St. Andrews Presbyterian Church

The word Presbyterian comes from the Greek word for elder, presbyterous. (The New Testament was originally written in Greek). The church is led and governed by a group of men and women who have been called by God and elected by this congregation to serve as elders in this congregation and in the larger church. Elders serve a three year term on our governing board, the Session. Ruling elders share leadership with ministers (also called teaching elders) both in the local congregation and in the larger church, the Presbyterian Church USA.

The Session of St. Andrews consists of eighteen men and women elected for three year terms and one youth elder who serves a one year term. The pastor serves as the moderator of the session and an elder is elected to serve as clerk. Each elder serves on one of seven ministry teams responsible for the overall ministry of the local church. Those ministry teams are listed below:

Christian Education - This includes children, youth and adults
Fellowship - Includes small group and congregational gatherings
Management - A variety of administrative responsibilities come under this heading: Budget, Property, Personnel
Mission - A focus on ministry with people in need beyond our walls, both locally and globally
Outreach - Works to "extend this home of peace and welcome" encouraging others to join us in work and worship
St. Andrews School - Oversees our preschool, extended day and after school programs as a ministry to families in our community
Worship - Coordinates all the components of our corporate worship including the music ministry

In addition to the elders, we also elect twelve women and men to serve as deacons. They too serve three year terms and have a particular focus on congregational care. The congregation is organized into smaller groups of about twenty family units each with a deacon responsible for keeping up with the people in their group.

Our commitment to the one holy catholic (catholic + universal) church extends beyond the local congregation. We are a part of the larger church through the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, a regional collection of some 109 congregations, and through the Presbyterian Church USA. We also seek to work together with churches of other denominations through a variety of shared local initiatives.

Session - The organizational structure of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (SAPC) is based upon the Book of Order, which, combined with the Book of Confessions, is the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Our structure consists of the Session, the Diaconate, and several Ministries.

The Session is a board of eighteen adult Elders serving three years and one youth Elder serving one year, elected from and by the congregation, to serve as leaders of the congregation. Elders are to be ordained persons of faith, dedication, and good judgment, and are expected to support the great ends of the Church by word and action. As a body, the Session is responsible for all aspects of the life of the congregation. The Session of SAPC holds regularly scheduled or Stated meetings on a monthly basis, and has additional called meetings as necessary. The Pastor serves as Moderator of the Session meetings, and records of the meetings and the church are the responsibility of the Clerk of Session, who is elected by the Elders on a yearly basis, as is the church Treasurer. Elders are elected for a three year term of office, with the exception of the Youth Elder, who serves a one year term.

To accomplish the tasks of the Church, SAPC has several Ministry teams that assume responsibility for specific areas of the Church work. Each Ministry is headed by an Elder, and is comprised of other Elders and members of the church with interests and talents in the given mission of the Ministry. These Ministries meet as needed (the Kirk at Work) to accomplish their goals, and report to the Session on an on-going basis. While the Ministries are expected to carry out their defined roles independently, it is expected that problems or concerns will be brought to the Session for discussion and prayer, and new programs and actions will be first approved by the Session as a body, and recorded in the minutes of the Session, which are available in the Narthex for congregational knowledge.

For a church organization chart, please click here.
Diaconate - The Diaconate is made up of twelve men and women who are elected by the congregation, trained and ordained. Each Deacon serves for three years nurturing and caring for about 18-20 family units from the membership rolls. They are to contact each family unit by phone, mail, email, personal visit or seeing them at church events at least quarterly unless there is an emergency, illness or death, which would create the need for immediate contact. The Deacons serve communion to those members unable to get to St. Andrews by taking the elements to them.