The church’s by-laws call for an Elder Nominating Committee to each year consider the possibility of adding Elders to the church’s Elder team. We are asking the church to submit nominees for this important role. Please consider the following as you pray and reflect on those
you wish to nominate to our Eldership:
1) Expectations and roles for the Eldership as a Group:
- They should help establish and defend what the church views as biblical doctrine. They are the deciding doctrinal voice in the congregation.
- They are responsible for assuring that the doctrinal content of teaching and preaching is in line with our doctrinal statement and with the Christian Scriptures.
- They have chief responsibility for establishing our mission, vision, and philosophy of ministry.
- Elders should play a major role in leading the church toward accomplishing its mission, vision, and ministry.
- They are ultimately responsible for staffing decisions; the hiring and dismissing of staff is the Elders' responsibility.
- Teaching and preaching should be included in the ways in which they are willing to serve.
- Elders should be acquainted with what is taking place in the various ministries of the church, including being informed as to the budget, major physical plant expenditures, and missions.
- Empower and nurture the staff; serve in a mentoring role for staff members
2) In addition to what Scripture indicates, these should apply to individual Elder nominees:
- She/he must understand and be in alignment with our church’s mission to influence the world for Christ.
- She/he must financially support the church.
- She/he should demonstrate shepherding care and leading, for both the church and the staff.
- She/he must be an active participant in a Life Group, capable of leading one. Where this has not been the case, nominees should be offered opportunity to begin participating in our Life Group program coincident with being appointed an Elder, rather than nominees being rejected from the outset due to lack of participation in a Life Group.
3) I Timothy 3:1-7: Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but
gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full [a] respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Titus: 1:5-9: The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint [a] elders in every town, as I directed you. 6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe [b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
These biblically stated qualifications and descriptions/definitions of Elders mean that an Elder should be the kind of person who possesses a spiritual character defined as:
- Possesses the caring heart of a shepherd and has the ability to shepherd the flock.
- Has a prayerful heart.
- Is growing spiritually.
- Represents doctrinal soundness; but does so with a forward looking attitude that desires to address the needs of our culture.
- Has a thorough knowledge of Scripture, being able to share it with others.
- Once he/she is experienced they will be capable of mentoring new Elders and those who may become Elders in the future. Models what it means to be Christian.
- Possesses enthusiasm for the Lord and the Mission and Vision of the church.
- Is Spirit-filled.
- Is a servant-leader.
- Is capable of serving as one who disciples others.
- Possesses a Spirit of cooperation.
- Lives in a way in which the prospective Elder strives after holy living, being self-controlled, including a lifestyle free from addictions and an addictive lifestyle.
