Our Leadership The word "Presbyterian" is derived from the Greek word "presbuteros" which means "elder."  One of the essential beliefs of the Presbyterian church is in the "priesthood of all believers."  We believe that every believer has a high priest in Jesus to whom we can go directly through prayer without needing an intermediary priest or pastor to intercede for us. In each higher court of our denomination we are represented by an equal number of elders and pastors.  In the Presbyterian Church, leadership is exercised by a board of elders called the Session. Elders normally serve a three-year term. Persons who are elected to serve as elders undergo a period of training after which they are ordained to their office by the laying on of hands and prayer. Persons who are ordained to the office of elder still maintain their ordination after their three year term is finished and may be installed to serve another term at a later period. In our denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), both women and men may be ordained as elders and as ministers of the Word and Sacrament. Elders not only see to the carrying out of the church's ministry and mission, they also represent our church at meetings of our church's higher courts called the Presbytery, Synod, and the General Assembly. Session:When we were chartered on March 30, 2008 we ordained and installed our first Session.  The Session is made up of three classes of elders.  The class of 2008 :Alex Evans,  Cheryl Miller, John Schweers.  The class of 2009: Beth Croix, Cathy Crow, David Wilson  The class of 2010:  Scott Nance, Steven Scott, and Jane Ann Townsley.  The Session meets monthly and serves as a clearing house for what the Ministry Teams are doing, and they ultimately make the decisions regarding the church and its mission.  Each of the session members serves on one of our four ministry teams.  Team Players:We have formed four Ministry Teams to oversee and carry out the ministry and mission of Peace Church. Currently we have: Fellowship Team: responsible for fellowship activities like PeaceKids, Youth Fellowship, camps and conferences, Men's and Women's Ministries. Johanna Schweers and Jane Ann Townsley represent this team on our Steering Committee. Other members of this team include Vicki Evans, Paula Scott, Marcia Winkler, Penny McKim, Kim Tucker, Colleen Wilson. Worship Team: responsible for everything that goes on in worship, the music, the greeters and ushers, preparing the elements for communion, drama, banners. Kathy Crow, Marti Ragsdale and David Wilson represent this Team on our Steering Committee. Other team members include:Nancy Hoyler, Joanne Jeffers, Greg Tucker and Bonnie Williams. Discipleship Team: responsible for making and equipping disciples of Jesus Christ through outreach, education and mission activities. Cheryl Miller, Scott Nance, Anita Phipps, and Steven Scott represent the Team on our Steering Committee. Other Team members include Beth Croix, Lisa Chaput, and Betty Enmon. Stewardship Team: responsible for using the resources God has given us, both human and monetary, to grow God's kingdom.  This team is responsible for Personnel, Budget and finance, and property issues.  Alex Evans and Sue Higbie represent this Team on our Steering Committee. Other Team members include Mary Gaffney, John Schweers, Bart Henson, and Bob Jones.  Our Presbytery The name of our presbytery is New Covenant. The location of the Presbytery's staff offices and Resource Center are at 1110 Lovett Boulevard, Houston, TX. New Covenant Presbytery is comprised of the 39,000 members of the 107 churches in Southeast Texas -- from Orange on the east, to Bryan-College Station on the west, and from Nacogdoches on the north to Galveston to the south. Our Synod The name of our Synod is Synod of the Sun. It is comprised of the presbyteries in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The Synod meets twice a year in various locations. Our Synod staff offices are located in Dallas, Texas. Our General Assembly Our General Assembly is called by the name of our denomination: the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America - PC (USA). The General Assembly is comprised of the members of all of the congregations in the PC(USA). The General Assembly meets every other year at various locations around the country. The offices of the denomination are located in Louisville, Kentucky.