Calling New Officers Into the Service of Christ

Jesus Said, “I Am With You Always”—But How?

Jesus made a very important promise to his Church before his ascension to the right hand of the Father. He said, “And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt. 28:20). These are words of great comfort for any Christian. To know that our Savior and King will never leave us nor forsake us is a priceless gift to our souls. But, in these modern times, there seems to be quite a lot of confusion as to how this promise is fulfilled. In what way does our Redeemer continue to abide with his people? How does our Good Shepherd continue to look after the flock of his love?

It is of great importance that we learn to answer this question with something more than the fuzzy mysticism that is so prevalent in our day. Jesus’ promise to be with his people is not fulfilled by fickle “feelings” in our hearts that we continually work up on our own. No, Jesus’ presence is manifest among his people today in a far more helpful and clear way than these common misconceptions.

Jesus is keeping his promise to be present with his people through the work of his Holy Spirit whom he pours out upon all whom he has chosen for himself, (Acts 2:17). This working of the Holy Spirit has both a personal and a communal aspect within the life of the Church.

Personal. For all who have been born again and converted to Christ, the Spirit of Christ indwells our individual hearts and conducts a marvelous ministry within us, (Rom. 8:9). The Spirit of Christ continually works to strengthen our faith, instruct us in truth, convict us of sin, empower us toward righteousness, and persevere us unto glory. Without Christ’s presence in our lives by his Spirit, we would have no hope of salvation or any of the other blessings which accompany salvation. The personal work of the Spirit is indispensable to the soul of every Christian, and by this work, Jesus Christ is keeping his promise to abide with his people, (II Cor. 1:22).

Communal. Yet, the Spirit of Christ also provides a marvelous ministry to the community of God’s people as a whole as well. Not only are we shepherded by the Spirit of Christ at work within our own individual hearts, but we are also shepherded by Jesus’ special gifting and calling of certain men to serve as his official ambassadors in the life of the local church. From the throne of his ascended glory, and for the good of his beloved people, our Great Shepherd Jesus Christ gifts officers (Elders and Deacons) to minister in his behalf to his Bride. In their respective ways, these officers are called “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” in order that the Church may continue to receive all she needs to be defended, preserved, matured, and successful in her outward mission, (Eph. 4:11-16).

Thus, Jesus fulfills his promise to be present with his people not only by pouring out his Spirit within their own individual hearts, but by raising up officers in his Church—“shepherds after [God’s] own heart, who will feed [them] with knowledge and understanding,” (Jer. 3:15). By his Holy Spirit, Jesus provides spiritually-called, spiritually-qualified, and spiritually gifted men, who are members of his covenant people, to serve as spiritual leaders over the local flock, (Acts 20:28). Through the sacrificial service of these Spirit-filled men, Jesus continues to fulfill his promise to be present with his people even to the end of the age.

The Two Continuing Offices of the Church: Elders & Deacons

There are two different offices in which these men are called to serve: the offices of Elder and Deacon. Both roles are important ways that Jesus manifests his presence among his people. Both roles are therefore indispensable to the health and well-being of the local church. Elders and Deacons serve the same Lord among the same flock, but they have been assigned different roles and different authority.

Elders. Elders have ruling authority in the Church and are called to devote themselves to the ministries of the Word and prayer—teaching, encouraging, counseling, correcting, exhorting, disciplining, and generally applying the Word of God to the needs of both the local body as a whole and to the individuals and families who make up that body. Elders serve as spiritual shepherds, having been vested with authority by the Lord Jesus Christ. They are called to do all that they can, in humble dependence upon the Holy Spirit, to faithfully serve and guide the Church according to the Word of God.

Deacons. Deacons serve under the authority of the Elders and do not have ruling authority in the Church. Instead, they serve as key leaders to the flock in the areas of sympathy and service. All Christians are called to help lovingly serve others and meet their earthly needs. But Deacons are especially gifted and called to help organize the local church’s efforts in this regard so that she is made more orderly and effective in the generous distribution of God’s bounty. Deacons give priority to the needs of the local church’s membership first, and then to those outside of the local church, (Gal. 6:10). In addition, Deacons oversee the church’s participation in local outreach, global outreach, inter-ministry partnerships, and the ongoing care of the church’s property.

In Acts 6, we see the Church’s need for both of these essential offices. Even with good intentions, the gathered saints cannot maintain the order and effectiveness that is necessary for her flourishing without godly leadership. In that same chapter, we also see how when both Elders and Deacons were serving the local church according to their assigned roles, “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly…” (Acts 6:7).

