This Synod was created upon the petition of the Synod of Ohio at the meeting of the General Assembly of 1829, to be constituted of the presbyteries of Chillicothe, Cincinnati, and Miami.
The Northwestern Territory, organized in 1787, of all the region lying between th Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Lakes included what is now known as Indiana. In 1790, Winthrop Sargent, under direction of Governor St. Clair, of Marietta, came to Vincennes, and laid off Knox county, including the most of Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. At Vincennes he found 143 heads of families, mostly French, the place having been originally settled by French traders, the first of whom came here in 1702.
On May 7th, 1800, the Territory of Indiana was organized, including what is now Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, and with a civilized population of 4875. Gen. W.H. Harrison was its first Governor, at Vincennes, from 1800 to 1812. In 1804 a large part of the Louisiana Purchase, including Missouri and Arkansas, was added to Indiana. On June 30th, 1805, Michigan was cut off. On March 1st, 1809, Illinois was cut off, and the present boundaries of Indiana were defined. By Act of Congress, December 11th, 1816, she was formally admitted as a State into the Union.
In this formative period of her Territorial and State life, the Church was securing a position within her borders. The first Presbyterian sermon ever preached in the Territory was in the home of Governor Harrison, who, with his Presbyterian wife, extended to Dr. Cleland, the preacher, a hearty welcome. The first Presbyterian Church and probably the first Protestant Church, in the Territory, was organized by Rev. Samuel B. Robertson, of Kentucky, in a barn owned by Col. Small, about two miles from Vincennes, and which, from its being the only one in the Territory was appropriately called "The Presbyterian Church of Indiana." Rev. Samuel T. Scott took charge of this Church in 1808 and remained in charge of it until his death, December 30th, 1827. During most of this time, he conducted an academy, now known as Vincennes University, and resided in Vincennes. He had taught here a considerable part of the time between 1802 and 1808, although in the meanwhile licensed and ordained, and for a time, a pastor in Kentucky.
Before his death in 1827, this pioneer minister saw the one church expand into fifty-seven, with over 2000 communicants, in a state with a population of over 250,000. His own church at this time had 118 members. The church at Washington had 86; at Charlestown, 68; at Madison, 79; at Salem, 95; at Livonia, 119; at Bloomington, 84; at Hanover, 77; at Sand Creek, 63; at Pisgah, 53; at Corydon, 52; at Shiloh, 60; and at Indianapolis, 50. This was about the condition at the organization of the Synod of Indiana, in October, 1826.
Indiana was in Transylvania Presbytery, Synod of Kentucky, until, in 1815, it was placed in Miami Presbytery, Synod of Ohio, by the action of the General Assembly, making the Ohio river the boundary between the two Synods. In 1817 all of Indiana west of a line drawn north from the mouth of the Kentucky river was transferred to Louisville Presbytery, Synod of Kentucky. In 1823 all of Indiana belonging to the Synod of Kentucky was organized into Salem Presbytery, which also included most of Illinois. In 1824 the southwestern corner of the State, from the mouth of Green river to the mouth of White river, was transferred to Muhlenburg Presbytery, Synod of Kentucky. In October, 1827, this corner was brought back to Salem Presbytery, and on October 15th, 1829, it became a part of Wabash Presbytery. For, in October, 1825, Salem Presbytery had been divided and Wabash Presbytery to the west and Madison Presbytery on the east had been organized. In October, 1828, that part of Illinois which had been a part of Salem Presbytery was organized into the Centre of Illinois Presbytery. On may 27th, 1848, the General Assembly changed the boundary line between the Synods of Ohio and Indiana, and gave back to Indiana Synod the narrow strip east of the Kentucky river. Since then the Presbyterian Church in Indiana has had all and only her own territory.
The Synod of Indiana was constituted by act of the General Assembly, May 29th, 1826, out of Salem, Madison, Wabash and Missouri Presbyteries. The first meeting was with the Church of Indiana, at Vincennes, in the Court House, on Wednesday, October 18th, 1826, lasting until Saturday, the 21st; the second meeting was at Salem, from Thursday till Saturday, October 18th to 20th, 1827; the third meeting was at Vincennes, October, 1828, at which meeting so great a religious interest was manifested that sixty persons were converted and united with the Church.
