Through the years, Committee on Ministry has been responsible to help congregations who do not have a Teaching Elder available to officiate at communion. Often in these cases, Ruling Elders are trained and approved by the presbytery to officiate, so the worshipping community can still celebrate the sacrament.
As we began to discuss responsibilities under the new committee structure, this is a task that was raised. Given the restructure, there may be other committees who might find this coming up in their work.
We learned that our sister presbytery, Utica, is offering a training workshop on this topic, and they have invited anyone from our presbytery to attend. We will have at least one person from the Committee on Teaching Elders and Congregations, one from the Committee on Leadership Development, and possibly one from Committee on Church Development & Vitality. If there are others who are interested, we welcome you to join us! You don’t have to be serving on a presbytery committee; all who are interested are welcome!
Here is the invitation from the Clerk of Utica Presbytery:
The Lay Academy of the Presbytery of Utica and the Committee on Ministry is pleased to offer a micro-course for elder training in celebrating communion.
It is scheduled for:
Saturday, May 13
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown
25 Church St in Cooperstown, NY 13326
Led by the Rev. Elsie Armstrong Rhodes, pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown
https://www.facebook.com/events/1246843992073117/
All interested elders in Albany Presbytery are welcome to attend. If so, you may contact Larry Beasley, Stated Clerk of Utica Presbytery at uticastatedclerk@gmail.com, or 315-794-9124; or contact the Dean of the Lay Academy, the Rev. Naomi Kelly, at naomikelly58@gmail.com
Please do feel free to share the event at the Facebook link and invite anyone you like.
We hope to see friends from Albany at this event!
Holly S. Cameron and Sam Jackling, Co-Chairs for Committee on Teaching Elders and Congregations
Holly spent most of her growing-up years in Alabama, and went to college at Auburn University. She studied accounting and worked as a CPA for a time. She earned her graduate degree at Harvard Divinity School, and has been the pastor at New Scotland Presbyterian Church since 1998.
Sam Jackling, a retired Environmental Chemist is a Ruling Elder at the Broadalbin First Presbyterian Church and a member of the Presbytery Committee on Teaching Elders and Congregations. He can be reached at sjacklin@nycap.rr.com
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