Presbyterian congregations are governed by elders.
Teaching elders (ministers) are also known as Ministers of Word and Sacrament. Their name speaks to their primary roles — to equip the congregation to be the hands and feet of Christ and to preside over baptisms and the Lord’s Supper.
Ruling elders are not ministers, but they are elected by the congregation to be their spiritual leaders, along with the minister.
The St. Andrew’s congregation is overseen by a group of elders called a “session.” They are Mark Labadie (clerk of session), Sheila Eves, Cindy Brewer, Andrew Neely, Mark Richards, Julie Shaw and Bob Vriesema.
Both types of elders have the same ordination vows and the same voting rights in church courts. That’s one of the beauties of the Presbyterian style: the people have an equal voice as the minister. At meetings of Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly, there are equal numbers of teaching elders and ruling elders.