The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is an administrative district of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which comprises some 64 churches (2022) in central Alabama.https://church-trends.pcusa.org/presbytery/115642/overview/ The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is one of three presbyteries located in Alabama, and one of twelve comprising the "Synod of Living Waters" in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley was established on January 11, 1988, at the First Presbyterian Church of Selma as a merger of several presbyteries from the former Presbyterian Church in the United States and United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, the national bodies of which merged in 1983 to form the present PC (USA). PSL's headquarters are located at 3603 Lorna Ridge Drive in Hoover.
The Presbytery operates two retreat centers, the Gulftreat camp in Panama City Beach, Florida and Living River, a retreat on the Cahaba River south of Birmingham.
Origin The Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley is named for William Henry Sheppard and his wife, Lucy Gantt Sheppard, and for Samuel Lapsley, Alabama Presbyterians who established a mission in the Congo Valley in 1890. In 2003 the Presbytery invited the Reverend Dr. Mulumba Mukundi, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in the Congo and President of the Presbyterian University of Sheppard and Lapsley there, to visit Birmingham. From that visit, a partnership was forged. In 2004 a delegation of eight people traveled to the DRC to work out a partnership agreement among PSL, the Nganga Presbytery, and the Tshibashi Presbytery. The agreement committed all three groups to participate in a mutual relationship, work together in prayer, evangelism, education and development, and to stay in contact through frequent visits. This unique partnership was highlighted at the 217th PC(USA) General Assembly which PSL hosted at the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex. Communionware created for the event was modeled after a Congolese wooden chalice given to the Presbytery; all attendees were each given a tote bag made in the Congo from traditional cloth, and a joint choir from the three presbyteries performed during worship services in Birmingham.
Member congregations (90 out of 64) Source:https://www.pcusa.org/search/congregations/?presbytery=115642&by_presbytery=Search Arlington Presbyterian Church Auburn Korean Presbyterian Church Bethel Presbyterian Church, Northport Bold Springs Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa Bryan Memorial Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Butler Presbyterian Church Cahaba Springs Presbyterian Church, Trussville Calvary Presbyterian Church, Montgomery Carmel Presbyterian Church, Piedmont
Center Point Presbyterian Church Chapel in the Pines, Hoover Church of the Covenant, Anniston Covenant Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa Cuba Presbyterian Church Dodson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Oxford Edgewood Presbyterian Church, Homewood Fairfield Highlands Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church, Alexander City First Presbyterian Church, Anniston
First Presbyterian Church, Auburn First Presbyterian Church, Bessemer First Presbyterian Church (Birmingham, Alabama) First Presbyterian Church, Carbon Hill First Presbyterian Church, Dadeville First Presbyterian Church, Eufala First Presbyterian Church, Jacksonville First Presbyterian Church, Livingston First Presbyterian Church, Opelika First Presbyterian Church, Phenix City
First Presbyterian Church, Piedmont First Presbyterian Church, Reform First Presbyterian Church, Selma First Presbyterian Church, Sylacauga First Presbyterian Church, Talladega First Presbyterian Church, Tallassee First Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa First Presbyterian Church, Tuskegee First Presbyterian Church, Wetumpka First United Presbyterian Church, Anniston
First United Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Five Mile Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Gardendale Presbyterian Church Good Hope Presbyterian Church, Bessemer Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Anniston Goodwater Presbyterian Church Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Green Pond Presbyterian Church Hadden Presbyterian Church, Livingston Harper Chapel Presbyterian Church, Selma
Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Montgomery Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Korean New Church Development, Anniston Korean Presbyterian Church, Montgomery Korean Presbyterian Church, Pelham Korean Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa Lebanon Presbyterian Church, Lafayette Leeds Presbyterian Church Leyden Hill Chapel New Church Development, Blue Mountain Marion Junction Presbyterian Church
Memorial Presbyterian Church, Montgomery Montevallo Presbyterian Church Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church, Plantersville Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church New Trinity Presbyterian Church, Camden Northern Heights Presbyterian Church, Selma Oakmont Presbyterian Church, Hoover Odenville Presbyterian Church Pisgah Presbyterian Church, Selma Ramsay Memorial Presbyterian Church, Tuskegee
Riverchase Presbyterian Church, Hoover Riverview Presbyterian Church, Selma Robinson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Alexander City Rock Springs Presbyterian Church, Magnolia (Marengo County) Saint James Presbyterian Church, Moundville Second Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Shades Valley Presbyterian Church, Mountain Brook South Highland Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Southminster Presbyterian Church, Vestavia Hills Springville Presbyterian Church
Trinity Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Union Springs Presbyterian Church, Union Springs University Presbyterian Church, Tuscaloosa Valley Creek Presbyterian Church, Selma Westminster Presbyterian Church, Birmingham Westminster Presbyterian Church, Montgomery Westminster Presbyterian Church, Tuskegee Williams Memorial Presbyterian Church, Troy Woods Presbyterian Church, Dadeville Wylam Presbyterian Church
Former churches Avondale Presbyterian Church, Birmingham (1889–2009) East Lake Presbyterian Church, East Lake (merged into Grace Presbyterian Church in 1999) Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Trussville (merged into Cahaba Springs Presbyterian Church in 2013) Grace Presbyterian Church, Trussville (merged into Cahaba Springs Presbyterian Church in 2013) Huffman Presbyterian Church, Huffman (merged into Grace Presbyterian Church in 1999) Mount Pinson Presbyterian Church (merged into Grace Presbyterian Church in 1999) Unity Presbyterian Church, Weogufka (become affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America in 2014) Southwood Presbyterian Church, Talladega (become affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America in 2014; now defunct)
References
External links Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley