Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The Presbyterian Church (USA ) or PC (USA ) is a mainline Protestant church in the United States.

The church belongs to the Reformed churches of Protestantism, whose origins lie in the Reformation by John Calvin. Presbyterians continue the theological tradition of the Scottish reformer John Knox and the commitment of Westminster. From Britain out of Presbyterianism arrived in the United States.

The church is the largest Presbyterian Church in the United States and was established in 1983 by the unification of the former Presbyterian Church in the United States, the southern branch of the American Presbyterians, and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, the northern branch who had gone apart because of the different position on slavery before the U.S. civil War. The PC ( USA) currently claims to approximately 2.4 million members and 14,000 pastors. The church is a member of the National Council of Churches in the USA and in the Church Fellowship Churches Uniting in Christ.

Full communion has been agreed in the Formula of Agreement with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ( ELCA ), the Reformed Church in America (RCA ) and the United Church of Christ (UCC ). Full communion is well with the Union of Evangelical Churches ( ICE) in Germany and the Christian Church ( Disciples of Christ ) in the context of the ecumenical partnership.

In the PC (USA ) Men and women are ordained. Since 2000, the blessing of same-sex couples is possible.