SUPPORT our churches, pastors, and leaders: Support those who carry out ministry, education, and mission in the Presbytery and its member congregations.
Purpose:
The SUPPORT Mission Team will be responsible for maintaining networks of nurture and care for church leaders as well as oversight of the Commissioned Lay Pastor program and the coordination of the work of the Committee on Ministry and the Committee on Preparation for ministry.
Members of the SUPPORT Mission Team:
- Six nominated by the Committee on Nominations as approved by the Presbytery; one half clergy and one half laity; three year terms; eligible for re-election; elect own moderator
- One representative from the Committee on Ministry
- One representative from the Committee on Preparation for Ministry
- General Presbyter , ex officio
Ministry Groups
- Members of COM and CPM, as nominated by the Committee on Nominations and approved by the Presbytery
- Members as co-opted by the mission team, in consultation with the Committee on Nominations.
- The General Presbyter shall be an ex officio member of and staff resource for the Committee on Ministry.
Responsibilities:
- Create networks of care for church leaders, including systems for supporting clergy, Christian educators, youth workers, commissioned lay pastors, and similar groups as needed
- Assure that the Associate for the Support of Church Professionals addresses the pastoral care needs of church professionals not met through the networks of care
- Report to the Committee on Ministry regarding the pastoral care needs of ministers in keeping with the Book of Order language concerned with being “pastor and counselor to the ministers of the presbytery” (G-11.0500)
- Assure that the Committee on Ministry fulfills the Book of Order required visits to sessions (G-11.0502c)
- Assure that the Committee on Ministry carries out all other Book of Order mandated functions not mentioned above (see G-11.0500)
- Assure that the Committee on Preparation for Ministry carries out all Book of Order mandated functions (G-14.0300)
- In consultation with the Committee on Ministry, develop a program for recruiting and training candidates for the Commissioned Lay Pastor program