More about Us
Our Staff (Volunteers)
Ruling Elders Serving on Session and as Trustees:
Randy Switzer, Clerk (Elected by Session)
Nanci Berger
Ken Leonard
Barbara Slyder
Janet Proctor, Worship Leader
Church Secretary: Barbara Slyder
Treasurer: Susan Lane (Elected by Session)
Contracted Services:
Music Director: Elizabeth Walker Garcia
Custodian: Kathy Billington
Moderator of Session: Dan Selock, Ruling Elder, First Presbyterian, Marion
What We Believe
“In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus.” —From “A Brief Statement of Faith” (The Book of Confessions)
“In affirming with the earliest Christians that Jesus is Lord, the Church confesses that he is its hope, and that the Church, as Christ’s body, is bound to his authority and thus free to live in the lively, joyous reality of the grace of God.” (The Book of Order F-1.0204)
As part of the reformed tradition, we seek to respond to God’s call in the here and now, being open to being led in new directions of love and service.
We are the body of Christ, and thus we strive to be a community of faith, a community of hope, a community of love, and a community of witness, as described in the Book of Order F-1.0301.
Our History
First Presbyterian Church of Golconda was organized just a year after Illinois Territory became a State. We remain the oldest continually worshipping Presbyterian congregation in Illinois.
On October 23, 1819, a missionary sent from Connecticut to the “wilderness” to establish churches, examined sixteen citizens who became the founding members of our congregation. The Elders were charged with seeing that the Word was rightly preached - even in the absence of pastoral leadership.
The members first gathered in homes, and later shared a building with congregations of other denominations. In 1869, the cornerstone of the current church was set near the main intersection of Golconda. The facility was erected on the former site of a female seminary. The seminary bell was saved and hangs in our belfry. The bell rings to invite all to enter through doors over which is written “THE MASTER IS HERE AND CALLS FOR YOU.”
The stately church has defied earthquakes, fires, lightning strikes, and floods. In the Ohio River flood of 1937, when boats were used for transportation down Main Street, citizens were invited to store treasured items in the sanctuary.
For the interested historian, more information and many items are available on-site. Striving to be Christ’s hands and feet in service today, we are always joyful to be surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses from generations of believers who have been part of First Presbyterian Church of Golconda.
How We Are Organized
Our session is a group of women and men who have been elected from within our congregation and then ordained to become our church's elders. A trained moderator leads our session's meetings to ensure that everyone is heard and that the meetings are run in a way that is fair to all, and always seeking to be led by Holy Spirit. The Congregation meets annually to elect elders to office.
The Session members are also the Trustees of our Church as a Religious Corporation in Illinois.
The Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois is our presbytery and is comprised of every minister and at least one elder from each congregation within its borders.
The Synod of Lincoln Trails is made up of representative elder and minister members of several presbyteries.
The General Assembly is the most inclusive ruling body of our denomination. It holds a national meeting every two years. There are currently more than 10,000 congregations and more than 1.7 million members in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Our constitution consists of two parts: The Book of Confessions and The Book of Order.
More information is available on pcusa.org
