries in the PC (USA). In turn, the Presbyteries gather together to form a "Synod." There are 16 synods in the PC (USA). Presbyteries also elect commissioners who serve on the General Assembly, which reviews the work of synods, resolves controversies in the church, is responsible for matters of common concern for the whole church, and serves as a symbol of unity for the church.

Presbyterian Church government contrasts with two other forms of church government: hierarchical and congregational. The hierarchical form was and is seen most clearly in the Roman Catholic church, where there are many different ranks of office, each rank subordinate to a higher rank, all headed by the pope. Presbyterian reformers believed that the sole head of the Church was Christ, who works through offices instituted in the Bible, and not through a single leader on earth. Congregational churches are usually separate and autonomous from each other in rule. Presbyterian founders rejected this autonomy, believing in a sense of unity and purpose with other churches, especially in matters of appeal and denominational policy.

The PC (USA) provides an excellent introduction to the denomination in Presbyterians 101.