Presbyterians have their religious beginnings in the Reformation Movement of the 1500's and are most especially tied to the teachings and writings of John Calvin and John Knox. In the British Isles they were originally part of the Puritan faith but split with them over a disagreement on the Westminster Confession. Mostly Scots, these dissenters separated from the main body of Puritans and followed the Confession, the Larger and Shorter Catechisms and the Directory of Worship. It was this basic faith that Scots and Scots-Irish immigrants brought to America. Congregationalism in the United States also had its beginning in English reformation. Like Presbyterians, they were also an offshoot of Puritanism. The Congregationalists wanted the individual churches to reform from within. They were also unwilling to be part of the larger church government and so they took their ecclesiastical reformation to America. The Congregational church was most prevalent in Massachusetts and Connecticut were the church dominated religious life for 200 years. Yet, nationally church membership remained quite small and it was almost non-existent in the south. (Rudolph: 113,187)

The earliest Presbyterians to what is now Indiana were members of two offshoot groups, Psalm-singing Presbyterians and Cumberland Presbyterians. The Psalm-Singers followed a form of worship that included the acapella singing of the Psalms in a unique metric style. This was the only music allowed in the service. The first members of this group arrived in Indiana by way of Kentucky and settled in Madison just after the turn of the century. Another group from Kentucky by way of South Carolina settled in Gibson County about 1809. Their numbers grew and they formed a church at Princeton in 1810. Princeton quickly became the destination of Psalm-Singing Presbyterians from Chester District, South Carolina. So many of these anti-slave Presbyterians moved to the area that it became the area of the largest concentration of this sect. Bloomington also had settlers from the Chester District and a Psalm-Singing congregation was formed in 1821. Many of these Presbyterians came to Bloomington because of the promise of a college in the town. Presbyterians had long been associated with higher education due to their insistence on an educated clergy. Through the 1820's and 1830's Psalm-singers also settled in Rush and Decatur Counties. So devoted to their peculiar form of worship 19th century historian J.B.Blount said "…these good people would part with their lives sooner than yield up this fundamental factor of …worship…" They were held together by an unwavering sense of family and clan loyalty that was rooted in their Scottish past. Using the rigid code of behavior and worship established in long-ago Scotland, the Psalm-singers were able to maintain their faith culture throughout the changing 19th century. (Rudolph: 113-117)

The second group of early Presbyterian settlers was the Cumberlands. This group grew out of Tennessee and Kentucky's Great Revival of 1800. This emotional outpouring of religious zeal, centered in the Cumberland Presbytery, offended the dour Scots Presbyterians. These zealous revivalists ordained uneducated men who adhered to the Westminster Confession "only in so far as they deemed agreeable." (Rudolph: 118) The Cumberland Presbytery felt that a minister's ability to exhort far exceeded the need for a classical education or principles of Presbyterian doctrine continued to ordain men most Presbyterians saw as unfit. The group grew rapidly and by 1810 the Kentucky Synod disbanded the Presbytery. Undaunted the Presbytery reformed as the Independent Cumberland Presbytery. (Rudolph: 117-118)

About 1810, Widow Elizabeth Lindley moved to White Oak Springs in present day Pike County. Once there, she missed the Cumberland worship she had experienced in Kentucky and wrote the Presbytery requesting a preacher. Out of the White Oak Springs revival came the first Presbyterian Church in the territory. The widow married Ashbury Alexander and moved to DuBois County in 1812. Again, missing Cumberland worship, she wrote for a circuit rider. When one was sent the revival at the Alexander Campground yielded yet another church. The faith spread throughout southwest Indiana and was so strong that the Indiana Presbytery of the Cumberland Church was formed in 1825. The faith continued to be strongest in this corner of the state until most of the congregations merged with the Presbyterian Church in the USA in 1905. (Rudolph: 117-122)

