Ministry and Accountability: Ruling Elders, Governance, and Church Principles

ORDERED MINISTRY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Clerk s Corner

Ruling Elders: The Ministry of Discernment and Governance (G-2.0301) 01 02 03 Discernment of God s Spirit and governance of God s people. Chosen by congregation to discern and measure fidelity to the Word of God, and to strength and nurture its faith and life. Serve with Teaching Elders to exercise leadership, government, spiritual development, and discipline.

The Great Ends of the Church (F-1.0304) The proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind The shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God The maintenance of divine worship The preservation of the truth The promotion of social righteousness The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world

Principles of Presbyterian Government (F-3.0202) The Church shall be governed by presbyters, that is, ruling elders and teaching elders (also called Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. The congregation elects their leaders (F-3.0106) with the expectation that these leaders will pray with and for them and lead them through the power of the Holy Spirit into obedience to the Word of God. When a person agrees to serve as a ruling elder, that person recognizes the calling of God, agrees to all the promises made at ordination, and agrees to carry out the duties of their ministry.

The Session (G-3.02) The session shall have the responsibility for governing the congregation and guiding its witness to the sovereign activity of God in the world, so that the congregation is and becomes a community of faith, hope, love, and witness. As it leads and guides the witness of the congregation, the session shall keep before it the marks of the Church (F- 1.0302), the notes by which Presbyterian and Reformed congregations have identified themselves throughout history (F-1.0303) and the six Great Ends of the Church (F-1.0304). The session has responsibility and power to: A. Provide that the Word of God may be truly preached and heard. B. Provide that the Sacraments may be rightly administered and received. C. Nurture the covenant community of disciples of Christ.

Ordination, Installation, and Commissioning (W-4.04) In Baptism each Christian is called to ministry in Christ s name. God calls some persons from the midst of the congregation to fulfill particular functions, so that the ministry of the whole people of God may flourish. In ordination the church sets apart with prayer and the laying on of handsthose who have been called by God through the voice of the church to serve as deacons, ruling elders, and Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. A. Do you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? B. Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God s Word to you? C. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith, as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you leadthe people of God? D. Will you fulfill your ministry in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions? E. Will you be governed by our church s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleaguesin ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God s Word and Spirit? F. Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world? G. Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church? H. Will you pray for and seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love? I. (1) Will you be a faithful ruling elder, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service? Will you share in government and discipline, serving in councils of the church, and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

Holding Each Other Accountable Everyone has times when they cannot attend church, session meetings, committee meetings or the like. However, the expectation based on the covenant made as we are ordained into ministry is that we will be actively engaged in serving God and His people and participating regularly in the responsibilities of our calling. How does your session hold each other accountable and deal with absences or lack of participation? *Ignore and be grateful we have enough elders on the session *Acknowledge and talk about the issue but do nothing *Truly hold each other accountable HOW?

Closing Statements and Contact Information Thank you for stepping up to the plate of service as a Clerk of Session. You are an essential part of the Body of Christ, and you are appreciated! Don t forget that Minutes and Records Review will be done during the month of August. You may email or mail (copies only) your minutes and records to me or to a member of the Minutes and Records Committee OR you may still do peer review and swap minutes with another Clerk of Session. I will need a copy of the Session Records Form for my files with the signatures. If you need to reach me: Becky Willis, FRP Stated Clerk 229-378-0102 bwillis123a@yahoo.com 680 Bethany Church Rd., Bainbridge, GA 39817 Blessings and peace through Jesus Christ our Lord.