INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMMISSIONERS
- Print and complete this form.
- List name of church and location (Example: Second, Richmond)
- Bring competed form with you to the Presbytery meeting on
RULING ELDER COMMISSIONERS AND VISITORS
COMPLETE FORM BELOW
My Name is:______P R I N T Y O U R N A M E H E R E
I am a member of ______Presbyterian Church
N A M E O F C H U R C H
My church is located in ______City/County
W H A T C I T Y , C O U N T Y O R T O W N
Place an “X” in the appropriate box below. Mark only one box.
Ruling Elder Commissioner (VOICE AND VOTE)/ Visitor(NO VOICE, NO VOTE)
GENERAL INFORMATION
Presbytery of the James
called meeting
August 11, 2015
Laurel Presbyterian Church
9675 Staples Mill Road
Glen Allen, VA 23060
Please bring this packet with you to the meeting or download it to your laptop.
At its earliest opportunity, each church is requested to put this packet in the hands of the Elder Commissioners representing their church.
Presbytery convenes promptly at 4:00 PM. Registration begins at 3:00 AM.
Registration will be heldinthe Sanctuary.
Persons with disabilities will find the main church is accessible.
Childcare will be available. Call the Presbytery office by Thursday, June 11, 2015 (804-262-2074) to register for childcare. No lunches for this meeting.
All ministers and sessions are reminded that written excuses are required for anticipated absences. Please plan to stay for the entire meeting and attend to all matters. Send excuses to
Rate by circling number on scale of 1-5: (1 = not acceptable and 5 = outstanding)
DOCKET
*Order of the Day
*4:00 Call to Order...... Moderator, Teaching Elder Nancy Summerlin, MAL
Welcome...... Teaching Elder Mark Sprowl, Laurel Church
- Committee on Ministry...... Ruling Elder Greg Govan, Cove
- That the following person be examined for ordination:
Candidate Brittany Jo Tamminga to become Associate Pastor at
The Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg
Adjournment
Closing Prayer...... Moderator, Teaching Elder, Nancy Summerlin, MAL
Professional ID10025096
Name:BRITTANY JO TAMMINGA
Phone:(760) 212-3139
Email:
Address:4039 Alder Drive
San Diego, CA 92116
Actively Seeking?Yes, Actively Seeking
Ecclesiastical Status:PC(USA) Candidate
Membership Presbytery:San Diego Presbytery
Candidacy Date:05/01/2012
Formal Education:Master of Divinity, May 2013
Princeton Theological Seminary
Bachelor of Arts, May 2010
California State University, Fullerton
Major: Religious Studies
Employment Type:Full-Time
Min. Effective Salary:$40,000 / Year
Position Types and
Experience level:Solo PastorFirst Ordained Call
Head of Staff (who supervised one teaching
Elder and other staff)First Ordained Call
Associate Pastor (Christian Education)First Ordained Call
Associate Pastor (Youth)First Ordained Call
Associate Pastor (Other)First Ordained Call
Pastor InterimFirst Ordained Call
Pastor (for a designated term)First Ordained Call
Pastor (Other Temporary i.e. Supply, Student)First Ordained Call
Co-PastorFirst Ordained Call
Pastor (For Such A Time As This
Pastoral Resident)First Ordained Call
Geographic Choices:Unlimited
Languages:English
Leadership Competencies:Compassionate
Hopeful
Preaching and Worship Leadership
Teacher
Communicator
Culturally Proficient
Strategy and Vision
Collaboration
Flexibility
Self-Differentiation
Training/Certification:Clinical Pastoral Education Training.
Clergy Couple?False
Past Experience:Director of youth and Children’s Ministries, Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ, San Diego, CA; 150 members; urban; 2014-Present
Clinical Pastoral Education Resident, VITAS—Innovative Hospice care, San Diego, CA; homecare; urban, suburban & rural; 2013-2014
Interim Director of Student Ministries, First Presbyterian Church Oceanside,
Oceanside, CA; 700 members; suburban; summer 2013
Seminary Intern specializing in Pastoral Care, Nassau Presbyterian Church,
Princeton, NJ; 1,200 members, suburban; 2012-2013
Clinical Pastoral Education Intern VITAS—Innovative Hospice Care,
San Diego, CA; Homecare; urban, suburban, & rural; Summer 2012
Seminary Intern, First Presbyterian Church Santa Ana, Santa Ana, CA;
300 members, urban; Summer 2011
Director of Student Ministries, First Presbyterian Church Oceanside, Oceanside CA; 700 members; suburban; 2006-2010
Other Services:Cabin Counselor, Pilgrim Pines Camp and Conference Center;
Yucaipa, CA; February 2015
Chair, Youth Sub-Committee; Pioneer Ocean View United Church of Christ,
San Diego, CA; 2014-Present
Member, Board of Christian Education; Pioneer Ocean view United Church of Christ, San Diego, CA; 2014-Present
Theological Student Advisory Delegate to 220th General Assembly,
Civil Unions and Marriage Issues Committee; Princeton Theological Seminary; Pittsburgh, PA; 2012
Stephen Minister; First Presbyterian Church Oceanside, Oceanside, CA;
2008-Present
Overnight Host, Interfaith Shelter; First Presbyterian Church of Oceanside;
Oceanside, CA; 2006-2010
Member, Youth Committee; First Presbyterian Church of Oceanside;
Oceanside, CA; 2006-2010.
