Presbyterian Church
Grace Covenant is a congregation of the Presbytery of the James in the Synod of the Mid-Atlantic of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Part of the Reformed tradition, the PC(USA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the United States, established by the 1983 merger of the Presbyterian Church in the United States with the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. The constitution of the PC(USA) consists of the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order.
The great ends of the Church are:
the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
the maintenance of divine worship;
the preservation of the truth;
the promotion of social righteousness; and
the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.
Leadership in Presbyterian Church
Leadership in the Presbyterian Church is housed neither solely in an individual nor in the congregation as a whole but is instead representative in nature. The session and the board of deacons constitute the main leadership bodies in the Presbyterian Church and together are responsible for leading the congregation in its faith, life, worship, and mission.
The session is the main governing body of the church and consists of elected leaders called elders. There are two kinds of elders that serve together on the session: teaching elders (ministers responsible for preaching the gospel) and ruling elders (guiding church members who are not ministers). They together are responsible for the faith, life, mission, and government of the church. Among other responsibilities, the session prays with and for the members and ministers of the church, receives new members, approves the administration of baptism and of the Lord’s Supper, provides for all our worship services, sets the budget, and oversees our educational programs, mission work, and outreach.
The word deacon comes from the Bible and means servant. Throughout its history the Christian Church has recognized some of its members as especially gifted to serve others and has appointed people to serve as deacons. Here at Grace Covenant deacons are elected and organized into a board of deacons. Together they are responsible for leading the congregation in ministries of sympathy and compassion. Our deacons offer congregational care and assistance during times of special need, pray for our members and friends, usher for all worship services, receive the offerings and gifts of the people during worship, care for our college and graduate school students, visit and take flowers to our hospitalized or at-home members, assist with funerals, administer the Deacons’ Fund, and more.
We are also led by a dedicated staff that works hard to ensure that our congregation continues to grow in the faith and serve others in love.