We are growing the faith of the whole family of God: inwardly strong, outwardly focused.
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Leadership and Governance
Markham
Woods Presbyterian Church is governed by the constitution of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.), which consists of two parts: the Book of Confessions and the Book of Order. The latter provides for three groups of leaders
(broadly called “ordered ministries”) to help oversee the work of the church:
deacons, ruling elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament (also called
teaching elders). A Presbyterian church is governed according to the pattern of
elders (Greek: presbyter) seen in the Old and New Testaments.
Ministers of Word and Sacrament
Ministers
teach the faith and equip congregations for the work of ministry. They also
provide pastoral care and steward the mysteries of God through celebration of
the sacraments of baptism and The Lord’s Supper.
With ruling
elders, ministers serve as presbyters working together to discern the
will of Christ for higher councils in the church called presbyteries, synods,
and the General Assembly.
Ruling
Elders
The ordered
ministry of ruling elder is a distinctive mark of Presbyterianism. Like deacons
and ministers, they are ordained. They take part in local leadership,
government, and spiritual discernment at all levels. These Biblically qualified
elders are elected from the church family and, along with ministers, lead the
church corporately.
At Markham
Woods and every other Presbyterian church, ruling elders join with the
ministers in a church council called the Session. Each ruling elder serves a
three-year term. They retain their ordination even when not actively serving on
the Session.
Deacons
The Board
of Deacons is made up of individuals who are
responsible for the care and nurture of the church family. Deacons are
identified in the Bible as people called to sympathy, witness and
service after the example of Jesus Christ and actively serve the church
family for three years.
Ordered
ministry of deacon is important to the ongoing relationships and community in the life of
our church family. Deacons visit the sick, hospitalized and homebound,
and offer communion. They are present at regular worship services and
memorial services to offer care and to pray for those in need.
Prayer Request
Our Staff
We have a great staff,
in place to help our church family share the truth of the Gospel,
create an environment of worship, equip individuals to grow as disciples
and share ways to humbly serve those in need.
However, because we
work as a non-profit, many of our needs in the church cannot be met by
staff alone. We have dozens of teams of volunteers that help make the
church not only function but thrive. To learn more about how you can be a
part of one of our volunteer teams, continue exploring the website, or
contact the church office at church@mwpcusa.org or 407-333-2030.
Meet Our Staff
Our History
Markham
Woods Presbyterian Church has been in the heart of suburban Lake Mary
for almost 30 years, serving, teaching, and shaping lives. We started
way back when with only a small house on property, and have grown now to
a large piece of property on which we have built a beautiful sanctuary,
spacious fellowship hall, refurbished student center, brand new office
building, and brand new preschool. The Lord certainly provides!
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