Session is calling for an election of Elders and Deacons to be held on Sunday, 28 May 2023. Those elected will serve a three-year term from 1 July 2023.
ORPC members are entitled to nominate other ORPC members who have been serving faithfully in ORPC and demonstrated leadership qualities, for election as Elders or Deacons.
The closing date for nominations is Sunday, 16 April 2023.
All completed nomination forms must be submitted, for the attention of the Session Clerk, to the English Congregation Executive (yongpingping@orpc.org.sg)
Elders and Deacons are voluntary office bearers in the Congregation. They join the pastoral staff in pastoral leadership and oversight, oversee the management of ORPC, assist in the administration of ORPC and in all matters concerning the building- up and growth of ORPC.
Elders serve primarily in Session and may also be appointed to the Board of Management (BoM). Session is the final decision-making body in ORPC and has particular responsibility for the spiritual mission and growth of ORPC.
Deacons serve in the BoM and have particular responsibility for the pastoral care of God’s people and for managing the material resources of ORPC to serve its spiritual mission.
- Elders and Deacons must meet the biblical qualifications according to 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9.
- Nominees must be communicant members of ORPC for more than three years.
- All nominees are expected to have served in at least one area of ministry in ORPC for a minimum period of one year prior to being nominated.
- Elders must have served for at least one term of three years as a Deacon.
- Spouses of Elders and Deacons must also be communicant members of ORPC. Divorcees and those with previously-divorced spouses do not qualify for nomination.
- Elders and Deacons must assent to the basic creeds and confessions of the Presbyterian Church, the Apostles’ Creed, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Constitution of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Singapore and the Constitution of ORPC.
- Elders and Deacons must attend regular Session/BoM meetings, congregational monthly prayer meetings, ministry/committee meetings as assigned, leaders’ retreats, annual and extraordinary congregational meetings. They must also share in pastoral visitation and undertake other duties relevant to their office and other assigned responsibilities as decided from time to time.
Elders and Deacons must be proposed and seconded by other communicant members of ORPC.
A member who wants to nominate another member should first check the eligibility of that other member (please see above) before making any nomination.
The proposer needs a seconder for the nomination. After both the proposer and the seconder have signed the nomination form, the nominee must sign the form to confirm his/her consent to the nomination.
- Session will interview all candidates with their spouses (if any).
- Those who qualify and are deemed to be suitable nominees will be recommended and announced to the congregation on three Sundays (7, 14, 21 May 2023) prior to the election date.
- To be duly elected, candidates must receive at least (a) two-thirds of the votes cast for Elders and (b) half of the votes cast for Deacons.
