Who we are

We believe that God has established Jesus Christ as Lord over all creation and as Head of the Church. We affirm that Christ calls the Church into being, giving the people of God all that is necessary for the Church's mission in the work, for building up the Body of Christ and for service to God.

We affirm that the one body of Christ, which is the Church, has many individual members. We acknowledge that each member has been given a unique set of gifts by the Spirit to contribute to the ongoing ministry and mission of the Church. We also recognize that each member needs the support of the other members of the body in order to grow and to fulfill its calling. Christ is the vine; we are the branches. Apart from Christ and apart from others who serve Christ, we cannot serve our mission.

We, the people and Presbyteries of the Synod of the Rocky Mountains, pledge ourselves to love and support one another to serve our neighbors in our local communities and around the world to proclaim the good News and to seek to lead others to faith in the one true God so that together, we may fulfill our calling as disciples of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

The Synod of the Rocky Mountains encompasses one of the most vast and beautiful areas of any synod in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Constituted on May 29, 1871, western missionary Sheldon Jackson served as the first Synod moderator and as its first Stated Clerk. It originally included the Presbyteries of Colorado, Wyoming, and Santa Fe as well as the territories of Montana and Utah. In the early days, complete travel around the Synod required 800 miles by stagecoach and 1,300 miles by rail.

With more than 443,000 square miles, this inter-mountain Synod includes the states of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, the "panhandle" of Nebraska, and a small area of southeastern Idaho. The east/west width of the Synod is 650 miles. The north/south length is 850 miles.

The economic base of the region is principally agriculture, mining, light industry (electronic and other high technology) as well as recreation, tourism, military offices and installations.

Some 58,200 Presbyterians worship and serve Jesus Christ in 240 congregations. Churches with less than 100 members make up 36% (85 churches) of the Synod, while churches with over 900 members constitute only 5% or 13 churches.

The congregations in the Rocky Mountain region are linked together through a network of eight presbyteries. Two of the presbyteries, Yellowstone and Glacier, serve the state of Montana. The states of Utah and Wyoming are ach entire presbyteries of their own. four presbyteries serve congregations in Colorado. Three of the Colorado presbyteries are along the Front Range and one is located on the Western Slope. They are the Presbyteries of Denver, Pueblo, Plains and Peaks (which includes eleven counties in western Nebraska) and Western Colorado.

The mission of the Synod of the Rocky Mountains is to assist, affirm, and strengthen its presbyteries to discover, develop, and implement their unique missions and ministries where they live and serve Jesus Christ.

As a synod of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), serving our Lord, the Synod of the Rocky Mountains upholds these core values:

1. Participating in the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

2. Encouraging and supporting the ministry of its presbyteries.

3. Facilitating and celebrating connections among Presbyterian governing bodies, congregations, and individual members.

4. Seeking the involvement of persons with a broad range or experiences and interest in its work.

5. Creating structure to meet mission challenges so that form follows function.

6. Communicating and evaluating its service.

7. Recognizing God's grace at work in other faith communities.