In 1649, a Toleration Act was passed in Maryland giving freedom of worship to all Christians and thus making the territory attractive to Presbyterian immigrants. Francis Makemie, a Scottish Presbyterian missionary, arrived in colonial America in 1683 and quickly established several churches on the eastern shore of Maryland. Other Presbyterian congregations soon formed in the mid-Atlantic region, and by 1704 the new American Presbyterian Church, an association of ministers and elders from about 12 churches, held its first annual assembly in Philadelphia. In 1717, this body divided itself into four presbyteries: Philadelphia, PA; New Castle, DE; Snow Hill, NJ; and Long Island, NY. In 1732, the Presbytery of Donegal, PA was carved out of the northwest portion of New Castle Presbytery; and then in 1786, Donegal was divided into two new presbyteries: Carlisle, PA and Baltimore, MD.

Presbyterians in colonial America were active leaders not only in their church, but also in their government. Fourteen signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterians, including John Witherspoon, a clergyman. Quite possibly, American government, with its courts and representative legislative bodies, was shaped by Presbyterian ideas of church government.

The first Presbyterian worship held within the present bounds of Baltimore Presbytery occurred in 1713 at the home of Thomas Todd and was led by the Rev. Hugh Conn. A monument at 9000 Old North Point Road, just outside the gate of Fort Howard, commemorates this site. Tradition holds that the Todd house church was the ancestor of Mt. Paran Church in Holbrook.

The Presbytery of Baltimore convened for the first time in 1786 with the Rev. Patrick Allison, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Baltimore, presiding. The Rev. James Hunt, pastor of Bladensburg and Captain Johns, was elected Stated Clerk. Other pastors in attendance were John Slemmons (Slate Ridge and Chanceford), Isaac S. Keith (First Presbyterian of Alexandria), Stephen B. Balch (Georgetown), and George Luckey (Bethel). The Presbytery extended from Chanceford, York County, PA to Leesburg, Loudoun County, VA, and from the Susquehanna River to the Blue Ridge Mountains – over 5,000 square miles.

The first 10 churches of Baltimore Presbytery were Mt. Paran, 1715; Churchville, 1738; Emmittsburg, 1760; First of Baltimore, 1761; Piney Creek, 1763; Bethel, 1769; Frederick, 1780; Second of Baltimore, 1802; Cumberland, 1807; and Hagerstown, 1817. Taneytown, New Windsor, Franklinville, and First of Howard County were founded during the 1820’s and 1830’s.

Thomas Kennedy, a Presbyterian and State legislator, debated during the State’s 1819-1820 legislative session in favor of the right of Jewish citizens to hold office in State government. He argued that the extension of civil rights to Jews was supported by Article VI of the Federal Constitution and the newly adopted First Amendment. Solomon Etting and Bernard Gratz fought with him to pass the “Jew Bill” as it was derogatively called. Kennedy’s stand in the matter caused his political defeat in 1821 and 1823, but the legislature finally passed the bill in 1826.

In 1837, at the Presbyterian General Assembly meeting in Philadelphia, 40 ministers and 40 laypersons were appointed as a Board of Foreign Missions. Later that year, the Board convened for the fist time at the first Presbyterian Church of Baltimore. Eventually, Presbyterian missionaries were sent to China, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Cameroon, India, Persia, Siam, and other countries.

Churches founded during the 1840’s and 1850’s were First of Bel Air, Govans, Granite, Springfield, First of Annapolis, Madison Avenue, Light Street, First of Frostburg, Grove, and First of Barton.

In 1848, the first church for slaves in Baltimore was organized: Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves were prohibited from owning property; therefore other congregations and agencies combined their efforts to build Madison Avenue and care for its business. R. G. Gailbraith, the first pastor, energetically evangelized Baltimore’s black community to bring in new members.

The Civil War divided Presbyterians as it divided the nation. In 1861, Churches in the South founded the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America, and for more than a century, separation prevailed between northern and southern Presbyterians. In 1983, the two sides reunited to form the current PCUSA.

During the 1860’s and 1870’s, new congregations included Brown Memorial Park Avenue, Fallston, Dickey Memorial , and Faith. By the end of the 19th Century, Hope, Grace, Catonsville, Hunting Ridge, Maryland, Waverly, Highland, and Hamilton had been established. The 20th Century brought Roland Park, Southminster, Lakeland, and Barrelville into existence. Then, between the 1920’s and 1940’s, Kenwood, Knox, Cherry Hill, and Harundale were founded. In 1971, several churches were transferred to Baltimore Presbytery from the Potomac Synod of the southern stream: Dickey Memorial, Franklin Street, Kenwood, Kirdridge, Maryland, Mt. Hebron, Springfield, and Towson. The second half of the century welcomed Perry Hall, Havenwood, Northminster, Trinity, First of Westminster, Covenant, Christ Our King, Good Shepherd, St. John United Methodist/Presbyterian, Brown Memorial Woodbrook, Christ Our Anchor, Ark and Dove, the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church, and New Life Korean Church. In the new millennium, St. Andrew’s and New Imani have been started, and two more are getting organized: the Harford County Next Generation Fellowship and the Bay Presbyterian Fellowship in Calvert County; the latter is a joint venture with National Capital Presbytery.