No matter what day it is, when you drive by, there are cars parked at various places in front of the church. If you get out and come in, there is a flurry of activity going on as members (or other Presbytery members) come in and out enthusiastically carrying out their particular mission to make life in some part of the world (including our Valley and our Church) a little better in God’s name.  Almost everything that goes on in our church is MISSION, with a capital M, and that includes our staff, who go about their work of helping the members of the church be the missionaries which we all are. 
      Because our church is about mission, the staff is a major part in implementing the wheel of activity as it goes around.   Sometimes the wheel is lubricated so that it spins with a happy whir, and sometimes the wheel squeaks and whines as it turns with resistance--but the staff is still enabling our congregation to reach out to each other and to those near and far.

Ministerial Staff
 

Office Staff

Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee is responsible to the Session for recommending
  and carrying out personnel policies as they pertain to ministerial, program,
  and support staff, and for providing support to that staff as they are
  involved in the ministry of this church. Though there are challenges in
  carrying out the purposes stated below, the support of  this remarkable, 
  dedicated, and gifted staff is truly a joy, and the committee members are
  blessed to be a part of the Personnel Committee.

More specifically,  the Personnel Committee: 

•      serves as a confidential support group for our pastors and other staff 

       through prayer, encouragement, listening, and honest communication

•      initiates and is available for consultation with each staff member

       for the purpose of hearing suggestions

•       encourages staff to set both professional and personal goals

•       provides a means for addressing relevant employment issues

•       considers Black Mountain Presbyterian Church’s mission statement

       as it relates to each staff member. 

Finance Committee 

In the organizational structure of the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church most of the responsibilities regarding the collecting, disbursement, and administration of monies of the church are performed by a Finance Committee elected annually and responsible to the Session. The daily functions as listed above are carried out by a paid staff employee—the financial secretary.  In addition, a Treasurer is also elected and is a member of the Committee. Ideally, the accounting and disbursement functions are overseen by the Committee, while the collection and safe guarding of monies is the duty of the Treasurer and his (her) volunteers.   

The Session

  The Session consists of twelve elders who govern all aspects of the churchin its ministry and mission.  Each elder is elected by the congregation for a three-year term and serves in one of three classes of four elders.
      These elders exercise leadership, government, and discipline and have responsibilities, individually and jointly, to strengthen, nurture, and encourage the faith and life of the congregation.  When elected as commissioners to higher governing bodies, elders participate and vote on behalf of our church. 
     The Session meets in a stated meeting once each month on the evening of the fourth Monday.  It handles all business matters of the church, and is the body to which committees submit reports, recommendations and requests.  Elders on the Session serve as chairs of the church’s primary committees, while various subcommittees are chaired by others. 
      An elder is expected to be a person of faith, dedication, and good judgment, and the elder’s life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel, both within and beyond the church.  Each elder commits to serve the congregation with energy, imagination, intelligence, and love.

 Class of 2009                        Class of 2010                         Class of 2011
 Samuel Baraki  (Miss.)      Ernie Banzhoff (W&M)      Leslie Carreiro  (Ed.)
 Jane Holt (Pers.)                  Gladys Brooks (Stew.)        Cal Chrisman (Fin.)
Jerone Herring (Fin.)          Carey Jo Elam (Evang.)      Gene Schimpf (Prop.)
Charlotte Sprawls (Nur.)   Florence Shelor                    Grace Stitt (Miss.)
 

The Diaconate

     Black Mountain Presbyterian Church has 24 Deacons who serve three-year terms with one-third rotating off each year. The membership of the Church is divided into 23 Clusters with 12 to 14 family units in each Cluster. In addition, we have one member who maintains contact with active Church members who live outside the limits of our area of visitation.  The Deacons meet together as a group every other month on the second Tuesday evening.
       The sole responsibility of the Diaconate is the care and nurture of the membership, which includes at least one visit each year.  Members who are homebound, in a nursing home or an assisted living facility are visited more often, some weekly. Hospital visits are a priority for Deacons and we have found that sitting with family members during a loved one’s surgery is often more important than later visits with the one having surgery. In addition to visits, the Deacons often remember their Cluster members on their birthdays and send them notes on other special occasions. 
       An important aspect of the Deacons' responsibilities is to serve as a conduit between the members and the ministerial staff.  In doing this we hope to keep lines of communication open and to enhance understanding.