As Presbyterians we find ourselves in a place of enduring contention as to who should be ordained without a clear conception of why we should be ordaining anyone. And if we are unsure of the nature of ordained ministry, we certainly will be unclear as to how the ordained exercise authority. Because we live in […]
The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) designates Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition, as the parliamentary authority to be used in governing body meetings. This booklet and its accompanying appendices are an introductory summary of the purpose and practice of common parliamentary principles.
The Pastoral Activities Index is a detailed description of the activites in which pastors engage, organized in eight roles: (1) Director of Worship; (2) Facilitator of Pastoral Care; (3) Leader & Interpreter of Mission; (4) Coordinator of Church Education; (5) Facilitator of Parish/Community Relationships; (6) Administrator; (7) Member of the Presbytery; (8) Member of the […]
The Pastoral Expectations Inventory provides a basis for the pastor and session to clarify and agree upon (1) priorities in the life of the church; (2) priorities in the activities in which the pastor will engage; (3) time required for the performance of those activities; and (4) the way in which members of the session […]
The Pastoral Performance Profile (Second Edition) is a criteria-referenced self-evaluation instrument for pastors and has been derived from the Pastoral Activities Index. It consists of 28 scales, each with five statements that describe the different ways in which pastors carry out some of their more important activities. The instrument is normally to be used by […]
From the Publisher’s Note: The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church was created by the 213th General Assembly (2001) in a denominational context of polarization.… In the pages that follow, you are invited to engage this process of consideration via the ruminations of three leaders of the church. It is my hope that these […]
Takes a line by line look at the Apostles’ Creed prayer in an in depth study to understand its meaning.
A registry of sites that are associated with important people, organizations, institutions, and events of the churches of the Presbyterian/Reformed tradition. They are located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, in large cities and small towns, in counrty fields and amid the high rise buildings of downtown districts. They preserve the memory […]
From the Introduction: […] Out of our experience we want to share some deeply held convictions about the gifts that our Presbyterian tradition has to offer to the renewal of leadership in our church. We believe that we need a leadership revolution at every level in our church, and that the resources for that renewal, while they can well […]
Clergy sexual misconduct not only devastates the lives of its victims but also tears apart the fabric of faith in communities. Available in book form to facilitate its use as an informational resource and counseling tool, Questions and Answers about Clergy Sexual Misconduct provides answers to 18 key questions parishioners in this situation will likely […]