The division into Old School and New School took place October 10th, 1838, at Franklin, each body retaining the name of "The Synod of Indiana."
The Old School Synod was divided in 1843, the General Assembly, on May 29th, 1843, erecting the Synod of Northern Indiana out of Lake, Logansport and Michigan Presbyteries. On May 21st, 1849, the boundaries were slightly changed, the National Road being the dividing line; the churches in Indianapolis and in all the villages on the road west of Indianapolis belonging to the Synod of Northern Indiana, and all the churches in villages on the road east of Indianapolis belonging to the Synod of Indiana.
The New School Synod was divided in 1851, the northern part taking the name of "The Synod of Wabash," and the southern part retaining the name of "The Synod of Indiana," and being composed of Salem, Madison, Indianapolis and Greencastle Presbyteries.
At the reunion of 1870 the Church in Indiana was organized into two Synods. The Synod of Indiana South comprised all the parts of the State south of the northern lines of Wayne, Henry, Hancock, Marion, Hendricks, Putnam, Clay and Vigo counties. It met in the Third Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis July 5th, 1870, and reconstructed its Presbyteries.
The Synod of Indiana North comprised all the rest of the State, and met for the first time, June 28th, 1870, in the First Church, Logansport.
By act of the General Assembly, May, 1882, making Synodical lines coterminous with State lines, the Synod of Indiana was constituted successor of the Synod of Indiana North and the Synod of Indiana, South, It held its first meeting in the Second Church, Indianapolis, October 10th, 1882
This Synod was constituted of the Presbyteries of Transylvania, West Lexington and Washington, as was petitioned for at the first meeting of the Washington Presbytery, when the Presbytery of Transylvania was divided into the three above named Presbyteries. At the first meeting there were present seventeen ministers and thirteen elders. There were thirty-seven ministers within its bounds. The following is the roll of the first meeting:
Of the Presbytery of Transylvania, ministers present: David Rice, Samuel Finley, Matt. Houston, Sam'l Robertson, Archibald Cameron; absent, Thomas Craighead, Terah Templin, James Balch, James McGready, Wm. Hodge, John Bowman, Wm. McGee, John Rankin, Sam'l Donald, Wm. Mahon, Sam'l McAdow, John Howe, James Vance and Jer. Abel. Elders: Andrew Wallace, James Bigham and Court Voris.
Presbytery of West Lexington -- Ministers Present: James Crawford, Samuel Shannon, Isaac Tull, Robert Marshall, James Blythe, James Welsh, Joseph P. Howe, Samuel Rannels, John Lyle and Wm. Robinson. Absent: Barton W. Stone. Elders, James Bell, Robert Maffet, Malcolm Worley, Wm. Scott, Joseph Walker, Wm. McConnell, Samuel Hayden and Wm. Henry.
Presbytery of Washington -- Ministers Present: James Kemper, John P. Campbell, Richard McNemar, John Thompson and John Dunlevy. Absent: John E. Finley and Matt. G. Wallace. Elders: Robert Gill and John Campbell.
In 1811, the Synod split the Presbytery of Washington into two presbyteries, the presbytery of Miami (containing Cincinnati) and the presbytery of Washington. The Presbytery of Transylvania was divided into three presbyteries: West Tennessee, Muhlenberg and Transylvania.
Formed from the Presbyteries of Washington and Miami (formerly subject to the Synod of Kentucky) and the Presbytery of New Lancaster (formerly subject to the Synod of Pittsburg). The Synod had twenty nine ministers and 81 congregations. The Presbytery of Washington had 13 ministers and 28 congregations.
At a meeting of the Synod in 1821, the following resolutions were adopted: "That the counties of Ross, Fayette, Highland, Pike, Adams, Brown and the eastern parts of Clermont and Clinton, shall constitute a Presbytery called the Presbytery of Chillicothe." At the same time the Presbytery of Columbus was formed "to consiste of the counties of Pickaway, Franklin, Mdison, Union and Delaware, with those parts of Champaign and Logan lying east of the line from the head of the Little Miami to the head of the Scioto."