The Word Presbyterian

The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word for “elder", "presbuteros".

presbuteros

Ministry Team

Our Ministry team is composed of members of CTR who serve in various areas of ministry and help provide opportunities for others to serve as well. We meet monthly to pray, plan and carry out the ministries of CTR .

Session

Family of Pastor Jon Taylor

Our Leadership

Church Governing Structure

Our church government is conciliar; in other words, the church is to be governed by multiple officers, not just one person (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Acts 21:17-18). These officers are accountable to each other and the people they serve.

Presbyterian churches seek to follow the pattern of church government seen in the New Testament, which was itself based on the pattern of the synagogues (though, of course, there have been developments over the years). In Presbyterian churches, we have the following classification of officers.

1. Elders who shepherd the flock of God's Church (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). There are two types:

• Teaching elders, whom we normally refer to as ministers or pastors, men specially charged to preach and teach the Word and celebrate the sacraments;
• Ruling elders, who guide and govern the church.

2. Deacons who lead in ministries of mercy and in other supportive areas.

With that understanding, our emphasis on leadership is that it is servant leadership. Our ordained leaders are not the only ones who do ministry; their primary task is to equip others to do ministry. Therefore, the real ministers of CTR are the members of CTR, as is seen in the following passage from the writings of the apostle Paul.

Christ] gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ( Ephesians 4:11-13)

Pastor Jon Taylor

The Taylors answered God’s call to proclaim His message of grace in New England in the Spring of 2003. Jon and Allie are both native to New England. They met in high school and have ministered together ever since. Married in 1993,they have three boys, Jonathan (11), Jacob (9) and Charlie (3). Jon was involved in music, Christian education, youth and pastoral ministry at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Easley, SC for ten years. He graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2003. After the Taylors moved back to NH in January of 2004, Jon served an apprenticeship at First Presbyterian Church of Concord before planting CTR. (click to read more....)

Ken Butler (ruling elder) Education: Graduate Northeastern Univ. 1970 Attended Gordon Conwell Theo. Seminary 1970-1972 Personal: Became a Christian 1971 Married (in 1972), one son

Ministry Experience and Interests:

interests - Missions, small groups, men's prayer group
Previous ministries: Deacon Central Congregational 20 years, High School Sunday School teacher 14 years, Youth Leader, Board of Trustees, Board of CE, Pastoral Search Commette chairman (twice).