Primary Functions of the Elders
- To provide spiritual leadership and accountability for both the staff and the church.
- To ensure that the church is fulfilling the Great Commission by monitoring and evaluating the church’s progress in its fulfillment.
- To serve as liaison between the Senior Pastor and the church.
- To serve as a facilitating board along with the Senior Pastor in terms of church discipline.
- Each Elder must possess the qualifications described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
- Nominations shall be made by the active Elders and subject to a vote by the church body at the annual or a called business meeting. Each Elder nominee shall be voted on separately by a secret ballot and must receive at least 2/3 of the votes cast to be elected. Elder elections shall be conducted annually, with terms of service beginning January of each year. The Senior Pastor shall have automatic tenure while the other Elders shall serve 3 year staggered terms that can be renewed. An Elder may serve consecutive or non-consecutive terms but must be nominated and elected each term served. No elected Elder shall serve more than two consecutive terms. The chairman of the Elders shall be selected by the Elder Board.
- Decisions by the Elder Board shall be reached after the prayerful consideration by at least two-thirds (2/3) majority of Elders currently serving. All decisions of the Elder Board will be kept in the minutes of the Elder Board meetings and will be open to any and all church members upon their request.
- Regular meetings of the Elder Board shall be held at least six times a year.
- An Elder or the Senior Pastor may be removed from office if he becomes physically incapacitated, spiritually unqualified, or his inability to serve is established in the minds of the remainder of the Elder Board.
- The Elder Board shall have the authority to designate other individuals for a designated period of time or project, along with the Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor, to execute all documents necessary to the purchase, sale, or development of church property, legal documents, banking documents, or any loan documents associated with same.
Biblical Standards for Elders
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Overseers and Deacons
1It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Titus 1:6-9
Qualifications of Elders
6namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.