Leadership Offices in our Congregation

1. Teaching Elder (Pastor / Minister of Word and Sacrament)

Primary role: Preaching, teaching, administering sacraments, and providing spiritual leadership.
Key responsibilities:

• Lead worship and preach regularly

• Moderate the session 

• Provide pastoral care

• Equip the congregation for ministry

2. Ruling Elders

Primary role: Governance and spiritual oversight of the congregation.
Key responsibilities:

• Serve on the Session, the governing council of the congregation

• Discern and measure the congregation’s faithfulness to the mission of Christ

• Oversee ministries, programs, and administration

• Participate in the presbytery as commissioners when elected

Presbyterian polity emphasizes that ruling elders are spiritually mature members elected by the congregation, not simply administrators.

3. Deacons

Primary role: Ministries of compassion, service, and care.
Key responsibilities:

• Visit the sick, homebound, and those in crisis

• Coordinate congregational care ministries

• Lead acts of mercy and outreach

• Support pastoral care efforts

4. Other Congregational Officers (Not ordained offices)

These vary by congregation.  For Old South Haven Presbyterian Church they include:

• Clerk of Session (records, minutes, polity compliance)

• Treasurer / Financial Secretary (financial stewardship)

• Committee or Ministry Team Leaders 

  1. Property and Finance

  2. Worship

  3. Mission

  4. Stewardship

These roles support the ordained offices but are not considered “offices” in the constitutional sense.

Presbyterian governance is shared, representative, and connectional:

• The Session (pastor + ruling elders) governs the congregation.

• Deacons lead ministries of care and compassion.

• The pastor provides spiritual leadership and equips the whole body for ministry.

This structure reflects Ephesians 4:16’s vision of the church as a body where each part contributes to the whole.