
Committee on Pastoral Transition
Membership:
Fifteen persons with representation from all mission communities of the Presbytery.
Purpose:
To fulfill all Book of Order and Presbytery Manual responsibilities related to oversight of and guidance to churches and pastors in the process of moving from one pastor/congregation relationship to another. These responsibilities include work related to dissolving pastoral relationships, working with churches in all processes leading to the next pastor call, and examining teaching elders for readiness and suitability to receive calls.
Responsibilities:
1. Dissolve the pastoral relationship in cases where the congregation and pastor concur, and dismiss teaching elders to other presbyteries, with the provision that all such actions be reported to the next stated meeting of the Presbytery.
2. Conduct and act upon the examinations of those called to pastoral positions in Shenandoah Presbytery approving the calls and welcoming the teaching elders into membership in the Presbytery and present the teaching elders to the presbytery. (G-3.0306) See Appendix ____ (NOTE: Appendix number will be assigned when the manual revision is completed.)
3. Make provision of a moderator for the session of churches in transition (G-3.0104 and G-3.0201).
4. Assign liaisons for all churches seeking pastors, for those seeking additional pastors, and for all churches whose time of transition includes new models for temporary pastoral services (G-2.0504).
5. Recommend persons for temporary pastoral relationships.
6. Review and act upon initial temporary pastoral supply contracts between sessions and temporary pastors. (Contract renewals for any congregation in transition will be reviewed and acted upon by CPT, all others reviewed by CRM.)
7. Facilitate and support transitional studies (such as CAT or Conversations) in congregations in pastoral transition.
8. Assist and guide pastor nominating committees in their searches for and call of new teaching elders using the Liaison Manual.
9. Develop, train, and supervise consultants in conducting transitional studies with congregations in pastoral transition.
10. Compile, maintain, and make available to each church in transition a list of approved teaching elders, inquirers or candidates, and ruling elders to serve in temporary pastoral relationships (G-2.0504b and G-2.0606).
11. Maintain and distribute a manual with required forms for the use of pastor nominating committees of churches in transition.
12. Consider any requests under the provision of G-2.0504c regarding whether a teaching elder in a temporary pastoral relationship or an associate pastor is eligible to serve as the next installed pastor, co-pastor, or associate pastor.
13. Conduct and act upon the examination of anyone who is not a member of the presbytery who is filling a pulpit consecutively for more than one month.
14. Conduct and act upon the examination of anyone from another denomination requesting to be on the Shenandoah Presbytery pulpit supply list.
15. Maintain a current list of teaching elders who have received training in interim
16. Train authorized/certified ruling elders (ARE’s and CRE’s)* Oversight, evaluation, and commissioning of ARE’s/CRE’s