Describe a moment in your recent ministry that you recognize as one of success and fulfillment.
A moment I recognize as one of success and fulfillment occurred following a recent preaching opportunity at my homechurch. I had been invited to preach on Christ the King Sunday and was led to two different criptural passages: 2Samuel 7, in which Nathan receives revelation regarding Christ’s kingdom, and John 18, which describes Jesus’exchange with Pilate. The sermon itself focused on the fact that God has promised and delivered to us a Messiah whoradically redefines the nature of kingship through charismatic power, thereby turning the idea of a “kingdom” upside down.The function of such a message was to call hearers to a renewed responsibility for the Kingdom of God, one that inspiresboth loyal worship and obedient action. The feedback I received following the service was overwhelming andawe-inspiring. Some shared of ways in which the sermon connected scripture and human history to their own personalexperiences, while others recounted how they had heard God speaking through me. I found that the feeling of success Ihad following that experience was rooted in the fact that I felt I had effectively ministered to God’s people. People left thatworship service feeling touched, inspired, and moved to action, but the feeling of fulfillment I had came from a whollydifferent place. I felt fulfilled because I knew that God had used me specifically. The experience, as a whole, increasedmy faith in my own calling, while others were able to hear Christ calling out to them.
Describe the ministry setting to which you believe God is calling you.
I was quite young when I first experienced God calling me to ministry and my call has progressively evolved over time.After graduating seminary, I returned home to San Diego, where my husband was stationed with the Navy. There, Godprovided me with continued education in the form of Clinical Pastoral Education and a non-ordained call to serve a UCCcongregation while my husband completed his military commitments and while we both waited for what was next. Wehave been planning to leave San Diego for some time, but God’s still, small voice said, “just wait.” It is my belief that thewaiting was not in vain; rather, it has been a time of preparation, both for myself and the congregation I am called toserve. Lately, God’s, “just wait,” has become a faint whisper and I have felt the pull of God’s Spirit telling me, “Get ready.”I believe God is calling me out from this place to serve in a context of a different sort. All my experiences in ministry, up tothis point, have functioned to prepare me for what God will ask of me next, which I believe will be to serve in amultigenerational, perhaps even multicultural, context; to become part of a community with a storied-history andpotential-filled future; and to help guide people from diverse backgrounds toward a shared vision inspired by the reality ofGod’s love for us and our love for others. Above all, I believe God is calling me to a flock that is willing to be a part ofGod’s creative work in their community and in the world.
What areas of growth have you identified in yourself?
I consider myself a perpetual work in progress. While I have many strengths that contribute toward my effective ministry, Ialso recognize I possess specific limitations; as a result, I have identified various areas in which personal growth isneeded. First and foremost, I see myself lacking confidence in my own pastoral identity. In my opinion, this sort ofconfidence is developed over time and, while I have made tremendous strides in this area so far through both myprofessional and seminary career, it is certainly a trait I aim to continue to cultivate. I believe a caring and supportivecongregation is key to this endeavor. A second area of growth I have identified for myself is in the area of confrontationand conflict. While I have had some experience with conflict resolution, it is not something I have dealt with on a regularbasis and, to be honest, conflict often causes me to feel uncomfortable. As a result, I find in myself, quite often, a naturaltendency to placate in an effort to appease. I tell others what I think they want to hear, rather than what they might needto hear in that moment. Most often, this trait causes me to offer premature reassurance. Also connected toward mytendency to placate is a tendency to problem solve; thus, I recognize the necessity that I be intentional in my listening andresponses to those in my care. While I consider these traits to be growing edges, I remain aware of the importance ofexperience as it pertains to personal growth.
Describe a time when you have led change.
