Governance
Presbyterians are known for doing things “decently and in order!” Here at MPC we are not as orderly as some others in our denomination. We do, however, have a system of governance that we follow. In fact, the Presbyterian system is based on a democracy (fun fact: some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Presbyterian men. It’s interesting how the church has impacted the state). One of the deeply held beliefs of Presbyterians and one of the cornerstones of ministry here at MPC is the “The Priesthood of All Believers.” That is, it is everyone’s job – ministers and lay people alike – to share the Good News with and transform the whole world. We do not believe in the “authority” of the Pastor; instead, we believe we all have gifts to be shared in a collegial way.
Our “ruling” body is called the “Session.” Our Session is comprised of 15 ordained elders who have been nominated and elected by the members of the congregation as representative of them. Elders serve a 3 year term. Elders are different than elected political officials in that they are charged with making decisions based on how God is leading them – in other words, they are charged with voting their consciences as led by the Holy Spirit, rather than voting by how they think the membership would want them to vote. The elders are responsible for carrying out the mission and ministry of the church.
As such, they oversee the work of the various committees. We also have a “Clerk of Session” who is responsible for all of the official record keeping of the congregation. The Clerk of Session records the minutes of all Session and Congregational Meetings, as well as records baptisms, weddings, deaths, and membership status. In addition to the Session, MPC has over 20 committees and a variety of small groups who all engage in carrying out the ministry and mission of the congregation. There is never a dull moment at MPC and we are always open to new ideas and new ways of impacting our world.
Members of Session
Session Class of 2014
- Robert Elia
- Leslie Louie
- Carrie McKiernan
- Brant Nicholas
- Bob Saltz
Session Class of 2015
- Lee Aurich
- Karen Ray Gibson
- Jean Gregory
- Susanne Lea
- Bill Neely
Session Class of 2016
- Cynthia Cudaback
- Francie Chan
- Sharon Noteboom
- David Siegenthaler
- Margaretha Derasary
Clerk of Session
- Susanne Lea