The Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC) convened for a stated meeting at 5:00 p.m. on 21 May 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 devotional and a prayer by J.Graham.

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

Barbara Campbell Davis, Executive Presbyter and Stated Clerk of New Hope Presbytery, and Viola Lee, Moderator of New Hope Presbytery, were also present.

Barbara Campbell Davis and Viola Lee met with the Session to discuss pastor transitional matters. Barbara Campbell Davis said that after June 30, 2006 WPC will have a big job starting to search for an Interim Pastor. She explained the process involved in selecting an Interim Pastor and also electing a Pastor Nominating Committee (“PNC”) to search for and to call a new Pastor. She went through the mechanics of these processes and also shared some tips on what works well and some things to be avoided in searching for the Interim Pastor and the new Pastor. She strongly urged that confidentiality be maintained throughout these searches. She also recommended that the PNC be very patient throughout the search processes and emphasized that the PNC must feel very good about the person it identifies as the candidate to become the new Pastor.

Barbara Campbell Davis and Viola Lee then met separately with the Interim Research Committee to further discuss the process involved in selecting an Interim Pastor

The minutes of the called meeting of the Session on 9 April 2006, called joint meeting of the Session and Diaconate on 9 April 2006, the stated meeting of the Session on 9 April 2006, the called meeting of the congregation on 23 April 2006, the called meeting of the Session on 30 April 2006, the meeting of Commission of the Session of 7 May 2006, the called meeting of the Session on 7 May 2006 and the called meeting of the Session on 14 May 2006 were read, approved and adopted as distributed with the following corrections: in the minutes of the stated meeting of the Session on April 9, 2006, on page 2 under “OLD BUSINESS: Information on Selection of Interim Pastor” in the second line after “situations” delete “Interim Pastor is in place; Interim Pastor has finished; and search for Interim is in process.” and insert “An interim pastor has completed his service and a recently called pastor is in place, an interim pastor has completed his service and the called pastor has not yet arrived, and the current interim pastor is in place with the search for a pastor is not yet complete.”

Motion: A motion to change the name of the Interim Research Committee to the Interim Search Committee and to elect D.Elvers, Elder Beth Maxwell, Deacon Bill Scott and Deacon Holly Schmidt as members of this committee with D.Elvers to serve as the Chair was made, seconded and approved.

At the end of June, Barbara Campbell Davis will provide names of potential candidates. The Committee is to prepare a draft abbreviated CIF to present to the Session at its stated meeting on June 18, 2006.

The sense of the Session is that following H.Holderness’s retirement that P.Ransford, or if he is not available, B.Berghaus are to moderate WPC staff meetings and activities until an Interim Pastor is called and that it will be essential for the Congregation and for the missions and activities of WPC that the WPC Associate Pastors and the WPC staff remain at WPC.

Motion: A motion to call a meeting of the Congregation to dissolve the Pastorship of H.Holderness at the beginning of the 11:00 a.m. worship on Sunday June 11, 2006, was made, seconded and approved.

C.Haynes and A.Denson are the WPC Commissioners and F.Anton and N.Rozak are the Alternate Commissioners to the Presbytery meeting on July 11, 2006 at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church in Cary, North Carolina.

S.Landis and J.Jones are the WPC Commissioners to the Presbytery meeting on October 21, 2006 at First Presbyterian Church in Wilson, North Carolina.

B.Derr and C.Haynes volunteered to serve as Co-Chairs of a task force to prepare for and coordinate the hosting of this meeting by Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Motion: A motion authorizing the Baptisms at WPC of the following children with the names of their parents on the dates as indicated was made, seconded and approved:

The Session received a letter from Mindy Douglas-Adams, the Organizing Pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church dated May 11, 2006 requesting assistance from WPC in the range of $2500-5,000.00. This was referred to Ways and Means.

Global Missions: (F.Anton/P.Ransford) The minutes of the Global Missions Committee meeting on April 18, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (“PDA”) is shipping to WPC a volunteer village to be constructed on the WPC site and then transported by TROSA to the PDA warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas so it can be dispatched quickly. P.Ransford attended the PDA National Conference in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. P.Ransford attended the National Conference of Volunteer Organizations Aiding Disaster (“VOAD”) as the delegate from New Hope Presbytery. The Diaconate is considering renaming the Katrina Relief Fund to the Hurricane Relief Fund. The June Youth/Adult Team Mission trip has been re-directed to Charlotte County in Peace River Presbytery where Hurricane Charlie caused severe damage two years ago.

Ways and Means: (D.Wellemeyer) The minutes of the Ways and Means Committee meeting on April 12, 2006 and Financial Statements for April 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized. Finances are in great shape so far this year.

Recommendation: The Session resolve that the physical location of the Memorial Garden as shown on the attached drawing be permanently located in its present site and dedicated by the Congregation honoring the memories and spiritual character of those whose cremains are interred and the sacredness of the Memorial Garden to the family members who survive and that the location not be altered or changed in the future without the Session’s first finding a material change in circumstances necessitating such alteration or change and that a remembrance ceremony be held annually respecting the Memorial Garden.

Fellowship: (C.Haynes) The reception following the Choir’s performance on May 7, 2006, went well.

Education/Kindergarten: (N.Rozak/M.T.Peters) The minutes of the Christian Education Committee meeting on April 18, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized. There are 135 children registered for Vacation Church School from five different local churches to be held June 19 – 23.

Youth Liaison: (S.Landis) The minutes of the Youth Liaison Committee meeting on April 12, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized. The Youth are alive and well. Senior Sunday will be June 4 and graduates at all levels of schools will be recognized.

Assimilation: (B.Derr) The minutes of the Assimilation Committee meeting on April 26, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized. The next meeting is this Wednesday.

Inquirer’s Class: (C.Haynes/H.Holderness) The spring Inquirer’s Class started last week and there are now seven people in the class.

Inquirers/Candidates: (C.Haynes) Tully Fletcher will be in Durham in June and he will be taking Greek this summer at Columbia Theological Seminary. Esther Acolatse is trying to set up an internship with Joe Harvard at First Presbyterian Church in Durham. She has also been hired for a nice, tenure-track position at Duke Divinity School.

Worship: (D.Elvers) The minutes of the Worship Committee meeting on April 23, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing and key points in them were summarized. The Worship Committee endorsed a Music Mission Statement as a statement of the philosophy of music at WPC.

Motion: A motion that Tully Fletcher preach during both worship services on July 16, 2006 was made, seconded and approved.

As a matter of information, the preaching schedule otherwise for July as is follows: July 2, B.Berghaus; July 9, P.Ransford; July 23, P.Ransford; and July 30, B.Berghaus.

Communion will be celebrated on June 4, 2006 with Elder responsibilities as follows: J.Graham (8:30) and B.Derr (11:00).

Diaconate: (B.Berghaus) The minutes of the Diaconate meeting on March 26, 2006 were distributed via the Session Packet mailing.

B.Berghaus very much appreciates all the support from everyone to her and her family through her mother’s illness and death and the many members of WPC who were at the funeral.

The Session's current business, having been completed, the Moderator declared the meeting adjourned and it was closed with a prayer by A.Denson at 7:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,