The Call Commission is responsible for most of the actions formally vested in the Committee on Preparation for Ministry, and the Examinations Commission. It is empowered to:

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1. Guide, nurture, and oversee the process of becoming a teaching elder for persons in the care of the presbytery, including actions with respect to inquirers, candidates, and final assessments;

2. Examine and admit to membership all persons seeking membership in the Presbytery of St. Augustine, and approve calls and terms of call for those it examines;

3. Provide a Pastor Nominating Committee liaison to congregations in transition;

4. Approve temporary membership in the presbytery for a period of service;

5. Approve and conduct ordinations and installations of teaching elders and commissioning services for commissioned ruling elders;

6. Recommend exceptions and accommodations to requirements of the Book of Order regarding ordination, installation of a temporary pastor or associate as an installed pastor, and any other action requiring a super-majority vote of the presbytery;

7. Provide a liaison to congregations searching for temporary pastoral service;

8. Approve contracts and terms of call for temporary pastoral service;

9. Dissolve teaching elder and commissioned ruling elder relationships when requested by the teaching elder/commissioned ruling elder and the congregation;

10. Approve the retirement of teaching elders;

11. Approve validated ministries of teaching elders;

12. Certify ruling elders as ready to receive a commission and approve commissions of ruling elders to particular pastoral service;

13. Recommend the annual teaching elder roll for approval by the presbytery; and

14. Recommend presbytery action relating to a teaching elder’s renunciation of jurisdiction or release from ministry as a teaching elder, and take all actions preliminary to the presbytery’s final.

15. Approve Board of Pensions (BOP) grants and matching grants for members of the presbytery, such as seminary debt assistance, emergency grants, special need grants, etc., all subject to the presbytery budgeting process and the guidelines of the Board of Pensions.

16. Take all actions contemplated in G-3.0306 of the Book of Order, including granting a minister member permission to engage in ministry that is outside of our geographic bounds or which is not under our jurisdiction, requesting the consent of the other presbytery, and considering and acting on requests for members of other presbyteries to engage in work within our bounds.