Cumberland Presbytery

In the history of the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition in the United States, there have been a number of judicatories named Cumberland Presbytery.

Cumberland Presbytery, PC(USA) 1802-1806

Transylvania Presbytery PC(USA), as it was established in 1786 from part of Abingdon Presbytery, encompassed all of Kentucky, settlements on the Cumberland River in Tennessee, and later the settlements on the Big and Little Miami Rivers in Ohio. The presbytery grew rapidly and in 1799 was divided into three smaller presbyteries. Transylvania Presbytery retained the area to the south and west of the Kentucky River in central Kentucky. West Lexington Presbytery covered the area of Kentucky between the Kentucky River and the Licking River. Washington Presbytery comprised the area northeast of the Licking River and north of the Ohio River. In 1802, these three presbyteries were formed into the Kentucky Synod, separate from the Synod of Virginia. One of the first actions of the Kentucky Synod was to form Cumberland Presbytery from the portion of Transylvania Presbytery south of the Salt River.

Cumberland Presbytery was the heart of the Second Great Awakening. Although ministers in support of the Great Revival of 1800 generally dominated the presbytery, the anti-revival faction dominated Kentucky Synod PC(USA). In 1806, differences between the presbytery and the synod over the revival, ordination standards for ministers, and the literal interpretation of the Westminster Confession of Faith resulted in Cumberland Presbytery being dissolved back into Transylvania Presbytery. The former members of Cumberland Presbytery fought for their position for a number of years in the hope that Kentucky Synod would reconsider. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA), while stating that Kentucky Synod had made an error of judgement, took no action to reinstate Cumberland Presbytery. In 1810, the former members of Cumberland Presbytery reformed the presbytery as the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Cumberland Presbytery, Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1810-1813

The genesis of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church was the reformed Cumberland Presbytery organized on February 4, 1810. The presbytery was made up of members of the Presbyterian Church and others in the area left abandoned when Kentucky Synod PC(USA) dissolved the original Cumberland Presbytery and expelled many of its ministers. The new independent presbytery struggled to be reunited with the larger Presbyterian Church. At the same time, it grew rapidly and divided into three smaller presbyteries in 1813. Cumberland Presbytery was succeeded by Cumberland Synod.

Cumberland Presbytery, Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1845-1988

King Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church met only three times in 1843 and 1844 before being renamed Cumberland Presbytery by Green River Synod in 1844. Located primarily in South-Central and Eastern Kentucky, this Cumberland Presbytery was a member judicatory of Green River Synod from 1844 to 1888 and of Kentucky Synod from 1888 to 1988. This Cumberland Presbytery was one of the best organized and funded of all Cumberland Presbyterian judicatories. After the partial reunion of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1906, it was the financial stability of Cumberland Presbytery that enabled the Cumberland Presbyterian Denomination to survive. In 1988, as part of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church middle judicatory realignment, this Cumberland Presbytery was dissolved only to be reformed as a much larger presbytery. The last stated clerk was Rev. James W. Knight.

Cumberland Presbytery, Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1988-present

Primarily located in central and eastern Kentucky with one congregation in Pennsylvania, Cumberland Presbytery forms the traditional heart of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. This incarnation of the presbytery was formed in the Cumberland Presbyterian middle judicatory realignment of 1988. Cumberland Presbytery is a part of Midwest Synod of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Sources

• History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Kentucky to 1988, by Matthew H. Gore, Joint Heritage Committee of Covenant and Cumberland Presbyteries. Memphis, Tennessee, 2000.
• 2006 Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Memphis: Tennessee, 2006).