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OPC SESSION |
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The Session - General Responsibilities The leadership and decision-making body of the local congregation of every PC(USA) church is called the session. Each session is comprised of at least one “teaching elder”, minister, who acts as a moderator for the group, and as many elders as required by a local congregation's constitution to be representative of the population of that congregation. The office of elder in the PC(USA) can be one of two forms, "elder" or "teaching elder" more typically known as a "Minister of the Word and Sacrament". Sessions rely on the experience of its members through the discernment of the will of the Holy Spirit. It is believed that decisions made by a group are less likely to error than if made by individuals. As a result, decision-making is done by means of conversation, study and sometimes conflict, but always through prayer. The Book of Order is a compendium of guidelines for all members of the denomination to follow. In it, Section G-10 describes the role and responsibilities of each local session -- "the session of a particular church consists of the pastor or co-pastors, the associate pastors, and the elders in active service. All members of the session, including the pastor, co-pastors, and associate pastors, are entitled to vote.” G-10-0102 goes on to list the responsibilities and powers of the session. Session members are nominated by representatives of the current ruling elders and also by members of the congregation at large. The nominees are then presented to the entire congregation to be elected, or not, to a term on the session. The session of Oswego Presbyterian Church is comprised of 18 elders who serve 3-year terms. Six elders are elected each year to facilitate a rotation of people. Every session, therefore is comprised of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd -year elders. Continuity and consistency is thus maintained from year to year. Our OPC session is further divided into six committees:
Each committee is represented by at least three elders and can have several “at-large” members. For more about a specific committee's roles and responsibilities click on the committee name (link) above. Session meetings are scheduled once per month, however, special meetings may be called at any time. A typical session meeting will cover a wide range of topics but, at almost every regular meeting, committee chairpersons will give updates for their particular activities (including any motions to be voted on by the elders), reports by the pastoral staff, a report by a Deacons representative, acceptance of new members, transferals of membership of existing members and a review of any communications to or from the church. Being a member of the session is truly a call
from the Holy Spirit. It requires prayerful decision-making and a
good amount of hard work, but the rewards are immeasurable. If you
are asked to become an elder please ask the Lord to guide you in
your decision. If you do decide to accept the call, remember that
your primary purpose as an elder in the church is "...to provide
opportunities for evangelism to be learned and practiced in and by
the church, that members may be better equipped to articulate their
faith, to witness in word and deed to the saving grace of Jesus
Christ, and to invite persons into a new life in Christ”. |
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Supported By: OPC Session Its Mission: To serve as the arm of OPC Session responsible for overseeing the development and performance of the OPC staff. Activities: Staff members are interviewed to review accomplishments and to set personal development goals. When appropriate, adjustments or clarifications in responsibilities and lines of authority are made. Individual Ministry Opportunities: This committee has a very important ministry. It is made up of three elders, with the more experienced elder usually serving as the chairperson. Meeting Times: Due to the need for confidentiality in its work, meetings of this committee are sometimes restricted to committee members only. So, if you want to bring something to the committee, it would be best to first contact the chairperson below. Contact: Doug Howell (chair) |
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Property Committee
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Supported
By: OPC Session |
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Supported
By: OPC Session |
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Missions Committee
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Supported
By: OPC Session |
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The Elders (general description) We owe much or our form of government to John Calvin, a prominent reformer of the Middle Ages, who defined a form of government made up of two types of presbyters. The first are the Ministers of the Word and Sacrament, or teaching elders. The other type is simply known as “elders”. Within the PC(USA) elected elders make up the session, the ruling body of the local congregation and although they have a wide range of responsibilities as described above, the primary responsibility is to act as leaders for the congregation. Faithful people who accept the call to become elders in the PC(USA) do so with the knowledge that the position is a life long endeavor. Each elder is ordained before serving his/her first term on session. Many times elders are asked to serve again on the session. The office of elder is best described in the Book of Order - "It is the duty of elders, individually and jointly, to strengthen and nurture the faith and life of the congregation committed to their charge. Together with the pastor, they should encourage the people in the worship and service of God, equip and renew them for their task with the church and for their mission in the world, visit and comfort and care for the people, with special attention to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and those who are oppressed. They should inform the pastor and session of those persons and structures which may need special attention.” Elders at Oswego Presbyterian Church are assigned to membership on one of six committees. These committees meet at least once per month to do their unique planning/work, discuss issues and decide on courses of action. Each committees has a budgeted amount of money to spend as deemed necessary; however, any significant deviation of expenditures is presented to the entire session for consideration and vote. One of the three session members on each committees also serves as the committees chairperson. It is this elder's responsibility to lead the meetings, to report to the session on their progress toward goals, and to present motions for session approval. |
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The Session of Oswego Presbyterian Church currently consists of six standing committees:
Each committee consists of three currently serving elders, one of whom serves as chairperson/convener. As much as possible, the elders are assigned in rotating classes of three years, so that turnover and leadership are consistent. Each committee may recruit members, not currently serving as Elders on Session, from the congregation to assist and augment their work. These committee members are referred to as "At-Large Members". The following guidelines apply to at-large committee members: 1. Names should be cleared with the Office/Head of Staff to ensure that no one from the congregation is asked to serve a multiplicity of positions at OPC. 2. At-large committee members serve a one-year term, and are eligible to serve three consecutive terms on a particular committee. 3. The Elders currently serving on each committee shall recruit the at-large members and inform them of the purpose, guidelines and responsibilities of committee membership. 4. It is appropriate to have up to five (5) at-large members on a committee, with the exception of the Personnel Committee which should have up to two (2) at-large members. 5. At-large committee members participate in committee activities and have voice at all committee meetings, but do not normally attend Session meetings.