The mainstream Presbyterians settlers in Indiana were descended from the Scots Presbyterians that had arrived in the colonies throughout the 1600's. The first American Presbytery was formed in Philadelphia in 1706 and by 1800 it was the single most influential denomination in the US. It was also struggling with the question of how to evangelize in the western frontier of the newly formed Northwest Territory. Devoted to the principles of an educated clergy and membership, this vast unpopulated wilderness seemed to be simply too large an obstacle for the leadership to overcome. No organized effort to evangelize the area was formulated. As Presbyterians migrated into the newly opened lands, they simply requested ministers to be sent to their area. About 1805, a traveling minister was sent to the Vincennes area after Presbyterian settlers had requested a minister. And so the Rev. Thomas Cleland was sent for a ministry of several months. Throughout the years before statehood 11 horseback missionaries traveled to Presbyterian settlements for periods of up to four months each. At the same time, Congregational missionaries John F. Schermerhorn and Samuel J. Mills were also traveling in the area. Representatives of the Connecticut and Massachusetts churches, they reported the dire need for missionaries in the western frontier of Indiana. Rev. Isaac Reed, a licensed Congregational minister, spent nine years as a circuit rider, busily founding Presbyterian churches among the Scots-Irish settlements. In his 1828 book, Christian Traveler, he states that he traveled over 18,000 miles in his years as circuit rider in Indiana. (Reed: 144-146) At the time of statehood only three Presbyterian ministers had settled in the new state. There was simply not enough trained Presbyterian clergy to minister to the west. (Rudolph: 122-124)

The Congregationalists and Presbyterians developed a plan that both hoped would be the solution to their western dilemma. It came in the form of the 1801, Plan of Union. It allowed for the exchange of clergy as the need arose. Throughout the early years of the nineteenth century Presbyterian and Congregationalist missionary societies sprang up in the east and in 1826, three of the strongest merged to form the American Home Missionary Society. Through the Plan of Union they were able to secure clergy from either faith for western mission work. During its first decade the AHMS sent 24 ministers to Indiana. The process for securing a minister was simple. A group wishing to form a congregation could request a pastor from the Society if they would guarantee to provide the portion of the ministers' wages not covered by the Society. Since few Congregationalists settled in Indiana many Congregationalist ministers found themselves shepherding Presbyterian congregations here. One such was Edmund Otis Hovey of New Hampshire. As a student at the Congregationalist Andover Seminary in Andover Massachusetts, Hovey and his fellow classmates interested in western mission met a representative of the AHMS. In a letter to Mary Carter, a friend in Vermont, Hovey recounted the visit:

"Mr. Peters arrived…and laid before the whole company of 'western men' the wants of the west & devoted the following day to conversation with individuals. I had an interview with him in the morning…I endeavored to review the whole subject - took the advice of my Professors and the result is a decision to devote my life to the labors as a missionary in the Valley of the Mississippi. The decision has not been without much reflection and prayer & hope - if has been made under the full conviction of duty." (Hovey letter: 16 July 1831)

Edmund continued the letter by telling Mary that Mr. Peters had also explained that missionaries were much happier and far more productive if accompanied by a wife. And without further ado continued: "The question arises, dear Mary, whether you can on so short a notice join your interests with mine & in that sacred union which time alone can dissolve, consecrate life to the service of Christ in that interesting field of labor. (Hovey letter: 16 July 1831)

Upon graduation, he signed a contract to serve as a missionary in the west for the mostly Presbyterian, American Home Missionary Society. Late in 1831, Hovey arrived Fountain County with his bride Mary. He organized his first congregation that year in a Presbyterian Scots-Irish settlement on Coal Creek. The settlers had migrated there from Ohio in the 1820's. Hovey's letters are filled with descriptions of the struggles of a missionary in a land where most people were wary of easterners. In a letter to Mary's mother he described it this way:

"...there are a great many families within 3 miles of me, which do not regard the Sabbath, oppose Sabbath Schools, Temperance Societies & every thing benevolent… among 10,000 of more (in this area) there are but few real Christians…Methodists are numerous.. and New Lights more so…they are a species of Unitarian, ignorant and bigoted…Diests and Universalists…and Baptists are greatly ignorant." (Hovey: 11 February 1832)

