Early Pastors | Buildings and Cemetery | What is Presbyterianism?

Founding and Long-term Pastors   1722 -- Red Clay Creek Presbyterian Church was founded. 1755-1809 -- The Reverend William McKennan was Red Clay's first minister, serving 54 years. McKennan's Church Road was named for him. During the American Revolution he was also the minister for the Presbyterian Church in Wilmington. Note: During the 1900s the Presbyterian Church in Wilmington was moved from its original location on Market Street to its current location at Broom Street and Lovering Avenue, next to the Brandywine River. McKennon was one of three of Red Clay ministers who together served here a total of 166 years -- more than half of the 278 years between its founding in 1722 and the year 2000. 1825-1862 -- The Reverend Thomas Love served Red Clay for 57 years. Loveville Road was named for him. 1887-1942 -- The Reverend John D. Blake served Red Clay for 55 years.

Buildings   The first meeting house -- known as "The Little Church on the Hill" -- was erected in 1761 on what is now part of the cemetery. Fellowship Hall is in the original foundation of the second building, which was completed in 1853. The building was expanded in 1949, 1966, and 2006 to become the facility we have today. See photos as the building has grown. Congregation The original members of the congregation were primarily Scots-Irish immigrants who lived on farms in the vicinity of the Church. Some of their descendants are still members of the church. From its small and poor rural beginning, Red Clay has grown to over a thousand members who are a cross-section of the area's population. We now serve a suburban community with a full range of religious services and programs. We invite you to consider joining us in proclaiming the living Christ. By becoming a part of our future you will also become a part of our history. Read our Welcome page

Roots and Growth of the "Presbyterian" Tradition  The Protestant Reformation took place in the 1500s as people in many countries began to claim the freedom to read and respond to the Bible for themselves; the freedom to have a direct relationship with God, without the mediation of a priest or the church authority; and the freedom to set their own consciences against the demands of religious institutions. The influence of Martin Luther (in Germany) and particularly John Calvin's theological and church reforms in Geneva (Switzerland) laid the foundations for the Scottish Reformation, led by John Knox. During the 1600s the Presbyterian system of church governance developed, and this was brought to the American colonies by some of the earliest immigrants. Today, through its worship, missions, and congregations, the Presbyterian Curch (U.S.A.) seeks to be, in the words of the earliest reformers, "Reformed, and always being Reformed." What Does "Presbyterian" Mean? Presbyterian describes the way the church is governed. Responsibility for oversight of the local congregation rests -- not on individuals appointed by a distant authority or on the congregation by majority vote -- but on elected bodies at the congregational, regional, and national levels. The ruling council in each congregation is called the Session -- a body made up of men and women known as elders, who have been "set apart" by election and ordination into a supervisory role. "Elder" is the English equivalent of the Greek New Testament word presbuteros, from which we get the word Presbyterian. What Do Presbyterians Believe? In Life and Death we belong to God. Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,     the love of God,         and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God,     the Holy One of Israel,         whom alone we worship and serve. -- from the Brief Statement of Faith (1991)     of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

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