Presbyterian Church (USA)

Presbyterian Church (USA)
Abbreviation	PCUSA
Classification	Mainline Protestant
Orientation	Moderate to Progressive and Liberal
Theology	Reformed
Polity	Presbyterian
Co-moderators	Cecelia Armstrong and Anthony Larson
Exec Dir & Stated Clerk	Jihyun Oh
Associations	National Council of Churches World Communion of Reformed Churches World Council of Churches
Region	United States
Headquarters	Louisville, Kentucky
Origin	June 10, 1983; 41 years ago (June 10, 1983)
Merger of	The Presbyterian Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America
Separations	Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) (1973)[a] Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) (1981)[b] ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (2012)
Congregations	8,572 (as of 2023[update])[1]
Members	1,094,733 active members (2023)[1]
Official website	pcusa.org
a. ^ This denomination separated from PCUS before the merger. b. ^ This denomination separated from UPCUSA before the merger.

The Presbyterian Church (USA), abbreviated PCUSA, is a mainline Protestant denomination in the United States. It is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, known for its liberal stance on doctrine and its ordaining of women and members of the LGBT community as elders and ministers. The Presbyterian Church (USA) was established with the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, whose churches were located in the Southern and border states, with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, whose congregations could be found in every state.^[2]

The church maintains a Book of Confessions, a collection of historic and contemporary creeds and catechisms, including its own Brief Statement of Faith.^[3][4] It is a member the World Communion of Reformed Churches.^[5] The similarly named Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is a separate denomination whose congregations can also trace their history to the various schisms and mergers of Presbyterian churches in the United States. Unlike the more conservative Presbyterian Church in America, the Presbyterian Church (USA) supports the ordination of women and affirms same-sex marriages. It also welcomes practicing gay and lesbian persons to serve in leadership positions as ministers, deacons, elders, and trustees.^[6]

The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States,^[7] reporting 1,094,733 active members and 17,978 ordained ministers (including retired ones)^[8] in 8,572 congregations at the end of 2023.^[1] This number does not include members who are baptized but not confirmed, or the inactive members also affiliated.^[9][10] For example, in 2005, the Presbyterian Church (USA) claimed 318,291 baptized but not confirmed members and nearly 500,000 inactive members in addition to active members.^[11] Its membership has been steadily declining over the past several decades; the trend has significantly accelerated in recent years, partly due to breakaway congregations.^[12][13][14] Average denominational worship attendance dropped from 748,774 in 2013 to 431,379 in 2022.^[15]

Summary membership statistics for 2023 are based on only 65% of churches reporting; for non-reporting churches, the last-reported membership figure is used.^[16] Reported membership based on gender: 904,780; based on age: 892,107.^[17] The 2023 GA Minutes statistical volume omits the usual summary attendance statistics for synods and denomination.

The gender membership demographics show an anomalous 5% increase in men from 348,231 in 2022 to 365,632 in 2023, despite total membership decreasing by 4%. This supposed increase in men was initially reported as a notable area of growth and a reason for hope,^[18] but that claim has since been removed. The church-trends database shows 384,231 male members in 2022, differing by transposing two digits, which is in line with the 4% total membership decrease from 2022 to 2023.