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Welcome
to the web site of the Synod of Living Waters, a mission arm and
governing body of the Presbyterian
Church (USA). We serve 12 presbyteries in the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Our
mission is to witness to Jesus Christ in partnership with our presbyteries,
their 753 congregations and the General Assembly of the PC(USA).
The
Peace of Christ be with you.
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 Presbytery
of Western Kentucky |
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The Presbytery of Western Kentucky is 36 churches and almost 4000 Presbyterians who are located in the 39 counties of Western Kentucky and, of course, that one lonely church in the very north side of Clarksville, Tennessee, right across the border!
The Presbytery Office is located adjacent to Highland Presbyterian Church in Hopkinsville, KY. We are a small, but very user-friendly office. Please feel free to call Lisa Troutman, our Administrative Assistant, for any question about the life and work of the Presbytery. You may reach her at 270.886.1279 or at lisat@newwavecomm.net.
The one other important person who keeps the Western Kentucky Presbytery informed is the VOICE editor, Willee Cooper. She can be reached, for information or to provide story information, at 270.886.1565 or willee@newwavecomm.net.
Commissioned Lay Pastors (CLP)
One of the most critical ministries of the Western Kentucky Presbytery is the Diploma School and the Commissioned Lay Pastor program. Since its beginning in the mid 90s, the Diploma School has graduated over 55 Elders for various ministries both within their own church and in service to the Presbytery as a CLP. We presently have twelve (12) Commissioned Lay Pastors serving thirteen (13) different churches throughout the Presbytery.
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The Reverend Doctor Ann Marie Montgomery (1st Presbyterian Church, Murray) is the Director, Diploma School and the liaison for all the Commissioned Lay Pastors in the Presbytery. Dr. Montgomery works closely with Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (www.LPTS.edu ) on the two-year Diploma School program which offers a certificate in Pastoral Ministry to graduates.
Upon graduation from the Diploma School elders are eligible to covenant with a particular church for ministry as a Commissioned Lay Pastor or to serve their own church in a greater capacity. The ministry is extremely important for a presbytery such as Western Kentucky with nineteen (19) churches under 50 members. Ongoing groups, “Guthrie Groups”, which meet bi-monthly, insure that the ongoing study by CLPs keeps them focused on ministry, both theologically and practically.
Over the past several years the CLP program has included some rather unique and ministry-stretching opportunities. We commissioned our first Prison Ministry Commissioned Lay Pastor at the August 2008 meeting of Presbytery. As an outreach of 1st Presbyterian Church, Madisonville, KY we commissioned Elder Pete Phelan to provide chaplain services for the Hopkins County (KY) prison. Pete is responsible for coordinating the entire ministry opportunities for the facility and, along with several other people from the Madisonville church (and a number of other churches in the community) the folks who are incarcerated have multiple worship and counseling opportunities.
We have one church (Mt. Zion, Central City, KY) that has Co-CLPs. David Dossett and Jim Brown serve the church of about 50 with a great deal of energy. While both were working and serving the church was never without great ministry support! We have one CLP working in a larger church (1st Madisonville) as a Christian Educator, we have one CLP who serves “Yoked” churches, and we have several Diploma School graduates who regularly fill pulpits around the presbytery.
Additional great news is that over the last 3 years we have had 2 “former” CLPs graduate from Seminary and be called to the church they served before they went to seminary! It is a special gift that a small church makes to the Presbytery, the individual, and the denomination when they encourage and “adopt” their CLP as a seminary student.
The 1st Presbyterian Church, Sturgis, KY and the 1st Presbyterian Church, Central City, KY have, in the last several years, helped to finance their CLP as they completed their studies for a Masters of Divinity and for ordination. With the approval of our Committee on Ministry both the Reverend Sharon Murray and the Reverend Archie Fugate were able to go to seminary and to work at the same church they served as a CLP at the same time. While both took some time away from the church to make sure that God’s call was certain, they both returned to the church that they served as a CLP. It is a great gift to the denomination that these small churches offer. We continue to encourage our CLPs to consider the option.
Campus Ministry
Finally, with colleges around the area beginning again we want to remind everyone about our ministry to Western Kentucky University through the Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green (www.bgpres.org) and at Murray State University through the 1st Presbyterian Church, Murray (270.743.6460). If you have young people attending these schools, please notify the churches in order for them to make contact with your student!
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