Leadership Recommendations

Understanding service in the body of Christ, whether in an ordained office such as elder or deacon, or in any number of other capacities, begins with spirit-gifting. The Holy Spirit has given gifts to the entire body of Christ for service: “To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Ephesians 4:7). The purpose of these gifts is twofold: First, that God may be glorified: “So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11); Second, for the well-being and growth of the body: “The whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16). As each one uses their gift, God is at work in and through them: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.. . . in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). 

How do you know if you’re called to serve in the office of elder or deacon? There’s an internal and external dimension to calling. Internally, you should want to serve, motivated to do so not out of selfish ambition, but humility (Romans 12:3). You should possess a sincere desire to serve Christ for his glory and the well-being of his body. You should also sense your gifts and character align with the office to which you would be called. Finally, you should understand and embrace City Church’s vision and values and be able to adhere to the Essential Tenets of our denomination, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. Externally, the body of Christ recognizes and affirms all that to be the case. This occurs through a formal process that includes recommendations from the congregation, screening, selection, training and examination of candidates by staff and existing officers, the election of officers by the congregation, and finally the ordination and installation of officers in a special worship service. 

What are the gifts needed for each office? The New Testament actually doesn’t specify the specific gifts needed. This may be why the particular responsibilities of elders and deacons tend to vary from church to church. At City Church, elders are responsible, along with pastors, to oversee our church’s spiritual health, the shepherding care of our congregation, and the ministries and mission the Lord has entrusted to us. Our deacons lead by helping shape us into a caring and merciful body. They serve those in our church family facing substantial needs and help stimulate a culture of mercy throughout the church. Both elders and deacons work as a team to fulfill their responsibilities, with elders serving on the Session and deacons comprising the Diaconate. All candidates for office need to be, therefore, solid team players. They should be good listeners, respectful of their colleagues, and supportive of actions taken by the whole, even when they may not have voted with the majority. There should be a range of gifts represented within our Session and Diaconate. For instance, while all elders are shepherds, some will have particular competencies in caring for complex pastoral situations, while others’ strengths will help us effectively steward City Church’s mission. Because City Church does not believe the Spirit distributes gifts with gender differentiation, both offices are open to women and men (click here to read more about this).

What should the character of a leader at City Church be? Paul sketched a character portrait of elders and deacons in his pastoral epistles (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9). Elders should be “above reproach.” While none of us is perfect, an elder should have an unimpeachable character and even have a solid reputation with people outside the church. There should be an integrity to their life and devotion to Christ. If married, they should be faithful to their spouse and manage their domestic responsibilities well. They should not be overbearing, argumentative, or quick-tempered. Instead, they should be hospitable and holy people. While elder doesn’t necessarily mean “an older person” (Jesus was, after all, a relatively young man and Paul encourages Timothy not to let “anyone look down on you because you are young,” 1 Timothy 4:12 ), elders should not be recent converts to Christianity. Deacons should be worthy of respect and sincere, as well as trustworthy and tested. Both elders and deacons should demonstrate self-control, be trustworthy, and be good stewards of the resources the Lord has entrusted to them. 

Paul’s lists to Timothy and Titus weren’t comprehensive. Some character traits were included in one list but not the other. And both leave out certain characteristics that are vital, such as officers being devoted to prayer, something rather obvious for a leader in the church. While some of us have better prayer lives than others, officers should strive to lead in their respective roles as persons of prayer. Officers should be devoted to Jesus and his mission in the world–they should love and care for the outsider to the faith, as well as the poor and marginalized. They should have a vital personal devotional life, be accountable to others, and be characterized by repentance. All of this, of course, would be overwhelming and impossible without God’s grace in Christ. For this reason, officers above all should be “gospel people.” In all of life, they are to be quick to see their sin, and look in faith to Jesus, who loves them and gave himself for them. 

Thank you for your prayer and participation in this process.