Daily AncestorSession
In a Presbyterian church the session is the board of the pastor and elected ruling elders; its minutes record church business and sometimes members and baptisms.
The session runs the congregation, and its clerk kept the minutes and often the rolls of members, baptisms and deaths. Session minutes mostly document church business but sometimes record baptisms and marriages.
Members may appear when they were received, dismissed to another church or called before the session. The Presbyterian Historical Society holds many session records, filed by congregation, not by surname.
As seen in a recordPresbyterian session minutes, 1700s to 1900s
Session met. Mrs. Jane Orr received on certificate from the church at Chambersburg
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Session." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/church/session. Last checked 2026-10-03.