Special Synod Commission Meeting Actions
The Synod Mission and Ministries Commission held a special called meeting on December 17, 2021, to close out business for the year. The following actions were taken.
Based on data from various sources including the U.S. government, the Personnel Team and Administrative Working Group recommend a 5.9% cost of living adjustment for the staff for 2022. The Commission voted to approve this recommendation.
The commission voted to add the following people to the Committee on Representation (COR) and on the Personnel Team.
Committee on Representation (COR)
Elder Carla “Wandering Spirit Woman” Alexander
Hudson River Presbytery
Carla is a member of the Ramapough Lenape Nation of New York and New Jersey. She is an Elder, Clan Mother, Mentor, Teacher, Mother, Grandmother, Auntie, Sister, Daughter and an Elder at Brook Presbyterian Church, the Historical Native American Church founded by her Great, Great Grandfather Samuel DeFreese, Sr. Carla is lead on the Native American Ministry at Brook Presbyterian Church and liaison between the Ramapough Lenape Nation and Brook Presbyterian Church. She was raised in both her Native traditions as well as her family church Brook Presbyterian Church. Carla is walking this Red Road lead by Creator and their Ancestors in hopes of being a Bridge for their Children, Grandchildren and the Next 7 Generations. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with credits in Native American Law from Huron University Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Elder Denyse Leslie
Presbytery of the Coastlands
Denyse is a long-time member and ruling elder of Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church of Princeton NJ. Her Session assignments have included Clerk of Session and Officer of the Witherspoon Church Corporation, Chair and member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and member of the Finance Committee. She serves as the 2021 rotating facilitator of the Nassau Presbyterian Church (NPC) - Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church (WSPC) Joint Mission Partnership. As a member, Denyse co-founded Bending the Moral Arc, Continuing Conversation project which is an important continuation of her racial justice work. She serves as Board Vice President and Managing Director of the Paul Robeson House of Princeton which has as its mission to promote social justice consistent with the values and actions of Princeton’s native son, Paul Robeson. She serves on the CASA Children of Mercer and Burlington Counties Board.
Rev. Jenny Lee
Presbytery of the Coastlands
Jenny currently serves as a member of the Interim Board of Trustees of the Presbytery of Coastlands. For three years she has served as Moderator for the Presbyterian Women, Inc. in the PC(USA). Until the reorganization of presbyteries in New Jersey, Jenny served as a member of the Synod Mission and Ministry Commission as a representative from the Presbytery of New Brunswick. She was active with the Administrative Working Group. Jenny has been ordained as Deacon, Ruling Elder and Teaching Elder. She is the Executive Director of Women Together, Inc. in Cranbury, NJ and is a long-time member of the Interfaith Religious Leaders Group in West Windsor, NJ.
Elder Dan Krymkowski
Presbytery of Northern New England
Dan is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Barre, Vermont. He serves as their organist, is on Session, and serves on two committees of the Presbytery of Northern New England: the Committee on Representation and an ad hoc committee to develop a training policy for the Presbytery on dismantling racism. Dan is Professor of Sociology at the University of Vermont and has spent his entire career studying social inequality. Early this year he published the book: The Color of Culture: African American Underrepresentation in the Fine Arts and Outdoor Recreation.
Personnel Team
Rev. Patricia Baker
Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey
Pat has over 10 years of human resources experience in the financial industry specializing in performance management, compensation, policy and procedure interpretation, process management and much more. Currently, she is serving on the Personnel Committee at Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church as well as the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey.
Her skills include recruiting staff, conducting performance reviews, and creating a policy and procedure manual on child protection.
Overture Working Group
The synod is once again planning to present to the General Assembly an overture that would amend the Form of Government to enable sessions to ordain ruling elders serve, not on the local session, but at higher levels of the church. The working group is strengthening the rationale. We are embracing the change for the 21st century and embracing a new way of being church. The Committee voted to ratify the Leadership Team's nomination of members of the working group for this overture: Rev. David Baer, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Southern New England; Elder Lisa Baker, Presbytery of Southern New England; Elder Samantha Brewer, Albany Presbytery; Rev. Karen Castro-Rodriguez, Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey; Rev. Leslie Latham, Presbytery of Western New York; Elder Jenny Lee, Presbytery of the Coastlands; Rev. Eric Thomas, Presbytery of New York City and Rev. Carl Wilton, Presbytery of the Highlands of New Jersey.
Interest-free Loans
After voting to use the term "interest-free," the Committee voted to expand the purpose of interest free loans to presbyteries to include funds for churches that need legal assistance related to abuse cases. Presbyteries may apply for a sum up to 100K using the application developed for Covid-19 assistance.
2022 dates for Synod Commission and Synod Assembly meetings:
Commission Stated Meeting- January 28-29, 2022
Commission Stated Meeting - April 29-30, 2022
Commission Stated Meeting- September 16-17, 2022
Synod Assembly: October 20, 2022 --
Pre-Assembly EventOctober 21-22, 2022