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Trinity Presbytery accomplishes its mission and ministry through ministers of the Word and Sacrament, ruling elders and lay persons faithfully serving on the Coordinating Team, teams, committees, commissions, task forces and other agencies, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following.
The Presbytery Coordinating Team (PCT) supports Trinity Presbytery by serving as both the executive and the coordinating body of the Presbytery. It has oversight of the work of Presbytery's Teams and Focus Groups. In between the corporate meetings of Trinity Presbytery, which meets 4 times per year, the PCT meets on a monthly basis and it is empowered to create such teams, focus groups, committees, and task forces as necessary to accomplish the work of the Presbytery. The creation of new agencies, and any subsequent changes in organizational structure proposed by the PCT, require the approval of the Presbytery. It determines and recommends policy to the Presbytery and assigns responsibility relating to the work of all agencies of the Presbytery. Within the policies established by Trinity Presbytery and the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), all teams, focus groups, committees, task forces or agencies are expected and authorized to function in ways they deem best to accomplish their assigned work. This work is done with a view towards equipping and empowering our member congregations to become communities of faith, hope, love, witness, and service, so that those who do not know Jesus may come to know, love and serve him and so that those who do know Jesus may come to love him more intimately and serve him more faithfully.It determines policy and assigns responsibility relating to the work of all agencies of the Presbytery. The Administrative Enabling Team supports Trinity Presbytery by overseeing the administrative, financial, personnel, communications, stewardship, strategic planning, and trustee functions of the Presbytery. It also coordinates relationships between the Presbytery and the institutions supported by it, the councils over which the Presbytery has jurisdiction and all other councils unless otherwise specified in the Manual of Administrative Operations. The Discipleship Resource Team supports Trinity Presbytery by: (1) encouraging faith formation for all people, (2) connecting congregations and individuals with educational resources, (3) supporting life-long discipleship and education, (4) providing opportunities for congregational leaders to establish coaching or mentoring relationships with colleagues, and (5) encouraging the practice of good stewardship of God's creation through environmental stewardship, programming, and ministry. Members of this team provide for collaboration across the Presbytery and facilitate the work of the following focus groups: Adult Ministry, Youth Ministry, Trinity Educators, and Outdoor Ministry. The Mission and Evangelism Team supports Trinity Presbytery by: (1) Building Congregational Vitality and (2) Combined Mission Participation. It facilitates the delivery of services to new worshiping communities and local congregations in order to help them become communities of faith, hope, love, witness, and service, so that those who do not know Jesus might come to know, love and serve him, and so that those who do know Jesus might come to love him more intimately and serve him more faithfully. It seeks to form mission partnerships between our new worshiping communities and member congregations to execute local, national and global mission opportunities, so that our new worshiping communities and congregations are meeting the needs of people not just across the seas but also across the street. The Commission on Ministry (COM) supports Trinity Presbytery by providing for the functions of pastoral care, community building, accountability and discipline for ministers of the Word and Sacrament, Certified Christian Educators, Commissioned Ruling Elders, and member congregations of the Presbytery. This is inclusive of all, whether retired, not currently serving, or serving in churches or Validated Ministries. The COM oversees and brings recommendations to the Presbytery that facilitate the ordaining, installing, receiving, dismissing and disciplining of ministers of the Word and Sacrament, Certified Christian educators, and commissioned ruling elders. It also has been commissioned by Trinity Presbytery to grant ministers of the Word and Sacrament permission to move onto the field and begin their work between presbytery meetings. The Committee on Preparation for Ministry (CPM) supports the Trinity Presbytery by entering into covenant relationship with those preparing to become ministers of the Word and Sacrament and their sessions and congregations. It enrolls inquirers and recommends candidates, while providing for their support, guidance, and evaluation in order to determine their suitability for ordered ministry and fitness and readiness for a call to ministry requiring ordination. It also appoints Presbytery’s representative(s) to the Presbyteries’ Cooperative Committee on Examinations and reports the names of those appointed to Presbytery for its approval. The Nominating Committee (NC) supports Trinity Presbytery by nominating all moderators and members of the Presbytery Coordinating Team, Administrative Enabling Team, Mission and Evangelism Team, Discipleship and Resource Team, commissions, committees, trustees or board members of institutions, and commissioners to Synod of South Atlantic and the General Assembly. The Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) supports Trinity Presbytery by exercising discipline within the context of pastoral care and oversight of church members and ministers of the Word and Sacrament who are members of the Presbytery. This is accomplished by a session or permanent judicial commission after a due process trial or hearing of complaints against the Presbytery or allegations of offense against individual members. It is also responsible for the prevention and correction of irregularities and delinquencies within the councils under its jurisdiction, working under the provision of the “Rules of Discipline” of the Book of Order. The Presbyterian Women, having been forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, are committed to nurturing their faith through prayer and Bible study, supporting the mission of the church worldwide, working for justice and peace, and building an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and witnesses to the promise of God’s kingdom. |