In spite of these obstacles, Hovey founded 3 churches in Presbyterian Scots-Irish settlements, began Sabbath Schools at each and generally persevered. Finally, believing that the only way to Christianize the West was to educate young western men for the ministry, Hovey joined with 5 other AHMS clergymen, all Presbyterians, to found Wabash College. Hovey exemplified the typical Presbyterian minister, classically educated at college and seminary, well versed in the doctrine of the church and a proponent of education for the flock as well as the shepherd. He was a supporter of benevolent societies and a subscriber to theological journals and he quite simply did not fit with the mostly upland southern Indiana settlers. In the 1830's and 1840's some counties in Indiana had up to 50% illiteracy. Such a population was highly suspicious of the eastern Presbyterian and Congregational ministers. AHMS missionaries sometimes had to move 2 and 3 times before finding an area receptive to their ministry. One missionary, Moody Chase, wrote that he "could not keep a Sunday School in operation" so great was the prejudice against Presbyterians and education. But the missionaries persevered and ultimately established strong congregations statewide, as well as educational institutions, that would impact significantly on the growth of the state. Besides Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Presbyterians also founded Hanover College in 1827, along the Ohio River. Presbyterian clergy were instrumental in founding and teaching at Indiana College in Bloomington. (Rudolph: 125-126; 127-130) Some Presbyterian congregations in the state also established academies, even for young ladies. One such was the Presbyterian Female College in Salem, Washington County. Founded in 1851, it had 66 students in the first year. The young ladies came from Washington County, surrounding counties, as well as Louisville, Kentucky. A boarding school, offering a preparatory department as well as a college, the students were offered courses in ancient and modern history and geography, composition and grammar, sciences and even calisthenics. All for $15.00 per 20 week session! (First Annual Circular: 1-4) About the same time Presbyterians were making such gains in Indiana, the Presbyterian Church in the United States was being torn apart by doctrinal issues directly relating to the exchange of ministers allowed by the Plan of Union. Some Presbyterian clergy felt that some in the church, especially the Congregationalists, had become too liberal and were straying from orthodox Presbyterian doctrine. Called "Old School", they split from the "New School", causing congregations all over the country to be likewise torn apart. The split hindered the growth of the faith for the next 30 years until in 1870 the two reunited. (Rudolph: 125-126)

While Hovey was realigning himself with the Presbyterians there were Congregational ministers trying to establish the faith in Indiana. The first Congregational Church in Indiana was founded in Franklin County in 1833. It came about, however, because of an Old School - New School fight in an established Presbyterian congregation! Similar struggles in other parts of the state had similar results and the first Congregational Association was organized in 1839 in the midst of the Presbyterian infighting. (Rudolph: 188)

By 1850, due in part to the diligent work of American Home Missionary Society clergy in Scots-Irish settlements throughout the state, more than 200 congregations calling themselves Presbyterian, existed in Indiana. Due to the dirth of New Englanders in the state, only 2 Congregational congregations had survived. Most of the members were middle-class, educated and prosperous. But in both cases, their churches were well kept and well furnished with wooden pews, hymnbooks and musical instruments. The faithful of both churches were members of the many popular reform societies of the day, such as temperance, foreign missions, and Bible Societies. The women were especially active in aid societies. They were, however, relatively silent on the subject of abolition, choosing instead to support colonization societies that advocate gradual emancipation and removal of the freedmen to Africa. Some did however speak out. In 1843 the Presbyterian Synod of Indiana convened an Anti-Slave Committee chaired by President Charles White of Wabash College. His brother-in-law, Edmund O. Hovey, other founding pastors and Trustees of the college, and ministers such as Henry Ward Beecher, pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, joined with White in drafting a plea sent to slave-owning Presbyterians in the south. The message begged them to re-evaluate slavery on the basis of Christian ethics. Eloquent as it was, it had no positive results. Few Presbyterians were moved to join them. (Christians: broadside)

This fact proved to aid in the growth of Congregational churches, especially in northern Indiana. Abolitionist feeling ran strong in the New England states and the transplanted New Englanders residing in Indiana were ardently in favor of ending slavery as soon as possible. Most lived in northern Indiana and belonged to Presbyterian congregations led by Presbyterian ministers. By 1853 these strident abolitionists were withdrawing their membership from the Presbyterian churches to form new Congregational churches, more in tune with their political beliefs. Liber College in Jasper County was another result of the strong stand Congregationalist took on slavery. This institution, like the Baptist's Eleutherian Institute and Friends Union Literary Institute admitted anyone regardless of race. By 1858, there were enough Congregational churches in northern Indiana to form the Upper Wabash Valley Association. (Rudolph: 189)

In the years after the Fugitive Slave Law was adopted a group of out-spoken Presbyterian abolitionists emerged. Men such as John Finely Crowe of Hanover spoke out on the evils of slavery. In 1856 the American Home Mission Society decided to refuse aid from any congregation not officially condemning the evils of slavery. "New School" Presbyterians especially became more vocal in the condemnation of American slavery. One "New School" Presbyterian in New Albany, Erasmus MacMasters, explained his change of heart in a letter dated August 6, 1857. He wrote that he had kept quiet in the hope that southern Presbyterians, educated and cultured as they are, would come to the conclusion on their own that slavery was an abomination in the eyes of God. Now, he said, the time has arrived for slavery to be placed on the same level with all great questions of morality. (McMaster letter)

