Presbyterians and Congregationalists were originally one group, but in the early 1800s, they formed a Plan of Union that split the groups by geography. The Presbyterians in St. Louis were part of the reformed group of Protestants that arrived in Pennsylvania primarily during the eighteenth century. They quickly moved south and west, following the valley between the mountain chains into Virginia, the Carolinas, and beyond.
On 4 October 1816, in St. Louis, Rev. Salmon Giddings organized Bonhomme Presbyterian Church in the log cabin home of Captain Joseph Conway. The following Sunday, 6 October, he held the first worship service, where he ordained elders, one of whom was Stephen Hempstead, a Revolutionary War hero who helped organize the church. Bonhomme became the second Presbyterian congregation organized west of the Mississippi River (the first is in Caledonia, Missouri) and the first in the St. Louis area. Altogether, in twelve years of ministry, before his death in 1828, he organized six congregations each in Missouri and Illinois. (See the section above on “Religion in St. Louis” for more information.)
Like other denominations, the Presbyterians have split up over time. Currently, the largest group is the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which has its national offices in Louisville, Kentucky. It was formed in 1983. The Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is located at 1001 Craig Rd., Ste. 170, in St. Louis County. Two other Presbyterian denominations in St. Louis are the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church of America. The Historical Center of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) is located on the campus of Covenant Theological Seminary at 478 Covenant Lane.
(Our thanks to Kevin T. Kelly, then president of St. Louis Genealogical Society, who wrote an article about Presbyterian churches in St. Louis for the 1981 St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, volume 14, number 4, pages 127–128, and to Rev. Edward C. Wicklein, former pastor of the Pacific Presbyterian Church, who contributed another article in the 1982 St. Louis Genealogical Society Quarterly, volume 15, number 2, pages 41–43.)
Last modified: 25-Jul-2026 14:30
