Presbyterian

We get the name “Presbyterian” from the Bible. When we turn to the Greek Bible, we find a word (Presbuteros) that occurs about sixty times in the New Testament, with a similar Hebrew word occuring about one hundred times in the Old Testament; this word, when pronounced in Greek, sounds much like the word Presbyterian. It is from this word that we get our name. It means “elder.” A Presbyterian Church is a church with a representative form of government by elders elected by the people. We have an ascending order of governing bodies, from that representing a particular congregation to the General Assembly, representing the national Presbyterian Church. This Presbyterian system of government is unique among other denominations.

The Session

The session is made up of the Pastor (moderator) plus the elders in active service. Bethel has fifteen active elders divided into three “classes.” Five are elected each year to replace five whose term has expired. Once ordained, one is always an elder – either active or inactive. The session has authority over all organizations within the local church.

The Presbytery

Bethel belongs to the Presbytery of East Tennessee (PET). PET is composed of eighty churches in the Knoxville, Sevierville, Gatlinburg, Chattanooga, LaFollette, and Fairfield Glade areas. The ministers of the local churches and one or more active elders from each church make up the presbytery membership. The presbytery serves as a planning and coordinating agency for programs too extensive to be conducted by any one local church. The presbytery elects commissioners to our Synod and General Assembly. A few of the missions/ministries supported by our presbytery include Bachman Academy, Newton Center, campus ministries, Sunset Gap Community Center, Morgan Scott Project, 2 Cents a Meal hunger grants, John Knox Center, etc.

The Synod

Our Synod of Living Waters is composed of twelve Presbyteries, the Presbytery of East Tennessee being one. The area represented by our synod is all of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Synod Mission programs, including cooperative work with other denominations on this level, strengthens the life of the whole church in a state or region. Living Waters’ missions include partnerships in campus ministry, racial ethnic ministry, new church development and redevelopment, and communication.

The General Assembly

Sixteen synods are represented at our General Assembly. Our national and world-wide missions are accomplished on behalf of the whole church by General Assembly agencies. Some of these missions are: health care and education for people in poorly developed areas of our own country and overseas, agricultural assistance to people in places where hunger is endemic, ministries to military personnel, emergency aid to victims of war and natural disasters, translation and world-wide distribution of the scriptures and support of the eleven seminaries in our country.