Mid Councils Overview

The presbytery has jurisdiction over the sessions of all Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations within its bounds and all its minister members. It is composed of all the churches and ministers of the Word and Sacrament (also called teaching elders) within a certain district.

As detailed in the Book of Order, when the presbytery meets, its members include:  all ministers of the Word and Sacrament who are members of the presbytery, all elders commissioned by their sessions to attend that meeting, and any elder elected moderator of the presbytery for the duration of his or her term.  

The presbytery has the power to organize new congregations, to merge or to divide congregations, to dismiss a congregation to another denomination or dissolve a congregation, all this being done in consultation with the members of the congregation involved.

When a church is without a pastor, the presbytery takes special oversight of that church, appointing a moderator for the session, providing for the pulpit to be supplied, and doing other things necessary in the absence of an installed pastor. The presbytery also hears and acts on requests from congregations for waivers relating to electing women, men, and non-binary persons as officers and relating to the rotation of officers.

The presbytery has the power to ordain, receive, dismiss, install, remove, and discipline ministers. It is the prerogative of the presbytery both to establish the relationship between a congregation and a minister and to dissolve a relationship when necessary.

Not all ministers are pastors of churches. The presbytery has responsibility for oversight of those ministers who work in other areas of ministry, such as teachers, evangelists, administrators, and in other forms of ministry recognized as appropriate by the presbytery.

The presbytery participates in the deliberations of synod and of the General Assembly by electing commissioners to serve as members of these governing bodies at their meetings.

The presbytery has the right and the responsibility to propose to the synod or the General Assembly measures as may be of common concern to the mission of the whole church. This is generally accomplished through an overture, which is a written concern adopted by the presbytery and sent to the synod or General Assembly for consideration.

The synod is the governing body that oversees the life and mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) within a specific geographic region that includes at least three presbyteries.

As detailed in the Book of Order, the synod has the power to organize new presbyteries and to divide, unite, or otherwise combine presbyteries or portions of presbyteries previously existing. This includes the opportunity to organize non-geographic presbyteries to serve the needs of racial ethnic or immigrant congregations.

The synod has the responsibility to provide services and programs for presbyteries, sessions, congregations, and members within its area that can be performed more effectively from a broad regional base. It is the synod’s right and duty to provide programs that will help its presbyteries do ministries together that would be difficult or impossible to do alone.

Like presbyteries, synods are also charged to develop and provide resources as needed to facilitate the mission of its presbyteries. Synods will often offer programs that facilitate leadership training, campus ministry, or other kinds of ministry that transcend the bounds of their presbyteries.

Synods, like presbyteries, are responsible for proposing to the General Assembly measures that may be of common concern to the mission of the whole church. This is generally accomplished through an overture, which is a written concern adopted by the presbytery and sent to the synod or General Assembly for consideration.