Three principles of the Reformed tradition which are important in our understanding of church government are that:

• Church structure should be based on Scripture,
• Everything should be done in an orderly manner, and
• Government should be in the hands of representative assemblies, not individuals.

The Elders

We are called Presbyterian because we have a "presbyterian" form of church government in which all authority is palced in the hands of assemblies made up of equal numbers of elsers and minsters of the word and sacrament.

Presbyterian comes from the Greek word "presbuteros" which is usually translated "elder" in the Bible. It refers to the custom of choosing leaders from among the wisest members of the church. Those elected by the congrgation to serve as members of the session - which governs our local congrgation - are called elders.

The Session

The congregation of SHPC elects 12 elders to serve on the session for oversight of their congregation.  It means that we have representative government, somewhat like that of the United States.  Unlike the civil government, elders do not made decisions based on the desires of the congregation.  Rather the elders are elected to lead the people according to the will of God as they understand it.  The session is moderated by the minister who serves with the elders who were elected by the congregation.  The session is responsible for the mission and government of the church.

The Presbytery

Being Presbyterian means that our church is more than the SHPC congregation.  A presbytery is made up of all of the ministers of the word and sacrament and an equal number of elder representatives from all the churches in a geographic area.  They have the authority to install ministers in particular churches, ordain ministers, organize and dissolve congregations, and discipline both clergy and congregations.

SHPC is part of Homestead Presbytery which is made up of all the 55 PC(USA) congregations (9,236 members) in Eastern Nebraska working together to accomplish mission and ministry that no one congregation can do alone.  All clergy and an equal number of elders representing each church in Eastern Nebraska meet together for oversight of the churches throughout our region.

The Synod

Synods are made up of an equal number of elders and ministers of the word and sacrament from the presbyteries in a larger geographic area.  Most synods have only limited authority but are organized to encourage and facilitate regional ministries.

Sixteen presbyteries, representing 898 congregations, throughout Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin meet together as the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for oversight of the presbyteries throughout our region.

The General Assembly

The General Assembly is the national governing body of the Presbyterian Church (USA).  It meets every other year and is made up of an equal numbers of elders and ministers of the word and sacrament elected by the presbyteries.  The General Assembly oversees the work of the many national agencies of the church, acts on “overtures” or petitions from presbyteries, establishes special task forces and commissions, and proposes constitutional doctrinal changes which must be ratified by the presbyteries.

All 16 synods, encompassing 173 presbyteries, 10,751 churches, and 2,140,165 members across the country form the General Assembly.  The General Assembly considers matters of concern for the whole denomination.  When you become a Presbyterian, you join the whole denomination.