John McPherrin

Rev. John McPherrin (1757-1822) was born in York, now Adams County, Pennsylvania, November 15th, 1757; graduated May 7th, 1788, at Dickinson College, and studied theology under the direction of Rev. John Clark, pastor Bethel, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Redstone, August 20th, 1789, and installed pastor of the united congregations of Salem and Unity, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, September 22d, 1791. Here he labored with great success for a number of years. On June 25th, 1800, he resigned the charge at Unity, and on April 20th, 1803, that of Salem, and having accepted a call from the united congregations of Concord and Muddy Creek, within the bounds of the Erie Presbytery, he was transferred to that Presbytery, April 9th, 1805. A few years afterwards he had charge of Concord and Harmony, and still later, of Butler and Concord. He is said to have been the founder of the church in the town of Butler, and was its pastor for ten or twelve years. He was Moderator of the Synod of Virginia in 1799, and of the Synod of Pittsburg in 1805. He died February 10th, 1822.

Mr. McPherrin was a thorough Latin and Greek scholar, and for a number of years after he was settled in the ministry, taught a class of young men, most of whom became ministers of the gospel.

Encyclopedia of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, 1884

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