Rev. Rich Gelson, M.Div
Pastor/Teaching Elder
Also called ministers of the Word and Sacrament, teaching elders are ordained to preach and teach the faith of the church, interpret and administer the sacraments, provide for the care and mission of the people, and participate in the responsibilities of governance. Many teaching elders serve a congregation as your typical pastor, associate pastor, or youth minister. But other teaching elders serve as hospital and military chaplains, Christian educators, college ministers, mission coworkers, even church journalists. Before ordination, they go through an intensive inquiry and candidacy process of preparation, attend seminary where they earn a master of divinity, and generally do field education placements in both chaplaincy and congregational settings, as well as learn both biblical Greek and Hebrew. Though called to this special form of teaching ministry, all people are ministers in the PC(USA).
June Thomas Fraser
Worship Music Leader
More info to come! Check back soon.
Leadership
We are led by the Holy Spirit through our Session. What is this?
The group of active ruling elders, elected by the congregation, who make decisions for the running of the local church and serve as spiritual leaders of the congregation. In some denominations this group is called the church council. The session has responsibility and power to: provide that the Word of God be preached and heard, primarily through worship; authorize the celebration of the sacraments; receive and dismiss members; provide for the education, ordination, mission, and care of members; oversee financial stewardship and church property; and maintain discipline.
More about Ruling Elders...
Elected by the congregation and ordained to ministry, a ruling elder serves as a voting member of the congregation’s decision-making council known as the session. They are called elders not because of age but because they are considered competent and wise enough to make good decisions. Once ordained, a ruling elder is always a ruling elder, continuing as a spiritual leader of the congregation, even when not actively serving on the session (which does have term limits).
Linda Pettinelli
Children and Youth Choir Director
2023 Session
Dian Amey, Elder for Mission
Sonia Ayers, Elder for Stewardship & Finance
Paul Berlet, Elder for Christian Formation
Charmaine Cahill, Elder for Fellowship
Chuck Lunn, Elder for Homestead
Deb McGuinness, Elder for Congregational Care
Sam Cappello, Elder for Personnel
Vacant, Elder for Worship
Vacant, Elder for Nominating
Elder Barbara Jones, Stated Clerk
Stated Clerk …The person who is elected to maintain official records of a church session, presbytery, synod, and General Assembly. The stated clerk of the General Assembly also represents the denomination in ecumenical settings and oversees the work of the Office of the General Assembly, based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Lillie Dorchak
Office Administrator
Carl Gulick
Building Superintendent