• Visit regularly and consult with each minister of the presbytery.
• Make recommendations to presbytery regarding calls for the services of its ministers.
• · Visit with each Session of the presbytery at least once every three years.
• Counsel with churches regarding calls for permanent pastoral relations, visiting and counseling with every committee elected to nominate a pastor or associate pastor.
• Counsel with churches regarding the advisability of calling a designated pastor as defined in G-14.0501.
• Counsel with Sessions regarding stated supplies, interim pastors, interim co-pastors, or interim associate pastors, and temporary supplies when a church is without a pastor.
• Provide Sessions with lists of pastors, commissioned lay pastors, and qualified lay persons who have been trained and commissioned by the presbytery to supply vacant pulpits.
• It shall serve as an instrument of presbytery for promoting the peace and harmony of the churches, especially in regard to matters arising out of the relations between ministers and churches.
• It shall exercise wise discretion in determining when to take cognizance of information concerning difficulties within a church, proceeding with the following steps:
  • It may take the initiative to bring the information which has come to it to the attention of the session of the church involved, counseling with the session as to the appropriate actions to be taken in correcting the reported difficulties.
  • It may offer its help as a mediator in case the session either finds itself unable to settle the problems peaceably or takes no steps toward settlement.
  • It may act to correct the difficulties if requested to do so by the parties concerned, or if this authority is granted by the presbytery for the specific case. When so doing, the committee shall always hold hearings which afford procedural safeguards as in cases of process, following the procedures outlined in the Rules of Discipline.
• The committee shall be open to communication at all times with the ministers, elders who are members of sessions, sessions of the presbytery, and Certified Christian Educators within the bounds of the presbytery.
• The presbytery's committee on ministry may look to synod and the General Assembly for information and assistance in the matter of ministers and pastoral relations.

Moderator

Button, Connie

cmbutton@juno.com

Committee Members