Elder Commissioners

Description/Responsibilities

The presbytery is a council serving as a corporate expression of the Church within a particular district. The presbytery governs and makes decisions at meetings attended by commissioners (i.e., teaching elders and ruling elders).

 

Presbytery, being composed of the teaching elders and congregations as represented by ruling elder commissioners elected by the session of congregations, has a particular responsibility to coordinate, guide, encourage, support, and resource the work of its congregations for the most effective witness to the broader community. In order to accomplish this responsibility, the presbytery has authority to:

-Develop strategy for the mission of the church in its district;
-Control the location of new congregations and of congregations desiring to move as well as to divide, dismiss, or dissolve congregations in consultation with their members;
-Establish minimum compensation standards
-Counsel with a session concerning reported difficulties within a congregation, including:
-Assume original jurisdiction in any situation in which it determines that a session cannot exercise its authority.
-Consider and act upon requests from congregations for permission to take the actions regarding real property as described in G-4.0206.

Elder Commissioners preview all materials and issues slated for action at the presbytery meeting, vote on the various matters that come before presbytery, and then they report to their congregation about the decisions and the information learned at presbytery meetings.

 

Membership

Each session elects at least one (1) ruling elder commissioner to serve on their behalf. The number of commissioners from each church is based on the membership size of the congregation. An elder commissioner does not have to be a currently serving member of the session.

 

Meets

Presbytery meetings are held via Zoom quarterly. Current Presbytery Meeting Schedule

 

Contact

Stated Clerk, Susan Orr
Journal Clerk, Kathy Coons