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192:. However, the role takes on a special significance well beyond its stated duties. In leadership and influence across the congregation, the Session Clerk is a partner with the Minister and often speaks for the Congregation and Elders in offering words of guidance and encouragement to the Minister as well as being the key to marshalling resources and support to implement the Minister's projects.
161:". Other congregations have a separate "Congregational Board", "Deacons' court" or "Management Committee" which deals with financial details and the maintenance of the property. The financial board thus relieves the Session of much routine responsibility but remains under the direction of the Session.
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Kirk
Sessions remains the first court of the presbyterian church. They are under the jurisdiction of the presbytery of the bounds to which they commission the minister and at least one ruling elder. The minister is not a member of the congregation but of the presbytery, thus he or she is under the
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for life, so if they are subsequently elected or appointed to
Sessions at later points in their lives, they are inducted, there being no second ordination. In most denominations, the pastor serves as Moderator of the Session and thus convenes or presides over the session. All elders have an equal
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The elders who are members of
Session have both executive powers as a group and pastoral responsibility. Many elders will be in regular pastoral contact with a group of the members of the congregation and their families. In the pastoral function, elders rarely bring issues to Session meetings,
131:, the pastor and associate pastor have a vote as members of the session on any matters. However, the pastor will often refrain from voting except in tie situations. The Pastor is not a voting member of the congregation.
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In executive function a number of
Sessions have complete authority (under presbytery) for the ordering of all business, spiritual and temporal, of their congregation. This condition is known in the
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spiritual oversight of the presbytery. The members of the congregation, including the ruling elders, are under the spiritual oversight of the Kirk
Session.
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The person who takes minutes for the
Session and maintains all of the church's ledgers of membership, births, baptisms, deaths, and elders is known as the
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An essay on the warrant, nature, and duties of the office of the ruling elder in the
Presbyterian Church, Chapter IX
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In some denominations, the pastor is given no vote. However, in a sitting body of an even number or with a
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of the session counted, the pastor can break a tie with a casting vote. In the Polity of the
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These groups of elders make decisions for the local parish through a ruling body called the
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resolving them privately or with the aid of the minister or other counsellor.
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and as all elders are ordained, some to rule and others to teach, the
277:"An Introduction to Practice and Procedure in the Church of Scotland"
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297:. Australia: The Presbyterian Church of Australia. Archived from
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This is a practical manifestation of the
Protestant doctrine of
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19:"Session Clerk" redirects here. For the Clerk of Session, see
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of the Kirk
Session sits as a chairman of the elders
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138:The Ordination of Elders in a Scottish Kirk, by
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129:Evangelical Presbyterian Church (United States)
34:was used by the Session and for small meetings.
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320:McGillivray, A. Gordon (October 2008).
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295:"The Key Office Holders of the Church"
58:governing a particular church within
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32:Edisto Island Presbyterian Church
359:Presbyterian Church organisation
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170:the priesthood of all believers
331:. Scotland: Church of Scotland
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322:"The Office of Session Clerk"
275:A Gordon McGillivray (2009).
256:PCUSA Book of Order G-10.0101
265:PCUSA Book of Order G-7.0308
210:Reformed Christianity portal
144:National Gallery of Scotland
30:The "Session House" of the
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125:Presbyterian Church (USA)
89:"to sit"), sometimes the
281:Churchofscotland.org.uk
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369:Christian terminology
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116:vote in the session.
111:elders"). Elders are
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301:on 27 February 2015
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174:Moderator
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99:Reformed
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