The Presbytery of Boston is the regional governing body for congregations located in the Greater Boston area affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Established in 1745 and with an office in Clinton, Massachusetts, the Presbytery of Boston currently includes 24 member churches located in Worcester, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties, and parts of Essex County. The Presbytery of Boston is one of 22 presbyteries that comprise the Synod of the Northeast, which oversees 1,130 churches in New Jersey, New York, and the New England states.
History
In the mid-18th century, the Presbytery of Londonderry was the sole presbytery in New England. On 16 April 1745, the Presbytery of Boston was established by three local ministers. In 1748, the Rev. Jonathan Parsons, minister of Salem Presbyterian Church, joined the presbytery. By 1768, the presbytery had 12 ministers.
Demographics
In 2002, the Presbytery of Boston had 3,103 members and 23 congregations. By 2010, there were 2,993 members, a 3% decline, and 25 churches. In 2010, the Presbytery of Boston was 61% White, 21% Asian, 13% African American, 4% Hispanic, .3% Native American and .3% Middle Eastern.
Member churches
There are 23 chartered congregations and 6 new worshiping communities in the Presbytery of Boston.
Beverly
Pilgrim Church
Gateway Church
Boston
Church of the Covenant, Downtown Boston
Fourth Presbyterian Church, South Boston
Hyde Park Presbyterian Church, Hyde Park
Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana de Boston, Jamaica Plain
Roxbury Presbyterian Church, Roxbury
Brockton
Shekinah Presbyterian Church in Brockton
Brookline
First Presbyterian Church
Korean Church of Boston
Burlington
Burlington Presbyterian Church
Cambridge
First United Presbyterian Church
Clinton
Clinton Presbyterian Church
Easton
Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church
Natick
Hartford Street Presbyterian Church
Shekinah Presbyterian Church in Natick
Needham
Needham Presbyterian Church
Newton
Newton Presbyterian Church
Taiwan Presbyterian Church of Greater Boston
Norwood
Shekinah Presbyterian Church in Norwood
Quincy
First Presbyterian Church
Quincy Young Sang Presbyterian Church
Somerville
Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church
Sudbury
Sudbury Presbyterian Church
Waltham
First Presbyterian Church
Whitinsville
United Presbyterian Church of Whitinsville
Worcester
First Presbyterian Church
Christaller Presbyterian Fellowship
Former churches
Federal Street Church, Downtown Boston (became Congregationalist in 1786) First Presbyterian Church, Boston (founded 1853, now closed) First Presbyterian Church, East Boston (founded 1853, closed 1996) First United Presbyterian Church, Boston (founded 1846, now closed) Fort Square Presbyterian Church, Quincy (joined the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO) in 2016) Hanover Street Church, Boston Second Presbyterian Church, Boston Third Presbyterian Church, Boston (founded 1870, now closed)
Notable clergy
Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) was pastor at Hanover Street Church in Boston from 1826 to 1833 Jonathan Parsons (1705-1776) was pastor of the Presbyterian church in Newburyport and a supporter of the American Revolution (at the time Newburyport was part of the Presbytery of Boston)