More about Us
Our Staff
Minister
The Rev. Paula Carmichael
Clerk of Session
Anita Gilliland
Music Director
Sally Kibler
Church Secretary/Treasurer
Marvell Cole
Church Custodian
Jesse Roberts
Our History
A History of the Arcola Presbyterian Church
What We Believe
We believe that the life of discipleship begins when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. For some, this is a gradual process; for others, it is a decision reached in a moment of time. We believe that the living God reaches out to us, and invites us to respond in faith and obedience.
We believe that the Bible is the unique and authoritative Word of God, that it is God's word to us in matters of life, faith and doctrine.
We are a "reformed" church meaning that we believe that the Holy Spirit is constantly "reforming" or renewing and transforming the church. We give thanks for our tradition, but are open to the fresh winds of the Spirit.
We recognize two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We practice both infant and adult baptism. Infant baptism demonstrates the sheer grace of God, that God is at work in our lives, even before we are aware of his presence. Adult baptism shows the necessary response of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, required of all disciples. Infant baptism should be followed by confirmation, by a period of study during which youth decide for themselves if they will follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
The Lord's Supper, also known as communion or the Eucharist, recalls Jesus' last supper with His disciples, challenges us to become an inclusive community, and reminds us of Jesus' daily, indwelling presence with us. Any follower of Jesus Christ is welcome to receive communion.
We believe that all Christians are called to ministry. The role of the clergy is to teach; the role of the laity or members is to serve.
We have a representative church government. In fact, the U.S. government was modeled on the Presbyterian system. We are not hierarchical, ruled from above, or congregational, completely independent. We join with other Presbyterian churches in mission and ministry, but have the freedom to establish our local program and ministry.
We believe that God is Lord of the conscience. So while we are Christ-centered and biblically based, having clear theological beliefs, we are free to dialogue and even disagree. Each of us is to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Written by the Rev. Rick Snyder
Arcola Presbyterian Church
How We're Organized
Our Session
Our session is a group of women and men who have been elected from within our congregation and then ordained to become our church's elders. The pastor serves as a moderator during our session's meetings to ensure that everyone is heard and that the meetings are run in a way that is fair to everyone. The session leads in all the decisions about our congregation from choosing a paint color for the church hallway to choosing a new pastor.
The Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois
A presbytery is comprised of every minister and at least one elder from each congregation within its borders. Our congregation is part of the Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois.
The Synod of Lincoln Trails
A synod is made up of representative elder and minister members of several presbyteries. Our presbytery is part of the Synod of Lincoln Trails. Our synod includes eight presbyteries and over 700 congregations in Indiana and Illinois.
The General Assembly
The General Assembly is the most inclusive ruling body of our denomination. It holds a national meeting every two years. There are currently more than 10,000 congregations and more than 1.7 million members in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Our constitution consists of two parts: The Book of Confessions and the Book of Order.
