Ministry Information Form Query

The Sacramento Presbytery seeks to help develop healthy congregations and to build bridges among congregations and people. This vision is being lived out in the way the Presbytery responds to churches and communities that are experiencing challenges both to the integrity and solidarity of their local communities and their worshipping communities. Some churches in the presbytery continue to see a decline in church membership, and the presbytery has sponsored conversations and study initiatives about the changing nature of worship in the modern era. The idea is that presbytery will promote and foster innovative ways that congregations can demonstrate their witness to Christ within individual congregations and through collaborative efforts with other congregations.

Given the large geographical area, the racial and cultural diversity in the bounds of the Sacramento Presbytery, communication with congregations is key to establishing trust and transparency. This allows both church and presbytery leaders to have a clear picture of the issues, challenges, and successes relative to the health of the congregations in the Sacramento Presbytery and the congregations in the denomination as a whole. Communicating the sense of connectionalism will ensure inclusion of all congregations, especially for congregations of people of color and those situated along the fringes of Sacramento Presbytery’s boundaries who may feel isolated and unsupported. There should also be an appreciation of the differences among congregations in order to support the individuality of each congregation within the unity of our common vision. In addition, conversations are underway regarding the opportunity to create a new presbytery formed of the Sacramento Presbytery and some or all of the Stockton Presbytery in order to more faithfully serve God’s people in the Central Valley.

The presbyter will need to articulate the vision and mission goals of the Sacramento Presbytery to its church leaders and congregations in a way that is relevant in our rapidly changing times and meaningful in our increasingly diverse community. This person will need to engage with Presbytery Council, Ministries and Committees as well as with congregations to shine the light on a common vision for the future direction of the Presbytery. The Presbyter will also serve as a sounding board for innovative ideas and adaptive change and as a fulcrum around which buy-in to the presbytery’s mission can be leveraged.

Primary functions of the position are listed below. See job description for elaborated list

of tasks.

• Lifting Presbytery beyond structure to become a visionary beacon illuminating the path for individual congregations toward unity in mission.
• Serving as a staff resource and mentor to the leaders and congregations of the Presbytery and interacting with, motivating, counseling, and reinforcing the Council committees and other elements of Presbytery.
• Managing and supervising the Presbytery staff.