Church Leadership

Session Highlights, click here.

Staff

Jim Hodge came to St. Giles in August of 1998 and has quickly earned the love and respect of this congregation. Jim came to us with over 25 years of ministerial experience. Most recently, he served as Senior Pastor for 15 years at First Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland.

Jim places a high priority on leading members to find meaningful avenues of Christian service and witness. He believes that this is a journey we take together, learning from one another and being supported and encouraged by one another as Christ’s Spirit is allowed to live in our spirits.

Susannah DeBenedetto, Director of Christian Education	Susannah will have primary responsibility for resourcing programs with children, youth, and young adults at St. Giles. Susannah is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Eden Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky (a Presbyterian College). She has served UCC and Disciples of Christ congregations in the St. Louis area, a Presbyterian church in Moline Acres, Missouri, and a UCC church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The DCE search committee found Susannah's qualities readily apparent, and was impressed with her experience and skill in the very areas in which we are seeking staff support.
Joan Joslyn, Church Secretary	Joan came to St. Giles in December, 1998 after serving as church secretary at Westminster Pres. Church in Raleigh for eight years. Joan enjoys gardening, a variety of crafts, and spending time with her dog & 3 cats.
Carol Hodge, Choir Director	Carol has a BS in music Education and Masters Church Music, and has 25 years of experience working with Pres. Church choirs. She is a member of PAM (Pres. Association of Musicians) and feels that her ‘job’ as music director is a ministry and tries to be an inspiration to the people with whom she is working by showing them that music with commitment can be an exciting part of worship.
Gerald Longoria, Contemporary Worship Artistic Coordinator	We welcome Gerald A. Longoria to our staff as Contemporary Worship Artistic Coordinator. Gerald and his family are a wonderful addition to our Saint Giles family, and his leadership of our E.P.I.C. Praise Team has been exciting and Spirit-filled. Gerald and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Justin and Bryson, and two daughters, Jessica and Elisa.
Joanna Baitinger, Organist	Joanna received her Bachelor of Arts in music, and has been playing church organ music since she was 16. She has been at St. Giles since 1985. Joanna works full time in the accounting field, but finds additional time to share her organ and piano expertise with the choirs and congregation at St. Giles.

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St. Giles Presbyterian Church

2009-2010 Session

Clerk’s Ministry Team

Clerk of Session: Dave Buchanan

Assistant Clerk: tba

Long-Range Planning & Monitoring Ministry Team: Larry Watson

Education & Nurture Ministry Team

Chair: Leslie Pressel

Adult Education Ministry: Cyndi Bunn

Children’s Ministry: Rita Hart

Youth Ministry: Dan Grassi

Worship Ministry: Jennifer Gospodarek

Congregational Life Ministry Team

Chair: John Hawes

Membership Ministry: Carolyn Knaup

Congregational Care Teams: Jean Smith

Young Adult/Family Ministry: Ouida Myers

Senior Adult Ministry: Johanita Lourens

Fellowship Ministry: Rex Taylor

Facilities & Administration Ministry Team

Chair: Andy Overstreet

Administration & Staff: Duffy Heath

Finance: Andy Overstreet

Property: Matt Hellgeth

Property: Matt Morgan

Mission & Interpretation Ministry Team

Chair: Bob Lindsay

After School Tutoring Ministry: Peg Forster

Mission Outreach: Sara Slade

Stewardship: Scott Vollmer

Youth Representative: Heather Grassi

Session Highlights

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The Session is the governing body of the local congregation in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Our Session is organized into five Ministry Teams. The Session as a whole seeks to discern God’s will for Saint Giles, and to imagine creative ways to give life to that vision. As the Apostle Paul suggests, they "equip the saints [St. Giles’ members] to do the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." Members of the Session are always anxious for you to share your visions and dreams for St. Giles with them, and to engage you, "the saints," in our mutual ministry. Here are some highlights from our February meeting:

The meeting opened with a devotion and prayer led by Elder Taylor

Finance Ministry Team

• Session VOTED to adopt a resolution to designate unexpended funds from the Organ Fund, that project having been fully subscribed.

• Session VOTED to adopt as policy the approval of the following uses for the Building Fund:

1) New construction and additions to the campus

2) Significant repairs such as furnace replacement, roof replacement, and other major improvements.

Property Ministry Team

• Session VOTED to seek an outside contractor to install a new piece of playground equipment, requiring certificates of liability to be on file.

Session received written and verbal reports from the Children’s Ministry Team, the After School Tutoring Ministry Team, and the Education and Nurture Ministry Team.

Administration and Staff Ministry Team

• Session received for information the report of the Transition Committee, and will discuss it in March.

Clerk’s Ministry Team

• Minutes of the following meetings were approved:

January 18 stated meeting

January 24 Annual Congregational meeting

February 7 8:45 meeting

February 7 10:45 meeting

• An email poll was confirmed, noting that the offering from the Presbytery meeting will be designated to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and ear-marked for Haiti.

Session elected Elder Buchanan to be the commissioner to the February 20 Presbytery meeting, and approved Elders Smith and Forster to serve communion at that meeting.

Session continued its study of the book, Strategic Leadership for a Change, by Kenneth J. McFayden.

The meeting adjourned with prayer at about 8:45 pm.