The Presbyterian Church (USA) is a connectional church.  This means that we, as a particular local congregation, belong to our sibling Presbyterian churches through our Presbytery (the Presbytery of Southern New England), our Synod (the Synod of the Northeast), and our national denomination (the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA).

We believe that just as individuals are members of the body of Christ, so too are congregations - as congregations - members of the larger body of Christ.  There are aspects of being the church in the world that we can only accomplish as a body larger than an individual congregation.  

"Per Capita" reflects this.  Per capita giving is how we support the wider initiatives, ministries, and functioning of our Presbytery, our Synod, and the General Assembly.  From the Frequently Asked Questions of Per Capita: Committing to Connection:
“Per capita is an opportunity for all communicant members of the Presbyterian church through the governing bodies [mid councils] to participate equally, responsibly, and interdependently by sharing the cost of coordination and evaluation of mission; and of performing ecclesiastical, legislative, and judicial functions that identify a Reformed Church, while at the same time strengthening the sense of community among all Presbyterians” (General Assembly Minutes, Part I, 1995).

In essence: Per capita is a set amount of money (apportionment) per member that congregations pay to the larger Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Said another way, it is a Presbyterian Covenant Community Fund — part of the glue that holds Presbyterians together. Because every Presbyterian shares in the benefit of the PC(USA)’s system of government, the expenses associated with coordinating and performing the functions of that system should be shared by everyone as well."
Per Capita for 2026 for all churches in the Presbytery of Southern New England is set at $53.00 per member on the church rolls. 

​We invite you to consider helping to offset Calvin Presbyterian Church's per capita responsibility by including $53/member in your household's pledged giving.

Per Capita Breakdown:

~70% of this goes to the Presbytery.
~10% goes to the Synod.
~20% goes to the General Assembly

What does Per Capita do?

Please note: Per Capita does not go to the general fund/operating budget of Calvin Presbyterian Church; the general fund/operating budget and the mission fund of Calvin Presbyterian Church come from your pledged (and other) giving directly to Calvin Presbyterian Church.  Per Capita is what Calvin Presbyterian Church gives to the wider Presbyterian Church.

Per Capita dollars at work:

Presbytery of Southern New England (~70% of our per capita giving)
Direct support of congregations and ministries of the Presbytery which includes resourcing, counseling and coaching pastors and ministry leaders, assistance during pastoral transitions; the supervision and encouragement of seminarians preparing for ministry; support of new worshiping communities and immigrant fellowships; a safety and support team for all ministries in the Presbytery; antiracism and equity work; clergy wellness and spiritual direction retreats and connections to regional and national ecumenical and interfaith partnerships; one full-time and two part-time staff members.

Synod of the Northeast (~10% of our per capita giving)
Ministry grants for member congregations and ministries; support of new pastoral leaders through Early Ministry Institute; training and resourcing for Presbytery staff leaders through the Synod Collegium; webinars and training for congregational and ministry leaders; two full-time and three part-time staff members.

Presbyterian Church (USA), General Assembly
All ministries of the national church office, which includes legal, polity, and resourcing for Presbytery staff and congregations; grants and assistance to congregations and ministries of the whole church; all ministry programs such as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Hunger Program, international ministry service, public policy advocacy; support for national committees of the General Assembly; over 350 staff members.

Click here for online giving.