Ours is a Representative form of Government in which we elect people of strong faith and commitment who, guided by the Holy Spirit, make decisions for us in Governing Bodies.

We are also a Confessional Church in that we acknowledge 11 Confessions, dating from the Fourth Century to 1991, which make statements about what the church has believed in specific times and circumstances.

We are a Connectional Church in which we are tied together by four Governing Bodies made up of men and women who have been elected to make decisions for the church. The Governing Bodies are:

The Session, which, at WPC, is made up of the pastors and 12 Elders elected for three-year terms by the Congregation. The Session is responsible for the mission and all the workings of the congregation except the election of officers.

The Presbytery oversees the recruiting and care of candidates for the Ministry. It also receives, encourages, disciplines, and dismisses all the ministers in its area. All ministers are members of Presbytery rather than local congregations. Presbytery oversees camps and conference centers like New Hope, Presbyterian Point, and Camp Albemarle, and offers programs and resources to her member congregations. We belong to the Presbytery of New Hope which extends from Hillsborough to Cape Hatteras along the northern half of NC.

The Synod is the regional Governing Body which oversees a number of Presbyteries. We are part of the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic which covers the states of NC, VA, DC, MD and DEL.

The Governing Body which connects all of the Presbyterian Churches in the United States is the General Assembly.

Each Governing Body except the local Session must be composed of equal numbers of Elders and Ministers.