A Brief History of the Presbytery of Alaska
 Shortly after Alaska became a U.S. territory, Presbyterian mission worker Sheldon Jackson visited Alaska under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Missions. He landed first in Wrangell in 1877. Over the next 50 years, he was among the missionaries who traveled among Alaska Native people in Southeast Alaska preaching and teaching the gospel.
In those early years, Presbyterians set up mission stations in more than 20 native communities and organized 17 churches in Southeast Alaska. Under the continuous support of the denomination’s Board of National Mission, the Presbytery of Alaska provided pastors to serve southeast churches.
 In addition, the church reached out in mission through an important boat ministry to people in isolated locations. Boats were a necessary part of the mission from the beginning, starting with small boats and ending with the M/V Anna Jackman. In 1982, when the boat ministry was no longer practical, the M/V Anna Jackman was sold, but the mission work to the small village churches continued under a newly called missionary-pastor to be the Coordinator of the “Anna Jackman Ministry.” The Coordinator would travel by air and the state ferry systems to serve the small villages. In 1985 administrative presbytery duties formerly handled by Synod were added to the Coordinator’s portfolio who then became the General Presbyter.
Today, Mission Partnership Funds from the General Assembly, the Synod of Alaska-Northwest, several partner presbyteries, churches throughout the lower 48 states and several individuals enable the small churches of the Anna Jackman Ministry to continue to bring the gospel ministry and sacraments to those in the villages.
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