Preparing to Appoint Elders: Part 1_______________________
Letter from the Pastor 12/23/2025
Introduction
The last-minute rush of Christmas is upon us! Final presents are being purchased and wrapped. Cinnamon rolls are being prepared for Christmas morning. Family is arriving from out of town, or you’re preparing to leave town to visit family! I pray you all have a wonderful Christmas as you think on the incarnation of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
But even as this busy year comes to a close, another year awaits us and there is much to do. Our church faces a major task in the next several months; one that we need to be equipped to accomplish. I’m speaking of the responsibility we all have to appoint biblically qualified elders. In today’s letter, I aim to accomplish two tasks. First, I will give you schedule for elder appointments. Second, because our membership will be nominating and voting on elders, I want to educate you on the kind of qualifications the Scriptures require in those we nominate and install.
Elder Selection Schedule
First, let me share some important dates for the elder selection process.
- On Sunday, January 11 I will preach a sermon entitled “Aspiring to the Office” from 1 Timothy 3:1. That sermon will launch a week of prayer to prepare our members to nominate Elders the following Sunday, January 18.
- Once I receive the nominations for elders, I will select at least two men from those nominations (maybe more) to interview as candidates for elders. I will spend the remainder of January conducting one-on-one interviews with nominees in order to thoroughly vet their character, doctrine, and family.
- On Sunday, February 1, f0llowing our morning worship service, I will submit a list of at least 2, possibly more, elder candidates to the membership of the church. Our members will then have a full month to examine these elder candidates. We will host an open forum with the candidates the evening of Sunday, February 22from 6:00PM to 7:30PM. This will be a time for question and answer between the candidates and members. During this month, if a member believes one of the candidates is biblically unqualified for the eldership, I’m asking them to communicate that concern to me privately in writing.
- At the conclusion of the one-month examination period, I may remove a name from the initial list at my own discretion and will submit a final elder candidate list to the membership for a vote at our first quarterly Members Meeting on March 15, 2026. That evening we’ll have a separate yes/no vote on each candidate. A candidate will need ¾ of voting members present for affirmation, and I will announce the results immediately. Church, please save this date in your calendars and make plans to attend this meeting.
- Then, the following Sunday, March 22nd, we will hold an elder installation service for our Sunday morning worship which will include special scripture readings, a laying on of hands for the new elders, charges given to elders and the congregation, as well as vows taken by the new elders.
Church, begin praying now that the Lord gives us incredible unity and wisdom as we appoint elders. If you have questions about this schedule, please reach out to me at any time.
Biblical Qualifications for Elders: Shepherds
Now, that we’ve covered the schedule of the elder appointment process, I want to begin educating you on the qualifications we ought to look for in elders. This will be the first of several informational pieces I send out on this subject.
The Apostle Peter writes these words to a group of local church elders:
shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
I want to draw your attention to three words in the preceding passage: shepherd, oversight, and examples. As our church prepares to nominate men to the eldership, we should want men who we believe are qualified to shepherd, oversee, and model Christlikeness to the church.
A shepherd is one who feeds, folds, protects, and leads sheep. And an elder must do the same with church members. Our elders must be able to open their Bibles and feed our members the Word of God as they counsel, teach, and preach. As a sidenote, I know there have been questions about how often I will preach once we have elders. I want to make it clear that I intend to preach just as much as I do now. The pulpit time will not be split evenly among the elders. In fact, we may have elders that never preach on Sunday. Just as a shepherd keeps his sheep in a fold and makes sure goats and wolves don’t get in, elders must oversee the membership of the church. They must take special care that members aren’t neglected or allowed to wander off. When a wolf tries to sneak in, the shepherd must courageously defend the flock, and likewise elders must not shrink back from defending true doctrine and the confession of the church when false teaching arises. And, just as a shepherd takes responsibility to lead the flock into newer pastures, elders work together to lead the church in her spiritual growth.
As you hear all of that, ask yourself a question. Which men in our church are best equipped to serve in those ways? Which men do you see already serving as shepherds, already competent to serve up the Word, track down strays, defend the truth, and lead without lording over people?
Which men do you see consistently meeting with other believers to check on them, listen to their concerns, open Scripture to them, and pray for them? Who regularly prepares and teaches the church, carefully explaining Scripture? When a theological question arises, which men are competent to speak up and give a sound Scriptural answer? When rumors in the church circulate, who do you trust to make sure they don’t spread, but are handled with truth and grace? If someone aggressively challenged our statement of faith, who would courageously stand up to defend it? Who can you trust to help guide our church through seasons of change and growth? And who do you see that’s humble enough to do all of this as one member of and elder team?
Those are the kind of men we should desire to lead and serve us as elders. The names that come to your mind as you consider those questions are the names you ought to pray about nominating as an elder candidate for our church. In the coming weeks, we’ll examine the other two words in 1 Peter 5: oversee and examples. For now, I wish you a Merry Christmas and pray the Lord makes his face to shine upon you.
In Christ,
Pastor Jonathan