# Multi-Site Churches in Presbyterian Polity



## TylerRay (Sep 2, 2016)

I have heard that Presbyterians have had a centuries-long history of multi-campus congregations. What place does the multi-site congregation have in Presbyterian polity?

Let's try to avoid the subject of multi-site megachurches on this thread. I am more interested in learning about small, interdependent groups of Presbyterians who share a common government on a congregational level.


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## Romans922 (Sep 3, 2016)

? Are you talking about Presbyteries?


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## TylerRay (Sep 3, 2016)

Romans922 said:


> ? Are you talking about Presbyteries?



No, sir. Here is a contemporary example from the Presbyterian Reformed Church:


> The Presbyterian Reformed Church in Indiana was constituted by the Presbytery of the Presbyterian Reformed Church in 2002. In 2003, Rev. Brad Freeman was installed as its minister in Columbus, Indiana.
> 
> In 2012, Bible studies were initiated in Jasper, Indiana, and shortly thereafter worship services were added, so that the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Indiana held worship services and Bible studies in both locations. In June of 2015, The Presbytery of the PRC designated the Jasper location a separate congregation with its own session. Our congregation consists of families in and around Jasper and Southern Indiana.
> 
> The Columbus location continues as a congregation of the Presbyterian Reformed Church.



Source: http://presbyterianreformed.org/prc-of-jasper-in/


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## Romans922 (Sep 3, 2016)

It seems that one pastor of a congregation was used to plant a new congregation while continuing to minister at first congregation. So then the second congregation was officially deemed it's own congregation when elders were ordained/installed. That would mean 2 congregations with 2 different sessions. The "Presbyterian Reformed Church" is a denomination. That doesn't really seem like a "multi-site church".


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## TylerRay (Sep 3, 2016)

Romans922 said:


> It seems that one pastor of a congregation was used to plant a new congregation while continuing to minister at first congregation. So then the second congregation was officially deemed it's own congregation when elders were ordained/installed. That would mean 2 congregations with 2 different sessions. The "Presbyterian Reformed Church" is a denomination. That doesn't really seem like a "multi-site church".



Presbyterian Reformed Church of Indiana was the name of the congregation, and it met in two locations. Here is an excerpt from the Presbytery meeting in 2012:


> It was moved and seconded that the Presbytery authorize the Columbus Session to hold weekly morning services in Jasper, Indiana while maintaining at least two weekly services in Columbus each month. The motion carried.



And from the next year:


> It was moved and seconded that the PRC of Columbus be renamed the PRC of Indiana. The motion carried.



And from 2015:


> Whereas the two locations of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Indiana (Jasper and Columbus, respectively) are over two and one half hours apart; and
> 
> Whereas such a distance greatly hinders ordinary worship and fellowship as well as the ability of the Session to adequately shepherd the flock; and
> 
> ...


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 3, 2016)

An example historically would be the collegiate Presbyterian churches Samuel Miller served for some years in New York which had one session and a couple of congregations until they were fully split off.


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## iainduguid (Sep 3, 2016)

Historically, there are at least two circumstances that might be described as "multisite" presbyterian churches.
1) a mother-daughter church plant, where the session of the mother church oversees the new work until it is able to have its own session. In some cases, the pastor of the mother church might also be the church planter for the new work as well.

2) rural churches that are not able to support a pastor of their own. In some cases, they might have their own local session and merely share a pastor. In others, the session of one church might act for others that weren't able to have a session of their own. I could envisage a situation where a Presbytery might form a composite session from several small churches as the best option for pastoral oversight, even though it would be irregular. In some places this might be a long term situation, given the population dynamics. The alternative would be to shut down several of the churches and force people to commute, which might not best suit the community needs.

3) a different trend is the modern desire to plant multi-site churches with a single session overseeing them. This is often linked with a sense that presbytery isn't functioning as well as it should: the church plants want to network together and have really close relationships and a common ethos, which is admirable, but it often creates as many problems as it solves. You end up with a "presbytery within a presbytery", often at odds with the rest of the geographical presbytery. (This can also be a problem with very large Presbyterian churches as well - they can overshadow the rest of the presbytery). Second, because the elders of the composite church are elected globally rather than locally, you end up with pastoral care and discipline potentially being done by people who weren't elected by the members of the congregation who are receiving their care/discipline, which violates fundamental presbyterian practice. 

The bottom line is that it is "irregular". That doesn't mean that under certain circumstances it shouldn't be done - life is hard in a fallen world, and ministry cannot always be done in the best possible way. Yet the goal should always be to move to the ideal of each church having its own pastor and local elders, if and when possible.


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## NaphtaliPress (Sep 3, 2016)

I guess back in Puritan times Glasgow cathedral kirk could be an example too. There was a common session, multiple ministers and ministers had charge of a portion of the populace. James Durham at one point was assigned 1500 folks to oversee. Not sure he preached to that many; he was always afraid either coming to an empty room to preach (ie the portion of the cathedral assigned him) or they would run out on him when he started. 


NaphtaliPress said:


> An example historically would be the collegiate Presbyterian churches Samuel Miller served for some years in New York which had one session and a couple of congregations until they were fully split off.


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## TylerRay (Sep 4, 2016)

iainduguid said:


> Historically, there are at least two circumstances that might be described as "multisite" presbyterian churches.
> 1) a mother-daughter church plant, where the session of the mother church oversees the new work until it is able to have its own session. In some cases, the pastor of the mother church might also be the church planter for the new work as well.
> 
> 2) rural churches that are not able to support a pastor of their own. In some cases, they might have their own local session and merely share a pastor. In others, the session of one church might act for others that weren't able to have a session of their own. I could envisage a situation where a Presbytery might form a composite session from several small churches as the best option for pastoral oversight, even though it would be irregular. In some places this might be a long term situation, given the population dynamics. The alternative would be to shut down several of the churches and force people to commute, which might not best suit the community needs.
> ...



Dr. Duguid,

Thank you very much. That is very helpful.


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## MW (Sep 4, 2016)

If I have read the situation correctly, the church is growing, for which I give thanks to our gracious and glorious Lord. It is good to see ministers actively at work in spreading the savour of Christ to people outside their own congregation, and it is good to see people congregating for the purpose of learning and being edified in the faith. If this is conducted under the oversight of the Presbytery, and care is taken to avoid pluralities, it should be encouraged.


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