Structure of Leadership and Ministry:
God has a structure for His church. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the leader, or “head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23), and has given His church a mission:
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
-Matthew 28:19-20
Gashland Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), as part of God’s universal church, seeks to carry out this mission in the unique place and time He has placed us. The following structure falls under the leadership of Jesus Christ Himself.
The Session
God gives further direction to His leadership structure through an office in the church known as “Elder.” The elders together create a team called “The Session.” The Session is responsible for the primary leadership and oversight of the church. In the Bible, elders are specifically responsible for two items:
1) The Ministry of the Word
2) Prayer
There are four ministry teams that seek to oversee the ministry of the Word. Those teams form the acronym W.O.R.D., which stands for Worship, Outreach, Relationships, and Discipleship. There is a fifth team, the Coordinating Team, that oversees other duties assigned to the elders by our denomination, the EPC.
For more specific information on each team and their respective leaders, click on the team title below.
Worship Team
The Worship Team’s primary responsibility is to facilitate and implement biblically based, Christ-centered worship services. These services are focused on God’s redemptive work for sinful people through the death and resurrection of God the Son – Jesus Christ!
Current Elders:
Ritchey Cable, Jeff VanDerWeele, & Derek Williams
Outreach Team
The Outreach team plans and oversees GEPC’s ministries that focus on bringing the power and hope of the Gospel to a lost and broken world. They manage outreach events of the church as well as the missionaries Gashland supports.
Current Elders:
Michael Morefield, Mike Zachary, & Aaron Kleinmeyer
Relationships Team
The Relationships team initiates and oversees the various ministries that foster loving relationships among the members of GEPC. It also functions to encourage the Session and individual members to grow in relationship with one another.
Current Elders:
Michael Morefield & Mark Blakley
Discipleship Team
The Discipleship Team provides leadership, perspective, and oversight for all Christian education ministries. The Discipleship Team encourages spiritual growth and development, based out of Matthew 28:20, committing to “teaching these new disciples to obey all the commands I [Jesus] have given you.”
Current Elders:
Michael Morefield & Peter Marshall
Coordinating Team
The Coordinating Team provides oversight and facilitates the functioning of the body, members, and staff, in accordance with the Holy Scriptures, the EPC Book of Order, and Book of Government through service to the glory of the Almighty God.
Current Elders:
Ritchey Cable, Ron Wilson, Dennis King, & Chris Taylor
Elder Class Structure:
Class of 2021:
Aaron Kleinmeyer
Jeff Vander Weele
Derek Williams
Class of 2022:
Tom Clapham
Ron Wilson
Mike Zachary
Class of 2023:
Don Vande Polder
Dallas Reeve
Mark Lancaster
The Deacons:
In Acts chapter 6, the office of Deacon falls under the umbrella of leadership of the Session. The Deacons are an office of service, and seek to manage the material items of the church as well as help in the areas of mercy and benevolence within the church and the surrounding community. The four teams listed below oversee these aspects of ministry. Finance and Property oversee the material items of the church, while Mercy and Helps serve and meet other needs.
Mercy Team
The Mercy Team provides help and care for the sick, elderly, and those in need within Gashland EPC. It also assists with walk-in requests and catastrophic situations outside of Gashland.
Current Deacons:
Mary Lancaster, Pam Parker, & Wes Langford
Property Team
The Property Team seeks to keep the property functional and operational, and maintain the integrity of the building so that the ministries of the church can go forward unhindered.
Current Deacon:
Rob Stegeman
Helps Team
The Helps Team serves Gashland by presenting a warm welcome on Sunday mornings, as well as working with the above Session teams to help serve any ministry event needs.
Current Deacons:
Marion Lynn, Debbie Ellison, & Ishi Stackpole
Finance Team
The Finance Team records and reports the financial resources of the church. They also seek to give the Session financial information that is important for the church to carry out Gashland’s ministry vision.
Current Deacons:
Jim Lorenzetti & Larry Anderson
Deacon Class Structure:
Class of 2021:
Jim Lorenzetti
Marion Lynn
Rob Stegeman
Class of 2022:
Larry Anderson
Mary Lancaster
Wes Langford
Class of 2023:
Debbie Failing
Diane Fry
Barry Cooper