When the Civil War finally arrived, Hoosier Presbyterians and Congregationalists willingly filled the ranks of enlisted men as well as officers. By 1864, 307 graduates and students of Wabash College had joined the fight as soldiers in the Union Army. The college was almost devoid of 3rd and 4th year students because so many had gone to war. The sentiment was so strong on campus that Professor Caleb Mills encouraged his son, Benjamin Marshall Mills to enlist. Young Mills joined the war as an officer in an African American regiment, knowing he faced immediate execution if ever captured by Confederate forces. (Wabash College: 117-128)

The years following the Civil War were more fruitful for the Congregationalists of Indiana. The Presbyterians had withdrawn from the AHMS in 1861, leaving the Congregationalists in control. In 1867, the society appointed Nathaniel A. Hyde to be superintendent of missions for the state. For the next 5 years he worked diligently strengthening the Congregational presence in Indiana. The results of his work were evident in the jump from 19 Hoosier Congregational churches in 1861 to 55 in 1906. The most influential of the congregations in the late 19th century was Plymouth Church founded in Indianapolis in 1857. It struggled until Hyde came to the state to serve as pastor. By 1867, the year Hyde became director of missions, the church was able to build a 500-seat sanctuary. Plymouth grew to prominence under the leadership of Rev. Oscar McCulloch, a liberal thinker whose social ministry made it a leader in the city. Congregationalists were also at the heart of a national youth movement, Christian Endeavor. The first Endeavor group in Indianapolis was formed at Mayflower Church and by 1895 there were 35 societies in Congregational Churches statewide. (Encyclopedia 1120; Rudolph 189-191)

After the Civil War, the Presbyterians of the Old and New Schools reunited, both having developed almost identical governing bodies, benevolent endeavors and educational institutions. By the beginning of the 20th century the Indiana Synod was especially involved in aiding the most recent foreign immigrants to the sate. The Neighborhood House in Gary was typical of the work encouraged by the Indiana Synod. Gary was receiving the majority of immigrants coming to Indiana from eastern and southern Europe because of the growing industrial development there. In 1909, the Presbytery of Logansport began a ministry to Gary's burgeoning foreign population. Soon, the Women's Synodical Society joined the effort and together they opened Gary's first kindergarten. In 1910, a Slavic-speaking pastor was hired as missionary. By April, a lot had been purchased and construction began on a frame building to house the mission programs as well as the missionary. Soon, a nurse was added to the mission staff. Presbyterians then a Sunday School, adult night school, sewing school, and sponsorship for several ethnic fraternal organizations. It quickly became obvious that a Neighborhood House was needed. The mission board of the Indian Synod and the national Presbyterian Church pledged money to help wit the construction, and the Indian Synod began a statewide fundraising campaign. With this help from the synod and church wide Mission Boards plans were drawn that provided classrooms, recreational space as well as housing for recent immigrants as well as classrooms and meeting space. (Gary: pamphlet)

As the First World War broke out in Europe in 1914 and America was slowly drawn into it, Presbyterians and Congregationalists struggled with their response to warfare. However, by the time of the US entry into the war their moral dilemma was no longer. In a 1919 pamphlet entitled Why We Fight, written by the pastor of Muncie's First Presbyterian Church, it was apparent that the church was solidly behind the decision to go to war. "We believe we are our brother's keeper and if we cannot compel as just peace we must fight." Reverend Nyce went on to explain that all citizens of the U.S. must rally to support the American soldiers in Europe. He finished with this patriotic pledge: " Let us, therefore, fight shoulder to shoulder with our gallant allies til the Liberty of the world is won." (Nyce: 16)

First Annual Circular of the Presbyterian Female College. 1851.

Gronert, T,G, and Osborne, James I. Wabash College, the first hundred years. Crawfordsville: R.A. Banta, 1932.

Hovey, Edmund Otis. Letter, 1831-1832. Unpublished.

Mc Masters, Erasmus. Letter, 6 August 1857. Unpublished.

Nyce, Rev. Benjamin. "Why We Fight". Muncie: First Presbyterian Church: 1919.

Reed, Isaac. Christian Traveler. New York: J.&J. Harper, 1828.

Rudolph, L.C. Hoosier Faiths. Bloomington: IU Press, 1995.

Synod of Indiana, Department of Immigration of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions. Gary. n.p., 1911.