Having grown to the point of financial independence, having begun receiving members of its own, and having begun training our own leaders, The City’s Gate is getting ready to start this process of particularization.  This process has several phases.

The first step in the particularization process is one we have been doing for some time:  receiving members.  At the time of particularization, the church membership is handed the responsibility of choosing its own leaders.  Membership in the church—important for many theological and practical reasons—is the vehicle through which a person is able to participate in this all-important selection of leaders.  The church will need to select both its elders and its pastors at this time.  If you’ve been considering membership, don’t delay in scheduling an interview with the elders, so that you are received as a member before these important decisions are made.

At a congregational meeting during January, the members will vote to petition Presbytery to make The City’s Gate a particular church.  If the petition is approved by the church, and if Presbytery concurs, a commission of elders from Presbyterian churches in our area will be established to oversee and walk us through the process.  At this same congregational meeting, or one held later, the Provisional Session (the current elders) will recommend to the congregation what the size of the Session ought to be (currently three Ruling Elders and one Teaching Elder).  The congregation will decide how many elders will serve on their Session.

The congregation will also have the opportunity to nominate qualified candidates for the office of Elder.  Our church is blessed to have four ordained Elders and one additional person already in training.  Additional nominations will be reviewed by the Provisional Session and their qualifications ascertained.  The commission, appointed by Presbytery, will examine all qualified nominees, who have completed the training for Elder.  When approved, candidates will stand for election by the congregation.  Those elected will be ordained and installed on the day the church is particularized.

The church will also have to call a Pastor.  At a congregational meeting, nominations from the church membership will be received to stand for election as a Pastoral Search Committee.  This committee will select a chairperson, review the pastoral needs of the church, solicit applications for Pastor, interview candidates for Pastor, and recommend a candidate to the Session.  If approved by the Session, the candidate will meet with the congregation.  After meeting the candidate, the congregation will vote whether to call him as their Pastor.  The call will be forwarded to the Presbytery commission, and on their concurrence, the church will hire the Pastor.  He usually is installed on the day the church is particularized.

The congregation will also have to vote to adopt a constitution, and to incorporate the church as a religious entity recognized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

* Since all of the procedures above must be completed before 
the May 19, 2001 meeting of Presbytery,  the schedule is likely to shake out like this: (click here to view probable schedule)

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