12 June 2005 Page 1
The Session and the Diaconate of Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC) convened for a called meeting at 12:00 p.m. on 12 June 2005 in the Fellowship Hall of the WPC campus. The meeting was called to order by Moderator, H. Holderness, and opened with a devotional and a blessing followed by lunch.
Associate Pastors B. Berghaus and P. Ransford were present.
Elders B. Chesnut, G. Green, D. Lanier, M. Pickard, D. Elvers, B. Nicoll, N. Gaddis, M.T. Peters and D. Wellemeyer were present. Elders B. Derr, C. Haynes, F.Anton and Clerk D. Derr were absent and excused.
Elders-elect A. Denson, J. Jones, S. Landis were present. Elder-elect J. Graham was absent and excused.
Deacons M. Dozier, B. Rynerson, B. VanderBroek, D. Calderwood, E. Cleary, C. Cunningham, M. Griffin, R. Mattern-Mielcarek, S. Keener, M. Reich, D. Rufty, N. Safrit, J. Sutton and B. Yurkutat were present. Deacons L. Dorminey, M. Herrin, S. McLeod, S. Pottenger, B. Scott, J. Tatum and E. Collins were absent and excused.
Deacons-elect S. Barnes, H. Mayo Borden, S. Bryan, B. Capehart, L. Chesnut and D. Palermo were present. Deacons-elect W. Beckwith and J. Lockhead were absent and excused.
WPC staff members B. Fletcher and N. Rozak were present.
WPC Elder M. Pickard was acting Clerk of Session for this meeting.
The Moderator declared a quorum present and all present were introduced.
Best Practices, Officers and Boards: (G. Green)
At the May Stated meeting, the Session reviewed a report of how we could improve officer and board assignments. These changes were reviewed including: 1) to keep our current two-board Session and Diaconate but formalize and structure the duties of elders and deacons, 2) Elder education be changed to Officer Education with the Pastors responsible, 3) An Elder and a Deacon to be on each committee, 4) Each committee or workgroup should be comprised of several members, no one man committees. These changes may occur with the new class of officers.
WPC Assessment/Congregational Strategic Plan
B.Nicoll, Chair of the WPC Assessment/Congregational Strategic Plan Committee, distributed a printed Congregational Strategic Plan: Overview PowerPoint outline and lead a presentation and discussion of this plan. Currently, the Assessment is planned for late September. The committee is planning to have the College of Elders helping with the Assessment. This is assessment is key to strategic planning of WPC as well as our future following the Pastor’s retirement.
The Called Joint Meeting of the Session and of the Diaconate having been completed, the Moderator declared the meeting adjourned and it was closed with an adjourning prayer by Paul Ransford at 2:15.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Pickard, Haywood D. Holderness, Jr.
Assistant Clerk of Session Moderator