Though only days away from our governmental midterm elections, we are also approaching the annual election of elders, deacons, and deaconesses to their various posts in our church. 

As a Presbyterian church, our leaders are elected from a pool of nominees to represent and serve the members of the church.  All Christians are to be engaged in service to the world and each other, but special responsibilities for service are given to some specifically equipped for the task. 

This year, we have nineteen nominees for your consideration, each of whom would be elected to a three-year term for their respective office. 

Read a bit about them below and introduce yourself to get to know them. These elections will take place at the congregational meeting on December 7.

Ruling Elder

This office is one of dignity and usefulness. The man who fills it has in Scripture different titles expressive of his various duties. As he has the oversight of the flock of Christ, he is termed bishop or pastor…. As he expounds the Word, and by sound doctrine both exhorts and convinces the gainsayer, he is termed teacher.  —Book of Church Order, 8-1

	Doug DeLong Northern Tier Parish Doug has attended Tenth since 1990. Over that time, he has served as a Maranatha leader, Children’s Bible School teacher and principal, and elder. Doug and his wife, Irene, have two kids, Emma and Will. Doug is a wealth manager and enjoys volleyball and golf.
	Steve Forde New Jersey Parish Steve serves in Session, Trustees, Maranatha, various committees, and co-leads the class for newly marrieds. Steve and Anastasia met at Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy and have four children: Isaac, Olivia, Ethan, and Evelyn.
	Gregg Olmstead Western Suburbs Parish Gregg serves as a member of Tenth's Session. He and his wife Kami host a Bible study. They have been members since the early 1990’s and have four children: Will, Noah, Luke, and Elise. Gregg is an architect and a fair-weather golfer.
	Tim Peterman Nothern Tier Parish Tim has served as an elder and is still active in parish ministry. He assists in the Bible School program by hearing the students recite their Scripture memory work. He is a server and storage system administrator.
	Russ Pfeifer New Jersey Parish Russ is a past deacon and elder. He has taught Sunday school classes and has previously co-chaired the Global Outreach Commission. Russ is also involved with Internationals Outreach. He and his wife Carol have been Tenth members since 1984 and have raised four children. Russ is a civil engineer and enjoys reading.
	Miguel Pulido Metro Parish Miguel has served with ACTS Ministries for many years with the Community Dinner and Nursing Home Ministries.
	Scott Sweeney New Jersey Parish Scott serves as a first grade Bible School teacher and previously served as a deacon and a nursery volunteer. He and his wife Jennifer host a small group Bible study. Scott is the father of two children and enjoys boating and golf.

Deacon

The office of deacon is set forth in the Scriptures as ordinary and perpetual in the Church. The office is one of sympathy and service, after the example of the Lord Jesus; it expresses also the communion of saints, especially in their helping one another in time of need.  —Book of Church Order, 9-1

	Keith Bennett New Jersey Parish Keith has served three terms as a deacon and is also a teacher in the Children's Bible School. He and his wife Michelle have been members of Tenth Church since 2003 and have two children: Claudia and Addison. Keith is a business leader for a large corporation, and he enjoys carpentry, playing golf, and swimming.
	Tom Denier Western Suburbs Parish Tom has served as a deacon for many years. He was married to Lois but is now widowed. He is part of the computer support organization for Jefferson Hospital and University. He enjoys hiking and puzzles.
	Jerry Jacob New Jersey Parish Jerry and his wife Leena have one son, Nathaniel, and have been Tenth members since 2017. They previously hosted and led a Bible study for young adults in New Jersey. He is an infectious diseases physician and enjoys running and finding ways to make his toddler belly laugh.
	Kendall Jones New Jersey Parish Ken and his wife Kim were married at Tenth in August 1994. They have two daughters, Madeline and Margaret. Ken and Kim became members in 1998 and have participated in Bible studies since then. Ken served on the security team prior to becoming a deacon in 2015. For the past two years, Ken served as the treasurer for the Diaconate.
	Bob Lang Brandywine Parish Bob has previously served as a deacon and is a "utility player" with Fellowship Bible Study on Sunday afternoons. He's a decent cook, poor housekeeper, novice woodworker, and enjoys reading military history, befriending unbelievers, and sports of all kinds.
	Paul Reimold Western Suburbs Parish Paul has been a member since 1998.  With his wife, Jane, he has two grown children, Ben and Abi. He serves as a deacon and facilitates a men's breakfast in Western Suburbs. The Reimolds are hosting the fall new members class. Interests include blogging about personal finance, swimming, biking, running, home improvement projects, and model trains.
	Sam Thomas Brandywine Parish Sam has been a member since 2006 and has served on the Mercy Commission, the Internationals Outreach Committee, as a greeter, and with Maranatha, SMI, and homeless ministry. He is a safety and training administrator. He is a semi-pro photographer, culinary artist, cyclist, and runner, and loves traveling and snorkeling. He has been married to Eden since 2017.

Deaconess

	Ellen Bachman Northern Tier Parish Ellen is currently finishing a term as deaconess. Ellen has been at Tenth since the late 1970's. She is married to Stephen, currently an elder and trustee. They have two married daughters. Ellen was employed for almost 30 years working with chronically mentally ill street people.
	Stacy Brantley Metro Parish Stacy serves in the coffee hour ministry, ACTS Community Dinner, Fellowship Bible Study, and on the Mercy Commission. She became a member in 2011. Stacy works in the medical field and enjoys spending time with family.
	Fiona Davenport Northern Tier Parish Fiona has been a Tenth member since 2001. She has previously served as a deaconess and a member of the Global Outreach Commission and in the nursery. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as gardening and traveling.
	Katherine Preston Western Suburbs Parish Katherine loves singing in the choir. She has been a member since 2001 and has enjoyed serving as a deaconess, singing in the Women's Chorus, and participating in ACTS Community Dinners. Katherine is a substitute teacher and English/history tutor.
	Jane Reimold Brandywine Parish Jane and Paul Reimold were married at Tenth in 1984 and have two grown children: Ben and Abi. The Reimolds frequently host the new members’ class at Tenth. Jane has attended or hosted a parish Bible study since 1998. In 2005–2006 she served on Tenth's strategic planning committee. Jane is a former homeschooler and current university administrator.
	Joan Smith-Veterano Metro Parish Joan, a member of Tenth since 2004, has served as a greeter during Sunday mornings for the past three years. She has been married for twenty-eight years and enjoys boating, traveling, and sharing time with her extended family.

This article has been updated to reflect changes in the expected nominees. Tim Peterman and Miguel Pulido were added.