Leadership

West Bethesda’s Session is made up of six ruling elders (one of whom serves as the clerk of session) and the installed pastor (who is a teaching elder.) Peg Buda, Michael Cox, Dean Harrington, Sharon Moore, Kim Shoup and Mary Ellen Wyrick are serving on the session this year. Kim is serving as the clerk of session. Pat Buda is serving as the treasurer of the congregation and Barb Harrington and Cindy Shoup are sharing the position of financial secretary. In addition to these elders, others serve on committees of the congregation and Cindy Shoup coordinates congregation’s choir.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is governed by councils, which “exist to help congregations and the church as a whole be more faithful participants in the mission of Christ.” The councils of the church are the session, the presbytery, the synod and the General Assembly.

 

The session is the council for the congregation and is composed of ruling elders, elected by the congregation to active service, as well as all installed pastors and associate pastors. Councils serve as an expression of the unity of the church and “all councils of the church are united by the nature of the church and share with one another responsibilities, rights and powers as provided by the Constitution.” Along these lines, each council remains subject to the review of the next higher council. The way we “do church” (our polity) envisions a system of unity, mutuality and accountability where councils communicate and work together to make important decisions impacting the faith and mission of the whole church.

 

The session is responsible 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. In seeking to help the congregation be and become this community, the session has an important role as it engages in prayerful discernment and attends to how God’s Spirit may be at work in the congregation and in the broader community.

 

Along these lines, we recognize that ruling elders are provided “with particular gifts to share in discernment of God’s Spirit and governance of God’s people” and that “together with teaching elders, exercise leadership, government, spiritual discernment and discipline and have responsibilities for the life a congregation as well as the whole church…” As it seeks to lead and guide the congregation, the session is to keep before it the Marks of the Church, the Notes of the Reformed Church, and the Great Ends of the Church. The session’s main responsibilities and powers fall within three broad categories tied to the Notes of the Church: 1) Providing the word of God may be truly preached and heard; 2) Providing the Sacraments be rightly administered and received; and 3) Nurturing the covenant community of Christ’s disciples.