The Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC) convened for a stated meeting at 5:00 p.m. on 19 February 2006 in room 105 of the WPC Mission Center.  The Moderator, H.Holderness, was present and called the meeting to order and it was opened with a reading in unison of the WPC Mission Statement and a devotional and a prayer by D.Elvers.

Associate Pastors B.Berghaus and P.Ransford were present.

Elders F.Anton, B.Derr, D.Elvers, N.Gaddis, J.Graham, C.Haynes, Susan Landis and M.T.Peters were present. Elders A.Denson, J.Jones, B.Nicoll and D.Wellemeyer were absent and excused.

WPC staff members B.Fletcher and N.Rozak were present.

Clerk of Session D.Derr was present.

Also, Rev. Caroline Craig, Associate Pastor at University Presbyterian Church , Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Presbyterian Campus Pastor at UNC-CH, WPC members Alyson Bosworth, who is on the Board of Directors of the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at UNC-CH as a representative from WPC, and Esther Acolatse, also a student of the Moderator’s at Duke University Divinity School, and Debbie Pagels, a student of the Moderator’s at Duke University Divinity School were present.

Members of the current Inquirers’ Class hereinafter identified were also present for the dinner segment.

The Moderator declared a quorum present.

SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS

Duke University Divinity School Presbyterian Polity Class Guest Students

The Moderator recognized and welcomed Esther Acolatse and introduced and welcomed Debbie Pagels, who are currently in the Presbyterian Polity class taught by him at Duke University Divinity School.

Presbyterian Campus Ministry at UNC-CH

The Moderator introduced Rev. Caroline Craig, who presented a PowerPoint program about the activities and objectives and needs of the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at UNC-CH, including a significant graduate student program. She said it is time for the Presbyterian Campus Ministry at UNC-CH Covenant Agreement among it and the five sponsoring Presbyterian Churches, including WPC, to be renewed. It is renewable every three years. Alyson will arrange for this to be ready for the March stated Session meeting.

MINUTES:

The minutes of the stated meeting and retreat of the Session on 6-8 January 2006 and the called meeting of the Congregation on 22 January 2006 were distributed.

COMMUNICATIONS:

Baptisms:

Motion: A motion authorizing the Baptism of Taylor Weathersbee Mills, son of Eric and Tonya Mills, on March 19, 2006 was made, seconded and approved.

Motion: A motion authorizing the Baptism of Tyler Joseph Lane, son of Brian and Nicole Lane, on March 26, 2006 was made, seconded and approved.

Scouting Report to WPC:

The Session received a letter from Don Cleaver, Scouting Coordinator for Westminster Presbyterian Church, dated February 2006, transmitting a document showing the activities and accomplishments of WPC’s scouting units during the year 2005 and requesting a letter of appreciation to Scout Master Jim Salamon, for his outstanding leadership of Troop 451.  Also enclosed was a request to the Session from John Chase, Cub Master of Cub Scouts Pack 451, to hold a yard sale at WPC and a car wash at WPC to raise money to build an elementary school in the impoverished mountains of Nicaragua.

Motion: A motion authorizing Cub Scouts Pack 451 to use WPC facilities for two fundraisers, a yard sale and a car wash, in the spring of 2006 for money to build an elementary school in the impoverished mountains of Nicaragua was made, seconded and approved.

F.Anton volunteered to draft a letter of appreciation to Jim Salamon to be submitted to the Session for review and approval.

OLD BUSINESS:

Response to Lynn Stahl’s Visit:

The sense of the Session was to not take any action at this time regarding Lynn Stahl serving as the Vacancy Counselor to WPC.

Nominating Committee and Congregational Meetings:

D.Elvers, the chair of the 2006 Nominating Committee, reported that the committee will meet this week to begin the nominating process.

Motion: A motion that Congregational Meetings for the purpose of nominating new church officers, Elders and Deacons and for receiving nominations from the floor,  be held on Sunday, April 9, 2006 and for further nominations from the floor and electing new church officers, Elders and Deacons, be held on Sunday, April 23, 2006 was made, seconded and approved.

