LEADERSHIP

We believe Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, and that he leads his church through his Word and Spirit. Under Christ, the church is led by a plurality of elders while the congregation retains final authority in certain major matters concerning the life and direction of the church. In practice, this means that the elders are entrusted with the responsibility to lead, shepherd, teach, equip, and set direction for the church, while the congregation is entrusted with the responsibility to affirm and decide significant matters that affect the church as a whole. This structure seeks to honor both the biblical responsibility given to elders to lead and oversee the church and the biblical responsibility of the congregation to participate meaningfully in the life, health, and faithfulness of the church.

Eldership is a plurality of biblically qualified men who, co-equal in authority and sharing responsibility, jointly oversee, shepherd, and equip the local church, submitting to one another and ultimately to Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd.

Rather than authority resting in a single pastor or elder, the elders share responsibility for the spiritual leadership and oversight of the church. Together, they are responsible to:

• Oversee the doctrine, direction, health, and ministry of the church.
• Shepherd the people entrusted to their care through prayer, teaching, guidance, protection, and pastoral care.
• Equip the members of the church to grow as disciples of Jesus and participate in the work of ministry.
• Set vision and direction by discerning where the church should go and bringing significant proposals before the congregation.

The elders are co-equal in authority while recognizing that individual elders may carry different responsibilities, areas of leadership, gifts, and levels of involvement. They seek to lead together through mutual submission, shared discernment, and accountability to Scripture and to Jesus, the Chief Shepherd.