OUR ELDERS
“And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” Acts 14:23
Our elders are the answer to the New Testament’s commands for organization in the local church. The elders are a plurality of men that lead, watch and feed spiritually our local group of God’s people according to God’s Word. These men are selected from among our group that have met certain qualifications that have been laid out by God in Titus 1:5-9 and I Timothy 3:1-9.
OUR DEACONS
Like our Elders, our Deacons are an answer to the bible’s teaching on the organization of the local church. The word Deacon is from the Greek word Diakonos which means “one who executes the commands of another…especially as a servant with a master” Although one might rightly say that all Christians are called to be servants (Mark 10:43-44), this office is a special servant to the local church. Paul says in I Timothy 3:13 “I Tim. 3:13 “For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Like the Eldership, this is a special position in the local church that is held by men with specific qualifications and experiences.
In 1 Tim. 3:8-13, Paul outlines for the local church exactly what kind of men that are to be appointed to this work. After careful examination of these men’s lives and their families, as compared to these instructions, an eldership will select these men from among our number to take on their responsibilities.