Church Leadership
Presbyterian churches are led by a Session that is made up of
Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders.
Teaching Elder: Rev. Chris Shelton
Ruling Elders: William Hamill, Joe Norsworthy, Dale White
Diaconate: Gene Cliburn, Randy Edgar, Stephen Pace.
Rev. Chris Shelton
Teaching Elder
Rev. Chris Shelton grew up in Decatur, Alabama. He graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) with a degree in marketing and played baseball throughout college and after college. Chris worked at several businesses in Atlanta, Birmingham and Decatur, AL. After he was converted at the age of 30, he joined Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, AL and was baptized there. When Chris moved back to Decatur, he joined Decatur Presbyterian Church in Decatur, AL and was soon encouraged by them to go into the ministry. He enrolled at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson in 1996. He graduated in 1999 and worked for a year as an intern at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. He met Tracey Doude (a native of McCool, MS) while at seminary and they married in 1999.
Chris and Tracey moved to Union, Mississippi when the First Presbyterian Church in Union called Chris to be their pastor in 2000. Chris and Tracey have three sons, Andrew, Jonathan and Benjamin. Chris has served as a volunteer coach with the Union high school baseball team through the years and writes a weekly Bible column, “Getting the Message,” that is published in the Newton County Appeal, the Neshoba Democrat, and the Madison County Journal.
Chris enjoys fishing, exercise, and reading the Puritans.
“The elders jointly have the government and spiritual oversight of the Church, including teaching. Only those elders who are specially gifted, called and trained by God to preach may serve as teaching elders.”
The office of deacon is not one of rule, but rather of service both to the physical and spiritual needs of the people. In accord with Scripture, these offices are open to men only.”