Congregational Meeting to Request Presbytery to Dissolve Relationship Between H.Holderness and WPC Effective June 30, 2006

The sense of the Session was to set the date for this congregational meeting at the stated Session in March.

COMMISSION REPORTS:

Ways and Means: (D.Wellemeyer) The minutes of the Ways and Means Committee meeting on January 18, 2006 and Financial Statements for January 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized.  At the end of 2005 there was a surplus of $51,000. 

Fellowship: (C.Haynes) The last event was the luncheon during the annual meeting of the congregation on January 22, 2006.  Bill McAvoy is organizing the volunteers for the pancake dinner on Ash Wednesday. 

Global Missions: (F.Anton) The minutes of the Global Missions Committee meeting on January 11, 2006 and February 8, 2006 were distributed at the meeting.  The Bread for the World – Offering of Letters Sunday is next Sunday.  The committee wants to invite Don Wehmeyer to preach on October 22, 2006 and to speak to other groups during that weekend in coordination with Christian Education and Worship Commissions.  The sense of the Session is for these commissions to proceed with the necessary action to invite Don Wehmeyer as proposed, including funding for an honorarium and travel expenses.

Christian Education (M.T.Peters) The minutes of the Christian Education Committee meeting on December 13, 2005 and were distributed via the Session Packet mailing.  M.T.Peters, N.Rozak, B.Berghaus and Holly Schmidt attended the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators meeting in St. Louis the first week in February.  It was a very good meeting.

Worship: (D.Elvers) Communion will be celebrated on March 5, 2006 with Elder responsibilities as follows: D.Wellemeyer (8:30) and   (11:00).  The next meeting of the Worship Commission will be on March 5, 2006.

Youth Liaison:  (S.Landis) The minutes of the Youth Council meeting on January 8, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing.  The youth have been very busy including a middle school lock-in and a ski trip. 

Assimilation: (C.Haynes) This commission will be meeting this week.  Everything is set to go with the coffee hours after the worship services on Sunday mornings. 

Inquirers/Candidates:  (C.Haynes) Esther Acolatse and Tully Fletcher will be meeting with the Presbytery Committee on Ministry on March 2, 2006 in Rocky Mount.   Marian Draffin is an intern, along with another intern, serving a church in California that currently is without a pastor.  Charles Jones is in the process of being called as an Associate Pastor by the First Presbyterian Church in Rocky Mount.

Diaconate: (B.Berghaus) The minutes of the Diaconate meeting on November 20, 2005 and December 18, 2005 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing without a financial statement.

OTHER MATTERS:

Presbytery Meeting Report

F.Anton and B.Derr, the WPC commissioners to the Presbytery meeting yesterday at Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church in Durham, reported on the events of that meeting.  Frances Taylor Gench, who is on the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church, reported on the work of the task force and explained that the task force has evolved into a workable unit that realizes that the most that can be achieved is the agreement to disagree. Copies of the Final Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church were available at the meeting and copies of it were made and distributed to the Session.

Dinner/Fellowship with members of the Inquirer’s Class and Examination and Reception of them as New Members:

Members of the WPC Session and Staff were paired with the following specific participants from the current Inquirers’ Class who expressed an interest in joining the congregation.  After a blessing by B.Berghaus, a covered dish supper preceded introductions of each Inquirer by his/her assigned Elder or staff member.

Motion:  A motion receiving the following Inquirers as members of WPC by the pertinent procedures prescribed in the Book Of Order was made, seconded and approved:

The Session's current business, having been completed, the Moderator declared the meeting adjourned and it was closed with a prayer by of thanksgiving for the new members by F.Anton at 6:20 p.m.

Dailey J. Derr                                                                            Haywood D. Holderness, Jr.

Clerk of Session                                                                                                      Moderator                 

S021906 Stated