GUIDELINES FOR THE NOMINATION OF RULING ELDER (RE)
AND TEACHING ELDER (TE) COMMISSIONERS TO GENERAL
ASSEMBLY FOR THE PRESBYTERY OF LAKE ERIE
SEPTEMBER 15, 2014
Ruling Elder (RE)
Rationale:
This system for ordering and nominating Ruling Elder (RE) commissioners to
General Assembly (GA) is designed to give opportunity to RE’s of congregations
who have not recently had participants at General Assembly and to emphasize
representation of congregations in the life of the Presbytery.
Requirements for Eligibility:
1. Ruling Elder commissioners shall be nominated based on a rotation of church
sessions. The church from which the RE commissioner is selected shall have been
represented at three of the last five Stated Meetings of Presbytery.
2. If a congregation is given the opportunity to supply a RE commissioner for
nomination and declines, that congregation shall be placed at the bottom of the
rotation list.
3. Should a nominated RE commissioner decide not to attend due to extreme
circumstances (such as illness), an alternate Ruling Elder shall attend. The
nominated Ruling Elder commissioner shall become the commissioner for the
next General Assembly (for one time only). The committee shall notify the
session and the nominee in writing of any action regarding his/her nomination.
Inquirers and Candidates
Inquirers and candidates for the ministry shall not be considered as commissioners to GA
Teaching Elder (TE)
Rationale:
This system for ordering and nominating Teaching Elder (TE) commissioners to
General Assembly (GA) is designed to give opportunity to those who have never
attended GA, to set a minimum time one must be a member of Presbytery before
being eligible to attend, and to emphasize participation in the life of the
Presbytery.
Requirements for Eligibility:
1. To be eligible, the TE must have been a member of the Presbytery of Lake Erie
for at least 5 years. (This total membership does include years of past
membership in the Presbytery of Lake Erie.)
2. To be eligible, the TE person must have attended at least 7 of the last 10 meetings
of the Presbytery of Lake Erie prior to his or her nomination. (Attendance
exceptions will be made for extenuating circumstances. The Nominating
Committee will determine what
qualifies
as
extenuating
circumstances on an individual basis.)
3. Those who were not able to attend based on extraordinary circumstances will be
reconsidered by the Nominating Committee for the next GA meeting.
4. For one time only, a TE may decline for other circumstances, and if desired, be
considered for commissioner to the next General Assembly. Those who decline
to attend for the second time will be placed in the category with those who have
attended based on the year they decline for the second time.
5. A TE who declines to attend GA and does not desire to be considered for the next
GA will also be placed in the category with those who have attended based on the
year they decline.
Categories:
This system initially divides all eligible Teaching Elder members into two categories:
(A) those who have not and (B) those who have attended General Assembly as a
Teaching Elder commissioner in the past. Each category is then ranked separately based
on the ranking system described below.
Ranking Point System for Category A:
1. Each eligible TE is awarded 1 point for each year of service to the PCUSA since
the date of his or her ordination. If the TE was serving in a PCUSA church but
was a member of another denomination, the person receives 1 point per year of
service. If the TE was a member of the PCUSA but served a church in another
denomination, the person receives 1 point per year of service. If the TE was a
member of another denomination and served a church in another denomination,
the person receives 0.5 point for each year of service.
2. Each eligible TE is awarded 1 point for each year of service to the Presbytery of
Lake Erie. This number includes all past years of service to the Presbytery of
Lake Erie whether or not consecutive.
Ranking Point System for Category B:
1. Each eligible TE is awarded 1 point for each year since the last time they attended
GA as a TE commissioner. If the TE was serving in a PCUSA church but was a
member of another denomination, the person receives 1 point per year of service.
If the TE was a member of the PCUSA but served a church in of another
denomination, the person receives 1 point per year of service. If the TE was a
member of another denomination and served a church in another denomination,
the person receives 0.5 point for each year of service.
2. Each eligible TE is awarded 1 point for each year of service to the Presbytery of
Lake Erie since the last time they attended GA. This number includes all past
years of service to the Presbytery of Lake Erie whether or not consecutive.
Notes:
1. The ranking of Teaching Elders begins at the top of Category A and then moves
down through A to the bottom of A. If there are no eligible persons in Category
A, the rank order will begin at the top of Category B and then move down through
Category B. (In other words, the rank order flows top down A to B.) The
commissioners, the number of whom is determined by the GA, will be nominated
in order of rank with an equal number of alternates. Being an alternate one year
does not guarantee that a person will be nominated as a commissioner for the next
GA meeting.
