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Our Elders
Our Elders are Greg Pearl and John Claes
Qualifications (from By-Laws)
Section 1. Elders.
1. An Elder shall serve indefinitely but shall be reaffirmed annually by a congregational vote of confidence of at least 75 percent.
2. The Elder board shall consist of no less than three and no more than nine members.
3. Each individual Elder serves at the pleasure of and under the authority of the Elder board as a whole. No one Elder is above any other Elder. Therefore, an Elder may be dismissed on biblical grounds by a simple majority vote of the Elders as a whole. An Elder may not vote on his dismissal. Recommendation for removal of an Elder may be received at any time by the Elders as a whole.
4. An accusation against an Elder must be brought by two witnesses, and if true, dealt with publically. 1 Timothy 5:19,20.
5. The Elders shall be selected based upon the following criteria;
a. The principles set forth in I Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9 and I Peter 5:1-3. The office of Elder shall be occupied by men of spiritual maturity, of moral purity, of exemplary character, of good reputation both inside the church and without; men of sound judgment, not greedy or quarrelsome, but hospitable and self-controlled, who rule their own household well; men who know the Word of God, who can explain and defend the basics of Christian doctrine, and who are able to teach.
b. Gift. Candidate must demonstrate leadership ability. (Romans 12:8) Inherent in this are the gifts of wisdom and knowledge. (I Corinthians 12:8).
c. Affinity. A unified team is a key element to consider during the selection process. (Titus 3:10)
d. Faithfulness at the congregational level. (See Article V, section 1, #3)
e. Fruitful at the ministry level.
f. Agreement with the Constitution and By-Laws.
g. Membership for at least one year.
h. Approval and support of wife.
i. Availability for Elder meetings and ministry.
j. A vote of acceptance by the members at the annual meeting of at least 75 percent.
6. The selection of Elders shall involve the following process;
Step #1: Education. Two worship services shall be set aside in January of each year to focus on the issue of church leadership. One service shall deal with the state of the church and one shall specifically deal with the issue of Elders.
Step #2: Recommendation. The Elders shall receive recommendations from the congregation during the month of February. An Elder shall confirm with each recommended person whether or not that man wishes to be a candidate. Those interested in candidacy shall be informed of the interview process at this point.
Step #3: Interview. (March) Each candidate (and wife) will be assessed by the Elders based upon the criteria listed above. The Elders must be in unanimous agreement before a candidate can be recommended to the congregation for approval.
Step #4: Evaluation: (April) Once approved by the Elders, the candidate's name is to be posted for two weeks for the congregation to pray over. The congregation shall be encouraged to direct comments, concerns to the Elders at this time.
Step #5: Approval. Candidates for Elder shall be presented to the congregation for approval at the annual membership meeting in May. The members must approve the recommended candidate by a 75 percent vote. The number of candidates shall not exceed the vacancies.
7. The Sr. Pastor shall be considered an Elder with full voting rights.
8. For purposes of incorporation, the Elders of this church shall serve as its officers and directors.
9. A mid-year vacancy may be filled by the Elders for the remainder of the year by a unanimous vote of the Elders and 75 percent approval by the Congregation at a specially called Membership meeting. A "mid-year" Elder must begin the Elder selection process from the beginning once that year is up.
10. Elders are responsible for the following:
a. Congregational care. Knowing what the congregational concerns, cares and needs are and making sure they are met. (Acts 20:28, I Peter 5:2,3, Proverbs 27:23, James 5:14, Ezekiel 34).
b. Oversight. Making sure that all legal, financial, facility and ministry oversight is complete. This includes: executing all deeds, trusts and lease agreements; creation of an annual budget; hosting an outside annual audit; building maintenance and ministry evaluation; making sure that an annual written report on each area of ministry is available at the annual membership meeting. (1 Timothy 5:17).
c. The ministry of the word . (Acts 6:4). While all must be able to teach, those especially gifted as teaching elders should be given the opportunity for and be found effective at those types of ministries. (1 Timothy 5:17).
d. The ministry of prayer. (Acts 6:4). The Elders should devote both personal and time gathered as a team to pray for the flock.
e. Protect the flock from heretical teaching by refuting controversial doctrinal issues and false teachers. (Tituts 1:9).