When the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA) met in May 1789 at the Second Presbyterian Church on Arch Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon — the only clergyman to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation — was the convening Moderator. A new moderator was soon thereafter elected to preside over the Assembly, and every year after the process was repeated.
As recent media reports of potential plans of the PCUSA to scrap General Assembly meetings have circulated, it brings to mind past assembly meetings, and those who have moderated them. At Log College Press, the writings of many of those Moderators are available to read, including all 50 who served prior to the 1837 Old School-New School split. In fact, we now have almost all of the 18th and 19th century PCUSA and PCUS General Assembly Moderators on the site, along with many more from the RPCNA, ARP and other branches of American Presbyterianism. Here is that list of the first 50 PCUSA GA Moderators - please feel free to browse and explore their pages. It is interesting to note that among the first 50 are 3 sets of brothers.
1789 — John Witherspoon (1723-1794) — Witherspoon was the Convening Moderator of the very first American General Assembly, and served as President of Princeton.
1789 — John Rodgers (1727-1811) — Rodgers was one of the primary architects of the new General Assembly and revised ecclesiastical standards.
1790 — Robert Smith (1723-1793) — Like Rodgers, Smith also was influential in the creation of the new PCUSA constitution, and also served as a Trustee at Princeton.
1791 — John Woodhull (1744-1824) — Woodhull, too, was a distinguished minister of the gospel who also contributed to the work of establishing the new PCUSA constitution.
1792 — John King (1740-1813) — King served as a pastor in Conococheague, Pennsylvania for over 40 years.
1793 — James Latta (1732-1801) — Latta served the church in many capacities, including chaplain, minister, educator and author.
1794 — Alexander MacWhorter (1734-1807) — A well-respected clergyman, MacWhorter helped to establish congregations in North Carolina, and ministered for many years in Newark, New Jersey.
1795 — John McKnight (1754-1823) — McKnight was a prominent education and minister, serving as President of Dickinson College.
1796 — Robert Davidson (1750-1812) — Like McNight, Davidson also served as President of Dickinson College.
1797 — William Mackay Tennent (1744-1810) — Tennent was the grandson of the founder of the Log College, William Tennent, Sr., and ministered at the Abingdon Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania for almost 30 years.
1798 — John Blair Smith (1756-1799) — Smith served as President of both Hampden Sydney College and Union College, and made important contributions to the cause of religious liberty in Virginia.
1799 — Samuel Stanhope Smith (1751-1819) — Like his brother John, Smith served as President of Hampden Sydney College; he also served as President of Princeton.
1800 — Joseph Clark (1751-1813) — Clark served as a faithful minister in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
1801 — Nathaniel Irwin (1756-1812) — Irwin served as pastor of the Neshaminy Presbyterian Church in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for many years.
1802 — Azel Roe (1738-1815) — Roe served as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Woodbridge, New Jersey, for 52 years.
1803 — James Hall (1744-1826) — Hall was a pioneer missionary, educator, pastor and patriot.
1804 — James Francis Armstrong (1750-1816) — Armstrong served as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Trenton, New Jersey from 1786 until his death. His funeral sermon was preached by Samuel Miller.
1805 — James Richards (1767-1843) — Richards was a well-regarded minister and also served as a professor at Auburn Theological Seminary.
1806 — Samuel Miller (1769-1850) — One of the most well-respected theologians of the 19th century, Miller helped to establish — and served as a professor at — Princeton Theological Seminary, and he was a voluminous author.
1807 — Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) — Alexander served as President of Hampden Sydney College, and as the first professor at Princeton Theological Seminary. He was the author of many books, some of which are still in print.
1808 — Philip Milledoler (1775-1852) — Milledoler served as President of Rutgers College, and was influential in the founding of Princeton Theological Seminary.
1809 — Drury Lacy, Sr. (1758-1815) — Lacy served as President of Hampden Sydney College, among many various contributions to the church.
