First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Tacoma, Washington, is congregationally governed. We are part of the denomination of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) but each church is responsible for the spiritual aspects and operational decisions of their own congregation. As such, the leaders of the church play a very important role in the life of our congregation. In October, at our annual congregational meeting, officers are elected to serve for the upcoming church year which begins in January and runs through December. Below is the description of the responsibilities for each of our officers and the person who currently fills that position.
MODERATOR - Jim Lauderdale
The Moderator presides over all General Board and congregational
meetings. The Moderator is the executive officer of this
congregation and has overall responsibility for all areas of church
life.
VICE MODERATOR - Rich Eltrich
The Vice Moderator assumes the responsibilities of the Moderator in case
of absence and works closely with the Moderator. The Vice
Moderator coordinates and supervises the work of the various program
divisions.
SECRETARY - Sue Simpson
The Secretary takes all minutes for General Board and congregational
meetings; the Secretary gives the finished copies to the Church Office
so they can be distributed in a timely fashion. The Secretary
keeps copies of all official records of the meetings.
TREASURER - Sue Brabham
The Treasurer supervises the payment of all bills as approved by the
congregation and the Board. Monthly financial statements are
presented to the Board, detailing the expenditures and receipts of all
monies in all church accounts. The Treasurer turns all the
financial records over to the Auditor on a quarterly basis for review.
AUDITOR - Sharon Bennett
The Auditor makes sure there is a proper and adequate bookkeeping system
for the church, making recommendations when needed. The Auditor
makes quarterly audit reports of all the financial records of the church
and annual audits of its organizations (such as Disciples Women's
Ministries). The audit is presented to the General Board for
review.
FINANCIAL SECRETARY - Vicky
Carlson, Judy Lauderdale
The Financial Secretary is responsible for the making of the weekly bank
deposits of the money that is received. The Financial Secretary
also keeps track of the individual giving records and prepares quarterly
statements that are mailed out to the donors.
TRUSTEES - Jim Treece (Chair)
The Trustees are the legal agents of the church regarding property,
assets, and other valuables of the church. They follow the
accepted policies and the direction of the congregation, in consultation
with the pastor. The Chair of the Trustees is responsible for the
care and safekeeping of all church deeds, titles, and other important
papers of the church. The Trustees meet at least once a quarter.
ELDERS - Tim Payne (Chair),
Nelwyn Brady (Vice Chair)
The Elders are responsible for the spiritual life of the congregation.
They serve at the Lord's Table on Sunday morning and special services;
they make visits to those who can't be with us, taking communion to
those who would like it. They also are responsible for the Prayer
Vigil and the Maundy Thursday Service. Elders work with a Pastoral
Relations Committee that serves as a liaison between the congregation
and the pastors. The Elders are responsible for evaluation of the
pastoral staff and making salary recommendations to the budget
committee. They are to participate in all areas of church life.
DIACONATE - Rick Lewis (Chair),
Patrick McDaniels (Vice Chair)
The Diaconate members serve in worship on Sunday mornings and special
services. They are responsible for receiving the offering and
distributing the Lord's Supper to the congregation. In addition,
they are called upon to help in other things such as: visiting the
shut-ins with the elders, helping with baptisms, distributing the Giving
Tree gifts and Thanksgiving baskets to local families. They are to
be supportive and participate in all areas of church life.
MEMBERS AT LARGE TO THE CHURCH
BOARD - Paul Brostrom, Karrin Lewis, Arthur Reese, Lori Rhoads
The Members-at-Large to the Church Board do not represent any specific
group, but the congregation as a whole. In addition to attending
the monthly General Board meetings, they are expected to take active
leadership and participating roles in the programs of the church.
MEMBERS AT LARGE TO THE
NOMINATING COMMITTEE - Lenora Cook, Bob Dippert, Mary Johnson, Angie
Melton
The responsibility of the Nominating Committee is to meet with the Chair
of the Elders and Diaconate and consider the names of people to be
placed on the ballot for the church officers. They meet before the
annual meeting to get the slate of officers ready but may also have to
meet during other times of the year to fill vacancies if they arise.
CONGREGATIONAL LIFE - Pam
McDaniels, Julie Shaw (Co-Chairs)
This division is responsible for all areas relating to church members,
including: new member development; fellowship opportunities for
the entire congregation; programs and activities relating to the worship
and spiritual life of the congregation. Responsibilities include
worship and special services (scripture readers, greeters, etc.), Eat &
Greet meals, Harvest Dinner, fellowship times.
EDUCATION - position to be filled
It is responsible for the educational needs of all ages within the
church. This division oversees the Sunday School classes and their
programs, Children's Church, and Vacation Bible School. They
evaluate curriculum for the classes and other special programs.
The Education Division works closely with the Associate Pastor in
planning events and activities for the church year.
RESOURCES - William Kling
(Co-Chair), other position to be filled
The Resource Division oversees all the resources of the congregation,
both physical and financial. It oversees the grounds and buildings
and ensures that they are being properly maintained and that needed
repairs are made. It is responsible for the preparation and
presentation of the proposed budget to the General Board and the
congregation. The stewardship campaign is under this division's
responsibility. In addition, the Resource Division oversees
personnel issues (with the exception of the pastoral staff) including
the hiring of employees and salary adjustments.
SERVICE- Faye Peebles (Chair)
The Service Division is responsible for all outreach / mission events
and emphases of the church. It is the sponsoring group for things
such as the Giving Tree, Thanksgiving baskets, H.U.G.S. for the
Homeless, Pierce County Hunger Walk, etc.