About the Properties Ministries Team

Understanding the Relationships and Working Together

This page is intended as a reference for those in consultation with or deriving resources from PMT.

The Property Ministries Team is formed of a group of  Presbyterian volunteer architects and engineers that has been meeting since early spring 2003 to examine ways in which property stewardship (especially by smaller churches challenged with lack of funds or experienced elders) can be supported by advice, referrals, counseling, et al. PMT was formally established in November 2003 as a sub-group under the Real Estate Work Group of the Business Affairs Work Group (BAWG). Having completed a first round of outreach to churches and established contacts with 63 of our churches, they have identified a number of needs that reoccur in church responses.

PMT had identified three principal areas of need:

• guides for sessions and session committees to deal with building issues of facility operation and maintenance; such guides will be of a general nature; their use by the congregation  will be its responsibility with technical questions to be referred to qualified contractors or professionals;
• advisory counseling by PMT members or other qualified individuals at the request of sessions faced with  facility maintenance, construction and/or renovation or planning challenges;
• referrals for contractors and professional consultants. PMT is in the process of identifying whether and how to address each area of need; such referrals are expected to be made based on experiences of PMT-identified congregations or other owners who have indicated satisfaction with the referred firm.

Though a majority of PMT members remain in professional practice at some level, PMT and its members cannot contract with churches for professional services under the PMT’s mandate. Neither PMT nor any of its members by making themselves available in advisory capacities assume any liabilities for the responsibilities discharged under the Book of Order by Presbytery, Sessions or other units of Presbytery or its churches. PMT advice, being furnished on a volunteer basis, is for general information or planning purposes only and the advisor shall not undertake any performance, oversight or supervision of any project. By engaging PMT and/or one or more of its members in a PMT advisory capacity, a Session on behalf of its church and members specifically waives any claim and will hold PMT and its members or representatives harmless against any claim by them or a third party derived from or made in connection with such engagement.