“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

The Session is our governing body which is comprised of 15 elders, and elected by the congregation to serve 3-year terms. These elders make the majority of decisions for the congregation, guided by the Scriptures and the PCUSA’s Constitution:  the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. The session is primarily responsible for the maintenance of worship, education, property, personnel, and the spiritual well-being of the congregation.

Elder is from the Greek word for elder, presbyteros, that our denomination derives its name. The history of this office is simple. Between 40 and 65 AD the Apostle Paul traveled the Mediterranean planted churches, helped them grow, and moved on. To make sure these churches had competent leadership, he would ordain groups of elders to oversee their spiritual and physical needs. Still adhering to this tradition, our congregation elects 5 new ruling elders each year to join the session.

The Diaconate consists of 15 deacons, and is the body that organizes the work of the deacons and their committees.

Deacons  The New Testament also gave us the office of deacon, from the Greek word diakonos, which means, “to stir up dust!” Just as elders are focused on governance, deacons are focused on service (hence, you stir up dust as you move about serving others). Deacons are charged with serving those who need the most help: the hungry, the sick, the elderly, the poor, and the lonely. In our church, they accomplish this through several committees, such as: Congregational Care, Congregational Life, Fellowship, Visitation, and Mission  Outreach. Each year the congregation elects 5 deacons to serve 3-year terms on the Diaconate.

To Learn more about our Committees and the work they do, click here.