Shenandoah Presbytery

Churches in Transition (formerly Pastorless Churches)
Chair: Ruth Berg (E)
Members: John Bethard (M), Kevin Hand (M), Charlie Johnson (E), Donald Myers (E)

Duties of the Churches in Transition Committee include: a) Assist and guide pastor nominating committees in their searches for and call of new ministers. b) Recommend to the Committee on Ministry moderators of sessions for pastorless churches. c) Recommend persons for temporary pastoral relationships. d) Receive one member of the Committee on Church Development to be a liaison with the Committee on Ministry. e) Recommend liaisons to the Committee on Ministry for all churches without pastors. f) Recommend pastoral colleagues to the Committee on Ministry for all new pastors beginning service in the presbytery.

Examinations
Chair: Bill Klein M)
Members: Jim Bennett (E), Charles Blair (E), Jason Whitener (M), Anne Bradley(E), Lisa Webb (M), Ron Knutson (E), John Leggett (M)

The Committee on Examinations serves as a sub-committee of the Committee on Ministry. It’s function is to conduct examinations of all Presbyterian pastors, pastors from other reformed bodies, and candidates for the Ministry of Word and Sacrament either seeking to transfer into or be ordained by Shenandoah Presbytery. The resulting recommendations of Committee on Examinations are made through the Committee on Ministry to the presbytery for final approval. The examinations conducted by the Committee on Examinations are in two steps: 1) candidates meet privately with the committee to be examined in the constitutional areas spelled out in the Book of Order; and 2) on behalf of the Committee on Ministry, one of the members of the Committee on Examinations conducts the public examination of said candidate on the floor of presbytery.

Ministerial Relations
Chair: Patrick Pettit (M)
Members: Clark Desarro-Raynal (M), Sally Robinson (M), Malinda Johnston (E), Ron Wilkes (E), Nancy Whiteley (M)

The primary responsibility of the Ministerial Relations Committee is to provide pastoral oversight and counsel for pastors and congregations in distressed situations. In pastoral situations where conflict or dissention has arisen, the committee is empowered to intervene on behalf of the presbytery. The Committee also seeks to be proactive, providing resources to pastors and Sessions for enhancing leadership effectiveness, and holding pastors accountable to their Ethical and Moral Commitments.

The Committee cooperates with the Stated Clerk in determining the minister membes of presbytery as specified in G11.0406-11.0416; receives Annual Reports of Ministers; and reviews and recommends changes in Terms of Call. It reviews the annual report of the Sessional Records Committee and, if necessary, recommends action to redress church actions that are contrary to order.

Finally, the Committee is responsible for approving Ministers Laboring in bounds and out of bounds of the Presbytery, and oversees the process of Validated Ministries.

Lay Pastor Oversight Committee
Chair: Dick Creasey (E)
The Lay Pastor Oversight Committee is a permanent subcommittee of the Ministerial Relations Subcommittee of the Committee on Ministry of the Shenandoah Presbytery. The purposes of the committee are to provide oversight of the Authorized Lay Preachers and the Commissioned Lay Pastors in the Presbytery and to provide for the annual evaluations of the Commissioned Lay Pastors. The committee will be composed of seven members representing the following: 1) one person from the Churches in Transition Subcommittee, 2) one with previous service on the Committee on Ministry, 3) one Authorized Lay Preacher, 4) one with previous service on the Committee on Church Development, 5) one from the Committee on Ministry at large, 6) one with current or past Commissioned Lay Pastor experience, 7) one with current or past mentor to a Commissioned Pay Pastors experience. Committee membership will attempt to reflect a balance in elder to minster and male to female ratio.

Salary Committee
Acting Chair: Ann Held (M)
Members: Gurney P. "Geep" Whiteley (M), Donald R. Myers,(E) Andrew Snelson (M), William Everhart (M)

The Salary Committee is a constitutional Committee mandated by the Book of Order to annually review/approve the salary packages of the Pastors of the Presbytery. The committee also makes suggestions concerning the cost of living adjustments to the Pastor's salary.

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