Presbytery of the James will convene the 121st meeting in person at First Presbyterian Church, Charlottesville and via Zoom at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Special note: To vote at this meeting, you will need to be logged into the Zoom app OR attend in-person. You will still be able to hear the meeting if calling in by phone, but you will not have the option to vote that way.
Agenda
The meeting will include the following:
- 9:30 a.m. - Call to order and prayer
- 9:45 a.m. - Worship Service w/ Necrology & Lord’s Supper
- Reports: Stated Clerk, Presbyter
- 10:55 a.m. - Committee on Representation
- 11 a.m. - Examinations
- 11:50 a.m. - Board of Pensions Presentation
- Noon - Break for lunch
- Reports: Leadership Connections Team, Mission Council, Special Finance Group, Anti-Racism Committee, COM, CON, MAST Report (Guatemala Team)
- 2:10 p.m. - Adjournment and closing prayer
Check-in for in-person attendees begins at 8:30 a.m. The Zoom meeting will open at 9:00 a.m. for virtual participants. An orientation for all attendees will occur at 9:15.
The meeting will break between 12:00 and 12:45 for lunch.
Meeting Documents
Review the meeting packet below in advance of the meeting.
Registration
Online registration closed at noon on Friday, Oct. 17. All attendees must register by this date. In-person participants who miss the deadline may register onsite Satruday morning.
During registration, please indicate whether you plan to participate in person or via Zoom. This helps meeting organizers coordinate appropriate resources. All participants, whether they plan to attend in person or virtually, will receive log-in information for Zoom as a precaution. If you do not receive an email confirmation from Zoom within a few minutes of completing registration, please contact the POJ office.
Selecting in person or virtual participation during registration does not lock you into that option; we understand circumstances may change between the date you register and the meeting. If registration is still open, register again to override your previous choice. If you wake up feeling under the weather on the day of the meeting, but still wish to join us, we will welcome you via Zoom.
Once you have registered for the meeting, you will receive an email confirmation, which will include a link to join the meeting. Use that link to join the meeting if you are participating virtually. Disregard the link if you are attending in person.
All ministers and sessions are reminded that email excuses are required for absences to be approved. Email a request to be excused to office@presbyteryofthejames.org.
Motions/Amendments
To make a motion during the meeting, please complete a motion form and submit it to the stated clerk. If possible, please present it to the stated clerk prior to making your motion.
For in-person attendees, motion forms will be available near the microphone in the meeting space. Present your completed form to the stated clerk.
For Zoom attendees, email your completed form to the stated clerk.
Of course, any motion may be made from the floor during the meeting once it has been submitted in writing to the stated clerk. Having the text of motions in advance allows us to prepare to display the text for all participants in order to provide clarity and give the motion the best chance of being evaluated clearly.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. Please direct any questions to statedclerk@presbyteryofthejames.org.
Notes for In-person Participants
Church Location
First Presbyterian Church is located at 500 Park St., Charlottesville, VA 22902.
Facility Accessibility and Parking
Persons with mobility issues will find the church accessible.
Child Care
There will be no childcare available at this meeting.
Meals
Refreshments will be available during registration. Lunch will be a variety of sandwiches (including vegetarian and gluten-free options), fruit, chips, and water/lemonade. Cost is $10, payable by cash or check made out to First Presbyterian Church.
Wi-Fi
Download the packet to your laptop, tablet or other device prior to arriving at the church. Refrain from connecting to the Wi-Fi to reserve maximum bandwidth for POJ staff and volunteers running the virtual side of the meeting. We appreciate your cooperation.
Questions/Concerns
Please direct all questions or concerns as soon as possible to Barbara Espigh, associate for administration and support. Barbara can be reached via email (preferred) or at 804-262-2074.
Checklist
Ensure you complete the following to prepare for the meeting:
- Elect ruling elder (RE) commissioner(s) and provide RE commissioner name(s) to Barbara Espigh
- Teaching elders (TE): request an excused absence, if needed, by emailing Barbara Espigh
- Review the meeting packet in advance
- Update your version of Zoom to the latest
- All attendees: register by Oct. 17 at noon
- Log in/call in to Zoom between 9:00 and 9:15 a.m. on Oct. 18
- OR arrive at First Presbyterian Church by 9:15 a.m.