There are many different routes by which change is brought about. It is my hope that, through my ministry, God is sowingseeds of faith that will eventually lead to change for the better. I recognize there are times when I am unable to see thetangible fruits of God’s labor and yet, still, moments where I have the opportunity to be instrumental in leading change. Ihave already had some experience with such change in the current position I hold. At the church I am currently serving, Iwas the first Director of Youth and Children’s Ministry. The opportunity itself had “change” written all over it, as I would bebuilding both programs from the ground up. When I was hired, children in preschool through 8th grade were together inone Sunday school class. The curriculum being utilized was not age-appropriate and, as a result, Christian Education forthose ages was essentially non-existent. I led the Board of Christian Education in a complete overhaul of the Children’sMinistry program. I guided the Board in selecting appropriate and accessible curriculum, held recruitment meetings forvolunteers and training sessions for new teachers, as well as created policies and provided training to ensure the safetyof students, teachers, and staff. Since these changes took place fairly recently, the fruits of the labor have yet to be seen;however, we now have a strategic plan for the health and growth of the ministry and the landscape of the church will beforever changed as a result.
Statement of Faith
I believe in a love that is impossible to understand, that is, the love of the one triune God: Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit.The triune God is uncreated, eternal, and each person of the trinity is equal in honor, glory, and power. It is in this Godwhom I am faithfully devoted to through both worship and service.
I believe the first person of the trinity is God the Creator, the God of Israel, who sees all things and knows all things; thisGod is all-powerful, just, mighty, wise and, above all, holy. This God is also faithful, merciful, gracious, and loving.Ibelieve God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it out of nothing. God spoke into being all things, bothseen and unseen. God made humanity in God’s own likeness and granted us the responsibility to act of our own accord.As bearers of God’s image, we were created to worship God and reflect God’s righteousness. I believe that humanityturned away from God and one another, causing us all of us to become guilty sinners with corrupt natures; however,though we turn away and forget the many ways in which we have been called, God has not forgotten us and Godcontinues to beckon us by name.
I believe that God the Father loved creation so much that God gave the second person of the trinity to and for humanity,God’s only son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was, in every respect, human, and yet, still completely divine. Through his humanity,Christ redefined divinity and revolutionized our understanding of what it means to love and know God, one another, andourselves; in short, Jesus taught us what it means to be human and have a relationship with God. I believe that the workof Jesus Christ, both his blameless life and his contemptible death, allowed him to become our sacrificial substitute andhis love for us moved him to suffer death for our sake. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are forgiven andcounted as righteous in God’s sight. We are justified through faith in Christ, by the grace of God the Father.
I believe, while God has revealed himself through creation, God also speaks to us through God’s holy scripture. The HolySpirit, the third person of the trinity, works through the word to regenerate God’s people and bind together the body ofChrist. Through the word, the Spirit challenges us to live lives worthy of our calling and inspires us to serve God faithfully.Through Baptism, the Spirit claims us as God’s beloved and calls us to pursue God with faithfulness and devotion.Through the Lord’s Supper, the Spirit reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice and offers nourishment for our faith.
I believe the church is the body of Christ, a community of believers drawn from every language and every nation.Ultimately, the mission of Christ’s church is one of word and deed. As the light of Christ and partners in Christ’s mission, we seek to rescue the lost, share the gospel, make disciples, work toward justice and liberation, and care for those whoare hurting or in need.
References:
Dr. John Gillman, former CPE Supervisor, (858) 499-8901, 9655 Granite Ridge Drive, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92123,
Timothy Luikart, friend and former colleague, (858) 335-4527, 1251 Susan Avenue, Woodstock, VA. 22664,
Rev. Lauren McFeaters, former supervisor (609) 924-0103, 61 Nassau Street, Princeton,NJ 08542,
Rev. Paul Whiteford, former CPE colleague, (619) 444-9054, 1123 North Mollison Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92012, .
Rev. Elizabeth Wilson Manaham, Associate Pastor and former supervisor, (760) 757-3560, 2001 South El Camino Real, Oceanside, CA 92054, .
Sexual Misconduct Self-Certification Statement:
I certify below that no civil, criminal, ecclesiastical complaint has ever been sustained or is pending against me for sexual misconduct; an I have never resigned or been terminated from a postion for reasons related to sexual misconduct.
I have read this certification and release form and fully understand that the information obtained may be used to deny my employment or any other type of position from the employing entity. I also agree that I will hold harmless the employing or judicial authority of any other entity from any and all claims, liabilities, and causes of action for the legitimate release of any information related to sexual misconduct.
CALLED MEETING -- 1 – AUGUST 11, 2015