The Presbyterian Church in Canada is founded on the teachings of the New Testament, both in its theology and its form of church government. The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek for “elder” and refers to the governance of the church by Teaching Elders (ministers) and an equal number of Ruling Elders (persons ordained to rule, but not to a sacramental ministry). Its theology is called “reformed,” meaning that it belongs to the body of churches that the Reformation gave rise to in seeking to recover the teachings of Scripture.
Presbyterianism accompanied the earliest explorers and settlers to Canada, drawing its ministers and membership first from France and later from the British Isles. The Scottish influence was pre-eminent from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
In 1875, various Presbyterian bodies joined together to form The Presbyterian Church in Canada. In 1925, approximately 60 percent of the membership joined Methodists and Congregationalists to form the United Church of Canada.
In 2019, The Presbyterian Church in Canada has 1,374 ministers and 829 congregations, encompassing 82,457 communicant members and a national budget of $131.4 million.
Denominational headquarters of The Presbyterian Church in Canada are located at:
50 Wynford Drive
Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7
Tel.: (416) 441-1111 or 1 800 619 7301
Fax: (416) 441 2825
www.presbyterian.ca