A word about being
“Presbyterian”
The guy towing my car was curious. “What
church are you the pastor of?” he asked.
“First Presbyterian Church,” I
replied. “The big white church, right there on the corner.”
The driver got a puzzled look on his face
and asked a question that I’d never expected. “Presbyterian? So… how is that
different from Christian?” Happily, I was able to explain that Presbyterians
are very Christian indeed!
The word “Presbyterian” comes from a
Greek word that means “Elder.” To put it simply, Presbyterian churches are
churches that are led by Elders, elected by the members of the congregation.
Elders, though, are not chosen for their age! Elders are men and women who are
called by God, through the voice of the congregation, because their lives have
demonstrated spiritual maturity and wisdom. In this church,
we’ve elected several “elders” who are actually in their 20s. Elders serve
three year terms on the “Session,” which is what we call the leadership board
of our church.
One distinctive belief of Presbyterians
is that all congregations should be in committed relationships with other
churches. A group of Presbyterian churches who share ministry together,
encourage one another, and are accountable to one another in Jesus Christ is
called a “Presbytery.” To put it simply, we Presbyterians believe that we are
“better together.”
It is our expectation that very soon this
church will be transferring from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to a new
community of Presbyterian churches called the “Covenant Order of Evangelical
Presbyterians.” also known as “ECO.” We will be voting at a special
congregational meeting on June 10 at 12:15 pm. For more information about this
move, check our literature racks, or visit http://updates.dunellenpres.org.
