Presbyterian Church (USA) (PC(USA))
The Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States and the parent body of the National Taiwanese Presbyterian Council. It is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination with approximately 900,000 members and 7,000 congregations.
Structure
PC(USA) is organized in a representative democratic form with four governing bodies:
- Local Session — Governing body of each congregation
- Presbytery — Regional governing body (typically covering several counties)
- Synod — Larger regional body (covering multiple presbyteries)
- General Assembly — National governing body, meets annually
Relevant Presbyteries for Taiwanese American Churches
- San Gabriel Presbytery — Covers the San Gabriel Valley area; includes First Taiwanese Presbyterian Church (Pasadena)
- Los Ranchos Presbytery — Covers the Inland Empire and surrounding areas; includes Good Shepherd Taiwanese Presbyterian Church (Monterey Park)
Taiwanese American Ministry
PC(USA) has a significant Taiwanese American presence through:
- National Taiwanese Presbyterian Council (NTPC) — Represents Taiwanese Presbyterian congregations within PC(USA), uniting approximately 16-42 congregations across the United States
- Asian Intercultural Congregation Support Office — A PC(USA) office dedicated to supporting Asian American ministries, staffed by Rev. Ralph Su
- National Asian Presbyterian Women (NAPW) — Women’s ministry within the Asian American Presbyterian community
- NTPW — Taiwanese Presbyterian Women, the women’s ministry affiliate of NTPC
History
PC(USA) was formed in 1983 by the merger of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA) and the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS).