Nominate
Serve On A NYAPC Board!
Where at NYAPC would you like to use your God-given gifts? Are you interested in how decisions are made in the church? Have you felt called to engage more deeply with NYAPC mission programs or support our members and the community around us? Do you have skills and abilities that could enhance church functions? Or do you know someone who does?
The Nominating Committee is seeking church members to serve on the Session, the Board of Diaconal Ministers, the Board of Trustees, and the Nominating Committee. All terms of service will begin in May 2024, with board positions continuing for three years and the Nominating Committee for one year.
To ask questions, contact any of the members of the Nominating Committee. If you wish to be considered for a board position or nominate someone else, you may contact a member of the committee or fill out the form here.
Timeline
November 3, 2023: Nominations Open
March 4, 2024: Congregational Meeting to vote on the slate of proposed nominees.
April 21, 28, and May 5, 2024: Officer Training
May 10-11, 2024: Officer Retreat
May 12, 2024: Ordination and Installation of Officers
What Do The Boards Do?
Session
Session is responsible for the mission and government of the Church. Its duties and responsibilities include:
- receiving and instructing new members and removing members from the rolls as appropriate;
- leading the congregation in mission, providing for worship, including the music program;
- providing for Christian Education;
- encouraging stewardship;
- supervising the work of other Church boards; and
- maintaining a regular and continuing relationship with the higher governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
- determining the uses to which the real and personal property of the Church may be put.
Other responsibilities include serving communion and attending occasional meetings to receive new members. The Session meets monthly on the fourth Monday of the month, on Zoom and in person (once a quarter).
Some Session decisions are routine, but always interesting! Some decisions demand, quoting from the PC(USA) Book of Order, “finding and representing the will of Christ for the church”. Wow! Sounds intimidating if you are on your own. However, on the Session, you are not alone. Session members work together to find and to discern. We set aside preconceived conclusions. We are open to other perspectives. It has been my joy to be in conversation with church members, some of whom I have known for years and others I have had the opportunity more recently to get to know more deeply, as we make decisions that we hope will nurture the congregation’s faith and declare, by our decisions, what it means to be a church in Downtown Washington DC.
Diaconal Ministers
The Board of Diaconal Ministers, in addition to other responsibilities and authority delegated to them from time to time by the Session, is responsible for regular visitation of members who are hospital or home-bound and anyone who is in need of special attention. They work in coordination with the ministers of the Church and Session in a ministry of compassion, witness, and service, sharing in visitation and care.
Activities include:
- arranging flowers and delivering them to church members;
- calling and writing notes of encouragement and support for church members in need; and
- preparing the elements for Communion.
They meet monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at noon.
I have always admired the Diaconal Ministers. The Diaconal Ministers are a group of caring people who can always be counted on, and do really important work in quiet and unassuming ways. They are always doing good: writing notes, making calls and visits, bringing flowers, and providing hospitality and care with receptions following memorial services. I said “yes” when asked to join the board because I was beginning to feel a call to the kind of ministry Diaconal Ministers do. I've only been serving for a few months, but I find the fellowship warm and the work rewarding.
Trustees
The Board of Trustees, subject to the authority of the Session, is responsible for the management of the corporate affairs of the Church. As part of that responsibility, Trustees:
- receive, hold, safeguard, and manage property, real or personal, for the Church;
- have charge of the receipt, custody, and expenditure of the monies of the Church, in accordance with the budget or with the instructions of the organizations of the Church which are responsible for their use;
- manage special funds established to further the purposes of the Church; and
execute contracts obligating the Church under the civil law.
The Board seeks people with experience in budget/finance, engineering, construction, architecture, and/or project management. They meet monthly on every third Tuesday.
Being a Trustee has been such an honor. When Aryn first reached out asking if I’d be open to being nominated for a Trustee position, I remember thinking “oh no, could I really do that at the church?” In my head, a Trustee was a very important and "adult" position, one I didn't think I’d fit. After some discernment and more conversation with Aryn I realized that my HR experience and perspective could be a valuable asset as part of the Trustees, and that this would help me feel more connected at the church, as I've always been someone who gets more involved via work. My inclinations since then have all proven true. While the Trustee work is extremely important, it's been such a joy to do and I really enjoy learning each and every day about all of the amazing work that our church does and enables and how we can think about the future of our church, our assets, and our building in the context of our mission.
Nominating Committee
The NYAPC Nominating Committee is tasked by the Session to provide nominees to fill positions on three NYAPC Boards—the Session, Diaconal Ministers, and Trustees—as well as for the Nominating Committee, for openings that will begin in Spring 2023 as the Class of 2025. Members of the Nominating Committee serve one-year terms, and represent the three boards as well as at-large positions.
Committee members are:
- Karen Feret (Co-chair; Session Representative)
- Diane Douglas (Co-chair)
- Gwenn Gebhard (Diaconal Ministers Representative)
- Karin Lohman (Trustees Representative)
- Morgan Brown
- Melanie Dann
- John Gagosian
- Marilyn Seiber
Serving on the Nominating Committee is one of the most important ways to help NYAPC define its future. We have an amazingly talented and diverse membership, and through the Nominating Committee we can ensure that all members have the opportunity to bring their incredible gifts to the church, as we together seek to live God's Word in our world and community. It's also a great way to re-connect with friends and fellow members!
