Highlights From the 1958 General Assembly as We Journey Back to Pittsburgh

It’s been a while since Pittsburgh hosted General Assembly—54 years to be exact. The 1958 Assembly was monumental in the history of the Presbyterian Church. Fortunately, it was also well documented in stunning photographs taken by the Reverend Arthur M. Byers (1915-2002).

With these images, Rev. Byers created a filmstrip, Presbyterians at Pittsburgh 1958, to record the union of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. and the United Presbyterian Church of North America, as well as a lecture by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a play about the 1858 union of the Covenanters and Seceders (which also took place at a convention in Pittsburgh), and various other events, leisure activities, and sites around Pittsburgh. All 102 of Rev. Byers' photographs and the accompanying filmstrip are now housed at the Presbyterian Historical Society.

As staff here at PHS set out to join thousands of Presbyterians across the country in their journey back to Pittsburgh, we thought we’d share some of the highlights from 1958. Have a safe journey, and we’ll see you soon in Pittsburgh!