The Ministers of the Church

 

As a church body, we are all part of the work of the ministry. Our formal church leadership is composed of an elected Church Council: Elders, Deacons, and Trustees with the Pastor and Youth Director participating in an advisory capacity.

 

Beyond the formal Church Council, there are task-specific committees to see that the various works of the church are completed well. These committees include Worship, Sunday School, Missions, Outreach and Evangelism, the Church Library, etc... There are also praise teams, work teams, custodial teams, and a team of Sunday School teachers.

 

Then, and most importantly, come our members. One person can only be in one place at one time; two people in two places, etc... Yet, when the church of Christ is mobilized, prayerfully living out their lives in faith and empowered by the Holy Spirit, the witness of Christ can be spread throughout the community in an effective way.

 

If someone asks us, "Where is Burry's Church?" our response should begin with a question: "What day is it?" If it is Sunday Morning, we will say, "It is on Route 68 on top of Muller's Hill next to Young's Custard Stand and across the street from Palmer’s Nursery." If it is Monday morning, our answer will be: "Working on the Weil farm or at Westinghouse in Cranberry; working at Young's Automotive or selling produce with the Harley's at the Farmer's Market…; working at one of several area schools or being a student therein..." In other words, wherever our membership is; there too is the church.

 

There are also several members of the church body that have been set apart and employed as paid staff so that their efforts can be fully focused on the work of pastoral ministry and leadership. The word “pastor” simply means “shepherd,” thus the “Pastoral Staff” of the church is set apart with the responsibility of shepherding the congregation through the ups and downs of life to the end of equipping the whole body of Christ for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16).