Congregational Conflict and Crisis Team

The Congregational Conflict and Crisis Team serves as pastor and counselor to all Pastors and Commissioned Ruling Elders serving our congregations, facilitates relationships between congregations and Pastors/Commissioned Ruling Elders, counsels with sessions as invited concerning reported or observed difficulties within a congregation, including: (1) advising the session as to appropriate actions to be taken to resolve the reported difficulties, (2) offering to help as a mediator, and (3) acting to correct the difficulties if requested to do so by the session or if the session is unable or unwilling to do so, following the procedural safeguards of the Church Discipline section of the Book of Order.

This Team may recommend to the Presbytery the appointment of administrative commissions to assume original jurisdiction in those highly conflicted situations in which it determines that a session is not properly exercising its authority.

Members of the Congregational Conflict and Crisis Team will be equipped in family systems theory, conflict identification/management strategies, and other relevant practices. This Team will be appointed by Presbytery Planning Commission for 1-3 year terms.

Team Members

Moderator
Teaching Elder David Oliver-Holder
First Presbyterian Church of Urbana
david@firstpresurbana.org

Teaching Elder Cathy Allen
Philo Presbyterian Church
cenisgnallen@gmail.com

Ruling Elder DeAna Manns
First United Presbyterian Church of Centralia
deanaamanns@gmail.com

Ruling Elder Elaine Lassner
First Presbyterian Church of Eldorado
elassner@hotmail.com

Teaching Elder Laurie Fields
First Presbyterian Church of Harrisburg
pastor@harrisburgpresbyterian.org

Ruling Elder Lynn Neal
Commissioned Ruling Elder
brilyn55.ln@gmail.com

Ex Officio
Ruling Elder Dr. Rebecca Blair
Lead Presbyter for Transformation and Stated Clerk
statedclerk@gmail.com