1810 — John Brodhead Romeyn (1777-1825) — Romeyn was an important New York Presbyterian minister who helped to establish the American Bible Society, among other labors. His sermons were highly regarded.
1811 — Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866) — Nott was an eminent preacher and educator, serving as President of Union College.
1812 — Andrew Flinn (1773-1820) — Flinn contributed to the pastoral, as well as educational, aspects of the ministry, and is remembered for his ministry in Charleston, South Carolina.
1813 — Samuel Blatchford (1767-1828) — Blatchford served as President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
1814 — James Inglis (1771-1820) — Inglis ministered in Baltimore for almost 2 decades.
1815 — William Neill (1778-1860) — Neill served as President of Dickinson College.
1816 —James Ebenezer Blythe (1765-1842) — Blythe served as a professor and as President of Transylvania University, as well as President of Hanover College.
1817 — Jonas Coe (1759-1822) — Coe ministered at the Presbyterian Church in Troy, New York for almost 30 years.
1818 — Jacob Jones Janeway (1774-1858) — Janeway was an eminent pastor and author who labored much for the cause of the church and for missions.
1819 — John Holt Rice (1771-1831) — An important figure in Virginia Presbyterianism, Rice served as President of Hampden Sydney College, and authored many works.
1820 — John McDowell (1780-1863) — A leading Philadelphia minister, McDowell had a lengthy pastoral career, and published a number of sermons.
1821 — William Hill (1769-1852) — Hill ministered in Winchester, Virginia for over 30 years.
1822 — Obadiah Jennings (1778-1832) — Jennings ministered in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
1823 — John Chester (1785-1829) — Chester served as President of the Albany Female Academy and as President of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
1824 — Ashbel Green (1762-1848) — Green served as President of Princeton Theological Seminary, and authored an important exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
1825 — Stephen N. Rowan (1787-1835) — Rowan began his pastoral career in the Reformed Church, but transitioned to the Presbyterian Church. He labored much for the cause of missionary efforts directed to the Jews.
1826 — Thomas McAuley (1778-1862) — McAuley was the first President of Union Theological Seminary in New York.
1827 — Francis Herron (1774-1860) — Herron ministered in Pittsburgh for 4 decades, and was instrumental in the founding of Western Theological Seminary.
1828 — Ezra Stiles Ely (1786-1861) — Ely served as pastor of Philadelphia’s Pine Street Church for 20 years, and was a noted author and editor, and did much to help the poor.
1829 — Benjamin Holt Rice (1782-1856) — Brother of John Holt Rice, Benjamin ministered in Virginia and at Princeton, New Jersey, and served as secretary of the Home Missionary Society.
1830 — Ezra Fisk (1785-1833) — Fisk served as a missionary, pastor, and professor at Western Theological Seminary, among his many labors for the church.
1831 — Nathan Sidney Smith Beman (1785-1871) — Beman served as President of Franklin College in Georgia, and as President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
1832 — James Hoge (1784-1863) — Hoge was a pioneer leader in the history of Ohio Presbyterianism.
1833 — William Anderson McDowell (1789-1851) — McDowell was the brother of John McDowell. He ministered in New Jersey and elsewhere, and served as secretary of the Board of Domestic Missions of the Presbyterian Church.
1834 — Philip Lindsley (1786-1855) — Lindsley served as President of both Princeton and of the University of Nashville.
1835 — William Wirt Phillips (1796-1865) — Phillips ministered in New York City for many decades, and served the church in various other capacities, including that of President of the Board of Publication.
1836 — John Knox Witherspoon (1791-1853) — Witherspoon was the grandson of the earlier John Witherspoon. An educator, author and pastor, Witherspoon did much to contribute to Christian education in North Carolina.
1837 — David Elliott (1787-1874) — Elliott served as President of Washington College. The last Moderator of the original united PCUSA General Assembly, he lived to be present at the reunion of 1870.
