First Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), or PCUSA. That means we share fellowship and missional work with congregations around the world. We participate in some of the special offerings of the national church, such as Peace & Global Witness and One Great Hour of Sharing.
Presbyterian comes from the Greek presbyteros, which means elder. Every Presbyterian church is governed by a group of elders known as the session. Member elders are called, ordained, and blessed by each congregation. Currently, our session comprises seven ruling elders who represent the congregation. They serve, lead, and direct the ministry of the congregation while the pastor (also an elder with specific authority to serve the sacraments and to preach) serves, leads, and moderates session meetings.