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Pastoral Letter on Session Recommendations
On Session Size and Structure
Dear Friends:
I am writing to you to let you know of an important action of the PHPC Session taken to position our church for a more effective and inclusive style of ministry as we move into the next chapters of our life together. Since October, 2007, we have been engaged in an exciting and challenging process of spiritual discernment and decision making. At that time, the Session engaged the Alban Institute, one of the nation’s premier consultants to local congregations and governing bodies, to lead us in a thorough examination of what we do well and what can be improved in our common ministry. Consultant Susan Beaumont conducted extensive interviews with church staff and leadership, presenting her report in November, 2007. This enlightening report dealt with staff design, supervision, committee structure, decision-making, and overall effectiveness. While much of the report affirmed many things we do well at PHPC, it became clear to us that we need to broaden the base of ministry in our church. Too often, the “eighty-twenty” rule applies: twenty percent of the congregation performs eighty percent of our ministry. We want to be an exception to that common rule!
Of particular concern was a lack of clarity as to where and how strategic and visionary leadership happens. Ordinarily that responsibility lies with the Session, but the Session in our large and complex congregation operates more as a gathering of committees rather than visionary leaders representing the direction and overall spiritual life of the congregation. Let me share two of the Alban recommendations:
- The structure and focus of Session needs to be rethought, to create a place for strategic decision making in the congregation. This will involve reducing the size of session and shifting its focus, or reshaping and empowering the Coordinating Council to function as the strategic decision making body of the congregation. As part of this redesign a more direct link between the Board of Deacons and the Session should also be established.
- The existing committee structure should be evaluated for possible streamlining opportunities. The established practice of creating a new committee for every ministry of the congregation should be rethought. More opportunities should be created for people to serve in ministry without serving on committees.
Following up on the Alban Institute report, the Session established a Strategic Planning Team, which has met since January, 2008. I have regularly met with this important team and am excited about their good work. I am grateful to Mr. Bill Busker for his leadership of that body.
The Strategic Planning Team has met several times over the past year with the Session and Staff of PHPC, seeking guidance and reaction as they have formulated their recommendations. In addition, we engaged The Vital Churches Institute and their consultant, Ginni Richards, to lead our officers’ retreat in February, 2009, when we examined the use of “ministry teams” as a way to organize the ministries of the church.
Our goal, emerging from our work together over the past year-and-a-half, is to reorganize to provide for better strategic leadership and to involve more of our members in ministries, including ways to serve that do not require serving on a committee. We envision a network of ministry teams recruited and organized for specific needs. These teams will attend to goals that include the spiritual, relational, and missional needs of their members and those they serve.
At its stated meeting on Sunday, April 26, the Session voted to reduce its size from 31 elders plus pastors to 16 elders plus pastors (pastors are members of Session, per the PCUSA Book of Order) The Session agrees with the recommendation of the Alban Institute that our Session is too large to provide effective visionary and strategic leadership. The membership of the Session would continue to include a Youth Elder, elected for a one-year term.
According to this new plan, the chairs of our present Session Missions (Ministry Areas such as Worship, Discipleship, Evangelism and Membership, Administration, and Community Outreach) would not ordinarily be members of the Session, but would have regular communication with the Session. This means that members of Session will be “elders of the church,” rather than committee chairs.
The transition to this reduced size will be accomplished by reducing the number of elders to be elected each year to five plus the youth elder. Thus we would reach the target size in three years. It is important to note that the goal of this change is two-fold: to make the Session more effective as strategic, spiritual leaders of the congregation, and to involve more of our members in hands-on ministry and mission in Christ’s name.
I ask your prayers as we move into this new leadership structure. Please feel free to be in touch if you have questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your commitment and love for our great church.
Yours in Christ’s service,
Blair R. Monie
Pastor/Head of Staff
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