Clerk's Corner
Clerks with books: The announcement is finally here!
I have confirmed that the date for depositing Session Books at the Presbyterian Historical Society is July 20th. More information will come out about this, but if you have old Session books that you believe your Session would be willing to send to the Presbyterian Historical Society, please start identifying those now, and you can have your Session vote to send them. |
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We did it! The 2025 Statistical Season is over!
We can now all take a collective sigh of relief... and wait until next year... Our stats return rate this year was 80%, which is our average. Thank you to all of our amazing clerks and admins! Your work to get these reports in is so appreciated. While the time to enter Statistical Reports through the online system is over, there is still time to send in other information, such as the trustees' report, insurance information, and the necrology report. If you haven't sent in the other information, it would be greatly appreciated if you do so. For example, the necrology report is how we put together the Time for the Saints, Necrology Report for the Assembly in November. |
What is the difference between an elder and a ruling elder?
What is the difference between an elder and a CRE?
There is no difference between an elder and a ruling elder (RE).
Ministers of the Word and Sacrament are called Teaching Elders (TE).
Once an elder, always an elder, is true even when that particular person is not serving actively on a Session.
So what about CREs?
CREs are Commissioned Ruling Elders. (Sometimes called Commissioned Lay Pastors by the Book of Order).
A CRE is ONLY a CRE when they have a church they have been commissioned to. If they are not serving in a Commission, they are a ruling elder.
Yes, they may still be trained to be a CRE, but that title only stands while they are serving a Commission. It is also important to note that a CRE's commission extends only to the permissions given to them by the Presbytery. For example, a CRE who has been commissioned to First church cannot go to Second church to administer the Sacraments.
Sometimes the Presbytery is asked to remove elders who are no longer serving on Session. Elders are not removed from any list when they are not serving at the Presbytery level. Elders are only removed from roles if a disciplinary case has found them guilty, and this is the censure. If this is the case, or the question that is being asked, please contact me, the Stated Clerk!
What is the difference between an elder and a CRE?
There is no difference between an elder and a ruling elder (RE).
Ministers of the Word and Sacrament are called Teaching Elders (TE).
Once an elder, always an elder, is true even when that particular person is not serving actively on a Session.
So what about CREs?
CREs are Commissioned Ruling Elders. (Sometimes called Commissioned Lay Pastors by the Book of Order).
A CRE is ONLY a CRE when they have a church they have been commissioned to. If they are not serving in a Commission, they are a ruling elder.
Yes, they may still be trained to be a CRE, but that title only stands while they are serving a Commission. It is also important to note that a CRE's commission extends only to the permissions given to them by the Presbytery. For example, a CRE who has been commissioned to First church cannot go to Second church to administer the Sacraments.
Sometimes the Presbytery is asked to remove elders who are no longer serving on Session. Elders are not removed from any list when they are not serving at the Presbytery level. Elders are only removed from roles if a disciplinary case has found them guilty, and this is the censure. If this is the case, or the question that is being asked, please contact me, the Stated Clerk!