2. If two or more Teaching Elders in
Category A have the same final
number of points, the one with the earlier ordination date will be selected. If two
or more people in Category B have the same final number of points, the one with
the earlier date of last attendance at GA as a TE commissioner will be selected.
3. Any situation that arises which is not covered by these guidelines will be referred
to the Nominating Committee for a decision and recommendation to Presbytery.
4. The rotation list of congregations and Teaching Elders shall be published once a
year.
While this procedure governs the Nominating Committee’s process of
nomination, the Presbytery, of course, maintains the constitutional right to
nominate from the floor.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX OF MINISTERS -- November 2014
ACTIVE ROLL
CHURCH/SERVICE
PASTOR
BECKES, W. LEE
BISSETT, EMILY RODGERS
Honorably Retired
Validated Ministry, Serving Presbyterian Church,
Canada
BOAL, HARVEY
Cochranton
CAMMARATA, CHARLES
CASHDOLLAR, CRAIG
CEPRIS, RICK
CRESSMAN, BARRY
CHRISTY, RONEE
CROM, MARY KATHRYN
Fairview
Honorably Retired
Erie-Emmanuel
Honorably Retired
Oil City-First
Honorably Retired
DANIELSON, LORI
DIETZ, JOHN
DUNCAN, FRANK
DYKE, JOHN
Emlenton
Honorably Retired
Honorably Retired
Erie-Westminster
EDMUNDS, DAVID
ESPY, GEORGE
Erie-Belle Valley
Honorably Retired
FALCO, MATTHEW
FILER, JOSEPH
FOWLER, JAMIE
FRAILEY, MARK
FUGATE, DAVID
Cross
FUJII, CHRISTOPHER
Edinboro
Honorably Retired
Oil City-Hasson Heights/Pleasantville
Conneaut Lake/Hartstown
Val. Min.-Veteran’s Admin. Hosp./Fairview-Church of the
GILLISPIE, GREGORY
GORDON, DONALD
GUERDAT, THOMAS
Oil City-Second
Honorably Retired/Gravel Run
Honorably Retired
HAAS, JAMES
HIGH, TIMM
HOLMES, ANDREW
HORNE, NELSON
HOUSTON, HYDIE
HULL, CARL
Erie-Wayside
Erie-First Covenant
Erie-Elmwood Avenue
Honorably Retired
Honorably Retired
Honorably Retired
JENKINS, BARRY
Franklin-First
Honorably Retired
JENSEN, BRIAN
JOHNS, HARRY
JOHNS-KELLEY, MARY ELEANOR
JOHNS, RACHEL
JOHNSON, GEORGE
Meadville-First
Honorably Retired/Adamsville
Validated Ministry, Presbyterian Foundation
Meadville-Redeemer/Linesville
Honorably Retired
KELLEY, HAROLD
KLOUW, ROBERT
KYLE, JACK
Honorably Retired
Bradford-First
Honorably Retired
LEE, DAVID
LINDSEY, EMILY ZEIG
LLOYD, EVON
Honorably Retired
Waterford
Coudersport
McCLUNG, CHARLES
McCORMACK, JAMES
MILLS, WILLIAM
MOELK, JAMES
MONTGOMERY, SUSAN
MORSE, STEPHEN
MYERS, LARRY
Erie-New Hope
Honorably Retired
Honorably Retired
Fairview-Church of the Cross
Nickleville
Honorably Retired/First Covenant
Corry
NAGEOTTE, SUE
Franklin-Rocky Grove
O’LEARY, TOMMY
OTT, JEFFREY
OYLER, DAVID
Cambridge Springs
Warren-First
General Presbyter
PURVIS-SMITH, TERYL
Titusville-First
RANDALL, KATHERINE
RILEY, JANET
RIMMER, JAMES
Bradford-First
Harborcreek
Honorably Retired
SEDDIG, LYTA
SOLOMON, TIMOTHY
SPEAKMAN, SUSAN
SUNDBERG, KEITH
Honorably Retired/Validated Ministry, Spiritual Director
Validated Ministry, Serving a United Church of Christ
Honorably Retired/Erie-Eastminster,
Erie-Wayside
TAYLOR, REBECCA
TOWNSEND, GREGG
Kane
North East
VITIELLO, NICOLA
Girard
WARD, BUDDY
WILLERT, ROBERT
North Warren
Union City/Mill Village