Our Story

The Worship:

Reformed Christian worship began in Coventry Parish, Maryland on the banks of the Pocomoke River in 1672 and this congregation was formed in 1683 on Colonel Stevens’ plantation, Rehoboth. The Rev. Francis Makemie, known as the "Father of American Presbyterianism", came to the colonies to be our pastor in 1683 and built the present church in 1706 on land owned by him. Presbyterians as Trinitarians have worshipped the one true God, been guided by Jesus Christ’s teaching and example, and have been empowered by the Holy Ghost to serve and minister in God's name at Rehoboth and beyond for over 330 years. Today's congregation is working to ensure the continuation of this Christian witness well into the future. Rehoboth is the birthplace of the Presbyterian Church in the United States.

The building:

Rehoboth Presbyterian Church is a simple one-story brick building, three bays wide by three deep. Random glazed headers and stretchers are used throughout the Flemish bond construction. In 1888 the church was remodeled and the original clear glass windows were replaced with the present leaded ones. Also at this time the door was moved from the south side to the west end and the pulpit from the north side to the east end. The old pews and galleries were also taken out. The double door in the west central bay is surmounted by a semicircular fanlight with delicate curved muntins. In each flanking bay is a single round-arched leaded glass window. There is a two-string belt course between the first floor and gable. There is a 6/6 light window surmounted by a brick segmental arch centered in both the east and west gables. The church sits on a brick foundation with a simple step watertable made of two square protruding bricks. The south wall of the church has a single round-arched leaded window in the east and west bays. The original doorway in the central bay has been bricked in. The north wall has only a single round-arched leaded window in the east and west bays. The east end has been covered with stucco. It also has a single round-arched leaded glass window in the north and south bays. Inside, the church has a barrel-vault wooden ceiling. The box pews have a single raised panel on the ends. The gallery across the west end is also paneled.