What's a Session?
The Session is the council of the local church. Fifteen Elders and the Pastor serve on the Session of Lake Hills Presbyterian Church USA. The Elders on the Session serve in three-year terms, or "classes." Each year a class of five Elders rotates off Session, and another class of five Elders is elected by the congregation to serve a new three-year term. Elders are nominated by the Nominating Committee, then presented to and elected by the congregation.
In the Presbyterian Church USA, Elders are ordained. This means they're recognized by the church and called by God to service because of their special gifts and skills. Elders are ordained for life. An Elder may rotate off service on the Session, but once an Elder, always an Elder.
The Session is the governing council for the church. Their calling is to oversee all the ministries of the congregation. They keep the membership rolls of the church, determine and adopt the annual budget, and set goals for the congregation's life. At Lake Hills, many of the members of Session serve as chairpersons of our ministry committees. Chairing a committee or not, all members of Session serve on a committee, and all are expected to provide leadership to the church with energy, intelligence and imagination.
The Pastor is the Moderator of the Session. This means that with the Clerk (a member of Session elected as Clerk by the Session itself), the Pastor sets the agenda for Session Meetings. The Pastor has the right of voice and vote at Session Meetings, just as any other Session member. However, unlike the other members of the Session, the Pastor isn't a member of the church; the Pastor is a member of the Presbytery. (Our church is a member of the Presbytery of East Tennessee.) This practice ensures that there's connection to the larger Presbyterian USA denomination at each meeting of the church's governing body. Session members will, from time to time, be elected as representatives to - and reporters from - regional Presbytery meetings.
The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church USA makes clear that "God alone is the Lord of the conscience." This is important to know, because it shapes the way the Session governs the church. Session members are elected by the congregation, but they aren't necessarily charged to represent a constituency. A Session member is free to make up his or her mind about any issue, speaking and voting as "God alone" directs. Therefore, Session members are required to listen not only to the voice of the people, but also to the voice of the Holy Spirit as it guides through conscience, Scripture and Confessions.
When Does Session Meet?
The Session of Lake Hills Presbyterian Church USA has its Stated Meetings on the Third Thursday of each month, at 7:15PM, in the church parlor.
Additionally, the Session meets every Sunday after worship for a Called Meeting to receive new members.
The Session may be Called to meet on occasion, when there is a specific need to be addressed.
Session meetings are "open-door." Lake Hills encourages its members to attend Session meetings.
How Does Session Work?
All Presbyterian Church USA churches are governed by the procedures and guidelines of our denomination's constitution - The Book of Order and the Book of Confessions.
Our Session uses Roberts Rules of Order to guide our Parliamentary Procedure. In addition, we prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide our discussions and decisions, that we may filled with wisdom and mercy. Rather than make decisions where there are winners and losers, we would rather make decisions that faithful, that all our work would serve Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.
