Deep Well; No Fences…

It’s a strange sight to city folk, traveling through the dry mountains of northern Arizona; herds of cattle roam the open range – no fences.

A local cowboy explains the mystery: “Around here, fences aren’t needed. Cattle stay close to water. A few might wander off, but not often. The cattle seem to know that a good well is a source of life.”

And so it is with Faith at First.

Together, we find this story to be a wonderful model for our Christian faith together: deep well, and no fences. In a season when many churches define themselves by positions on ‘fence’ or boundary issues, First Presbyterian Church of Sharon has chosen to define ourselves as a group that gathers together at the deep well of faith, hope, and love in our God. Together. In Love.

We trust in God’s Good Well, and invite all our Neighbors to share in the Living Waters and Life we find there.

Denominational Affiliation

First Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church, USA, which is organized into 172 presbyteries. FPC’s presbytery is called Shenango Presbytery. It meets regularly throughout the year and does much of its work through committees, along with Presbytery staff support.

There are about 35 congregations in our Shenango Presbytery, which includes Lawrence and Mercer counties in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Presbytery meetings are conducted by an elected moderator, who facilitates a gathering of Teaching and Ruling elder representatives from all the churches in the presbytery. The Synod is the next-level governing body in the PC(USA). Synods are made up of multiple presbyteries and conduct business in the same way as a presbytery, yet have fewer functions.

Composed entirely of elected representatives, the highest governing body in the PC(USA) is the General Assembly which meets every two years. The General Assembly administrative offices are located in Louisville, Kentucky. The General Assembly sets policies, formulates statements of faith, publishes curricula and worship resources, helps start new churches, and coordinates the global mission of the denomination.