History

The Transylvania Presbytery was established in 1786 as one of the first Presbyterian governing bodies in Kentucky. It was originally under the Synod of Virginia and played a crucial role in organizing Presbyterian churches in the frontier region.

The presbytery became notable in church history for its handling of the Adam Rankin case (1793), in which Rankin was tried for his opposition to the use of Isaac Watts’s psalm paraphrases in worship. This controversy highlighted tensions over worship practices that would continue to shape Presbyterian denominational alignments.

Key Events

• 1786: Presbytery organized
• 1793: Trial of Adam Rankin over psalmody controversy

Related

• [[adam-rankin]]
• [[a-process-in-the-transilvania-presbytery]]
• [[an-outline-of-the-history-of-the-church-in-the-state-of-kentucky-during-a-period-of-forty-years]]