6.
All Committee and Session meetings at OPC are open to attendance by
all members of the congregation, unless notification has been given
that a particular meeting is in “executive session”. |
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Filling open positions to the session and board of deacons is the responsibility of a special team called the “Nominating Committee”. This committee at OPC comprises at least two current elders, one current deacon and four at-large members of the congregation. The session members and the deacon are typically asked to serve on this committee by the pastor who can be asked for guidance and input, but is not a voting member of the committee. Of all the ministry teams, this committee has one of the most important tasks. They are charged with nominating future session members and deacons to lead and serve the congregation. They must consider the unique talents of suggested candidates in light of the needs of the church in the upcoming 2-3 year. It is leadership in action. The nominating committee chairperson, one of the elders, can call meetings of the committee anytime but the goal is to offer a slate of new officers to the congregation near the end of the calendar year so that the newly elected officers will be ready to be ordained and/or installed in January. Each chairperson has different ways leading the committee in both considering people and also asking people to serve. There are no specific rules about how to do this process. Since the session is comprised of 18 members who serve three-year terms, the nominating committee must find at least 6 new elder candidates each year. The board of deacons has 18 members who serve two year terms, which means that there will be 9 new officers per year, (more people may be necessary if there are unscheduled vacancies to be filled). Finally, the nominating committee also must fill the four at-large positions on the nominating committee for the next year. After the committee has prayerfully considered people for service they will ask them each of the prospective officers if they would like to serve. Part of that conversation will undoubtedly be a question and answer session about duties, activities, estimates of time required, and any special skills needed. It is up to the nominating committee to be prepared for these questions and to offer clear and succinct answers. The chairperson of the committee is responsible to report back to the session on their progress, just like any other team activity, and to present the names of prospective new officers to the session. The session does not vote on these members - that is left to the entire congregation, but they can offer opinions about people on the list or more importantly offer names to be considered for nomination. The slate of candidates (who have indicated they would serve if elected) is presented to the congregation during either a specially called meeting, or one that has been previously scheduled. Voting on these candidates is done by simple voice vote. If a candidate is not approved, the committee is asked to consider another member for service. Officers can only be selected from the current roster of church members. Ordained elders and deacons may be elected to office many times, but can only serve two consecutive terms. It has been our tradition at OPC to elect officers for only a single term, but our constitution by-laws allow for two terms. |
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What's A Presbyterian?
So. You're a
Presbyterian! What does that mean? The term "Presbyterian" refers to
“Presbyterian
Polity". Polity simply means our form of government. For a more
complete description ask for a copy of the Book of
Order and the Book of Confessions. And you can visit
the
Presbyterian Church (USA) site for more information about what's
going on in the denomination; or visit our synod site (Synod
of Lincoln Trails)
or our presbytery site (Blackhawk
Presbytery). Talk to elders and deacons to find out what they do.
Consider joining a committee or ministry team. We want you to become involved to experience the
joy of service to Christ. Christianity is more than faith; it is
faith in action - together! As a congregation our “servanthood” to
our Lord Jesus Christ is strengthened, encouraged, and nourished by
each other. Our polity helps us work together for the glory of God
in ever widening circles of influence from within the congregation
to our local community to the entire world. It is our polity that
guides us to continue Christ's work. Together, with God's help, we
can make a difference. "Let's wear out the word TOGETHER!" (Rev.
Jennifer Burns-Lewis) |
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Presbyterian Polity / Government Although there is a wide variety of denominations and independent churches in the world, all of them can be categorized into about three basic polity structures; “Congregational”, “Episcopal”, and “Presbyterian”. Boiled down to its simplest terms, the polity structure defines the governing bodies, or persons and the decision-making authority for the church or denomination as follows: “Congregational” churches are governed by the entire congregation. A majority vote determines many, if not all, major issues. The congregation may grant limited authority to the pastor(s), staff or committees of the congregation, but each individual local church or congregation is independent. They may have an affiliation with a larger group, but there is no authoritative relationship to that association. Examples of congregational churches include Baptists, Disciples of Christ, The United Church of Christ, and many Pentecostal churches. “Episcopal” churches have an established hierarchy. Decision-making is done primarily by the bishops and clergy. The Greek word for bishop is “episkopos”, which translated literally means shepherd. The idea of apostolic succession is paramount within these denominations. It is believed that the clergy are part of an unbroken line to the apostles. The most well known example of the episcopal structure is the Roman Catholic Church, but other denominations such as the Orthodox Catholic Church and the Anglican Church also employ this structure. “Presbyterian”
churches grant decision-making authority to a group of
representatives who have been voted by their respective
congregations to serve for a short term of office. The Presbyterian
structure takes its name from the Greek word for elder - “presbuteros”.
People, both clergy and lay persons, can be ordained to the office
of elder and it is the elders who make up the governing bodies. |
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