Our Boards & Committees


All Presbyterian churches that are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) are governed by The Constitution Of The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Derry Presbyterian Church is no exception. The Constitution consists of two volumes: Part I is The Book of Confessions, which contains the official texts of the confessional documents of the church. These are the creeds of the church which form the basis of our beliefs and theology. Part II is The Book of Order and it consists of three sections: Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and Rules of Discipline.

(You can see the full text of both the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order here.)

The Form of Government section starts out with the premise that Christ Is the Head of the Church:
All power in heaven and earth is given to Jesus Christ by Almighty God, who raised Christ from the dead and set him above all rule and authority, all power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come (Eph. 1:20,21; Ps. 68:18). God has put all things under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and has made Christ Head of the Church, which is his body (Ps. 2:6; Dan. 7:14; Eph. 1:22, 23).

It also affirms that:
Every Christian Church, or union or association of particular churches, is entitled to declare the terms of admission into its communion, and the qualifications of its ministers and members, as well as the whole system of its internal government which Christ hath appointed;

And that:
Our blessed Savior, for the edification of the visible Church, which is his body, hath appointed officers, not only to preach the gospel and administer the Sacraments, but also to exercise discipline, for the preservation of both truth and duty;

What all of this means to us is that:
  1. Christ is the head of our church.
  2. Underneath Christ we have the duty and responsibility to follow His example and elect officers of our chosing to govern our local church.
  3. These officers have the authority and the obligation to preach and administer the truth and duty of the gospel.
The Church offices mentioned in the New Testament which the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Derry Presbyterian Church have maintained include those of presbyters (Ministers of the Word and Sacrament (1 Tim. 3:1; Eph. 4:11,12) and Elders (1 Tim 5:17) ) and Deacons (Phil 1:1). The balance of this page is a description of our Elder and Deacon boards, along with the other committees that we have elected to assist those officers in administering the functioning of our local church.

(Underlined persons in the descriptions below are the "moderators" of those committees. The Pastor is the moderator of the Session.)


Session Board

The Session is the highest governing body in our local church and consists of Elders, who are chosen by the members of the church. Together with the Pastor, they exercise leadership, government, and discipline (1 Tim. 5:17; Romans 12:7,8; Acts 15:25) and have responsibilities for the life of our church as well as the church at large, including ecumenical relationships. They serve faithfully as members of the Session. When elected commissioners to higher governing bodies (such as the Presbytery), elders participate and vote with the same authority as ministers, and they are eligible for any office.

It is the duty of elders, individually and jointly, to strengthen and nurture the faith and life of the congregation. Together with the pastor, they encourage the people in the worship and service of God, equip and renew them for their tasks within the church and for their mission in the world, visit and comfort and care for the people, with special attention to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and those who are oppressed, and they also assist in worship.


Class of 2011 - John Walkinshaw, Debbie Nicholson, Susan Young
Class of 2012 - Dennis Dablock, Judy Skoloda, Jayson George
Class of 2013 - Alfred Young, Debbie Mewherter, Janet Ressler

Deacons Board

The office of deacon as set forth in Scripture (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8-15) is one of sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ. Persons of spiritual character, honest repute, of exemplary lives, brotherly and sisterly love, warm sympathies, and sound judgment should be chosen for this office. It is the duty of deacons, first of all, to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the community of faith (Acts 6:3, 5, 6). They shall assume such other duties as may be delegated to them from time to time by the session, such as leading the people in worship through prayers of intercession, reading the Scriptures, presenting the gifts of the people (Acts 6:1,2) and assisting with the Lord's Supper.


Class of 2011 - Ardeth Patterson
Class of 2012 - Ron George, Bob Patterson
Class of 2013 - Patty Clark, Dee Gamble


Mission, Interpretation & Stewardship Committee (MIS)

Mission - The responsibilities of the Mission Interpretation & Stewardship Committee are to discern the mission of our church, including benevolent activities of the congregation for both the local and global community, to translate that mission and the stewardship goals of the church into a budget and to provide guidance and supervision to the treasurer.

Debbie Nicholson (Chairperson), Susan Young, John Gamble (Treasurer)
Worship & Sacraments Committee

Mission - Plans, maintains, promotes and evaluates the worship life of the church; schedules and arranges for the celebration of the sacraments; plans and carries out all special worship services under the direction of the pastor; provides supervision for the Organist/Choir director.

Alfred Young (Chairperson), Debbie Mewherter, Larry Shean, Gary Newhouse (Organist)
Memorial, Church Life and Restoration Committee

Mission - Provides opportunities for the guidance and growth of the people in the areas of Christian fellowship; plans, guides, maintains and evaluates the compassionate ministry of visitation by deacons and elders; plans, promotes, and evaluates opportunities for evangelism.

Linda Miller, Irene Kean, Paula Shean, Jesse Shean, Larry Shean, Dennis Dablock, Linda George
Evangelism & Outreach Coordinator

Mission - Plans, maintains, promotes, staffs, and evaluates the scheduled and special programming of the church which is intended to instruct, equip and enable the people for lives of active faith, including: the Church School, Youth Ministries and Bible Study groups; reviews and selects curriculum for these educational programs; provides for training and support of the Church School teachers and leaders.

Heidi Bracken , Jayson George, Ron George, Kirsten Haase, Diana Tinkey
Church Operations Committee

Mission - Provides for the maintenance, repair and/or improvement of all church property and structures; inspects the manse (pastor's house) annually; acts as the personnel committee for all church staff, including annual evaluations and salary reviews.

John Walkinshaw, Bob Patterson, Ron George, Lee Mewherter, Richard Dyche, Ken Ressler, Hal Kester
Emergency Mission Team

Mission – To oversee the proper disbursement of funds given to the church for the purpose of lifting up the downtrodden, providing medical care, and providing for those in need.

Rev. Helen Kester, Dee Gamble, Janet Ressler
Vision Team

Mission –

Janet Ressler, Secretary, Bob Patterson, Lee Mewherter, Dee Gamble
Ways & Means Team

Mission –

Lila Hughes-Gularski, Tom Hughes