God Has Given Us Growth—And With That Growth Comes Greater Needs

In God’s kind providence, we have enjoyed a season of growth over the past three years. We have seen God deepen and strengthen the faith of our members. We have seen God grow our love for him and our desire to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,” (Col. 1:10). We have also seen God add many new members to our number. For all this we rejoice! We are seeing Jesus continue to subdue the nations to himself and to draw his people into the fellowship of his Church! We also recognize with the Apostle Paul that while God has allowed each of us to participate in this good work, any successes we have enjoyed have all come from his own gracious hand alone. As the Scripture plainly declares: “neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth,” (I Cor. 3:7).

With this growth has come an increase in the needs of our body. As a Session, we believe it is the right time for us to seek two important steps in the life of Covenant Grace:

1. We desire to add (at least) two new Ruling Elders to our number.

2. We desire to establish the first Diaconate ministry for our church, consisting of (at least) two to three Deacons.

In pursuit of these aims, we will be undertaking an important multi-step process over the course of the next year to identify, train, call, and ordain spiritually qualified Elders and Deacons to serve Christ in our midst. In order to help us begin this process, I want to set before you an overview of what this process will include, as well as the biblical qualifications which are necessary for anyone who will serve in either of these offices.

Discerning Who is Called to Serve

The offices of Elder and Deacon are sacred offices. Men who are called to serve in these positions are answerable to the Almighty God for their conduct toward the flock and for how they represent the Lord whom they serve, (Heb. 13:17). It is of the utmost importance that officers understand that they do not serve the people of God primarily. Perhaps that sounds strange to you, but let me explain. Officers are servants of Christ first and foremost, not the people of the Church. Officers serve the people of the Church because Christ has called them to do so, and they serve those people according to the will of their Master, not the will of the people. This means that officers must be willing to do what pleases Christ even when they know that this is not what will win the approval of man. They must be willing to teach and live by the whole counsel of God even when the culture around them will scoff at and reject certain aspects of their faithful submission to the Lord. At the end of the day, officers in Christ’s church must understand that they are not politicians seeking public approval in order to continue to obtain the popular vote. No, they serve “coram deo”—before the face of God—and will answer to him alone for their ministry.

God has set forth specific qualifications for Elders and Deacons in his holy Word. Anyone whose Christian life cannot be described as resembling these qualifications is clearly not someone who the Holy Spirit has (yet) called to serve in office. However, there is a need for balance here. Only Jesus Christ fully and perfectly meets the qualifications for office. If the standard were perfection, Christ’s church would be without any leaders. When we are considering these biblical qualifications, we are not asking if the men in question have ever fallen short of this mark. We already know the answer to that question—we all have! Instead, we are asking, does the manner of life which we have observed in these men over a period of time align with the qualifications God has set forth in his Word? And when and if their lives have veered from this standard, how have the men handled that struggle?

Those who are called to serve should be men who others already think of and look to when they are in need of Christian help. Please take time to carefully and prayerfully review these qualifications before offering any suggestions of who you believe the Holy Spirit is calling to serve Christ in this way.

Biblical Qualifications For Elders:

I Timothy 3:1-7

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Titus 1:5-9

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

(Click here to listen to an excellent sermon on the qualifications for Elders by Rev. David Strain)

Biblical Qualifications For Deacons:

I Timothy 3:8-13

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Practical Qualifications For Elders or Deacons:

In addition to the biblical qualifications, there are four other practical qualifications for any men who will serve in office at Covenant Grace Church.

1. They must be a male member of Covenant Grace Church in good standing (exhibiting a “healthy” spiritual life).

2. They must be consciously Reformed in their doctrine and Presbyterian in their view of church government.

3. They must be both willing and able to devote the necessary time to the training required for the pursuit of office.

4. They must be willing and able to devote the time which is necessary to faithful service in office if they should subsequently be ordained.

If any of the biblical or practical qualifications are not sufficiently met, the person is not yet ready to be considered for service in the offices of Christ’s Church.

An Overview of the Process of Calling New Officers

For the sake of simplicity, below you will find a list of the sequence of steps involved in the calling of New Officers.

1. A Season of Suggestion

Explanation: Throughout the month of March (2023) we will be receiving nominations for officers. All nominations are to be male members of Covenant Grace Church in good standing. Nominations are to be submitted privately to Pastor Tom by email or in writing (tbrown@covenantgracegso.com). Included in the nomination should be: The name of the person you are nominating, designation of which office you are nominating that person for, and a thoughtful explanation as to why you believe the Holy Spirit has gifted, called, and equipped that person to serve both Christ and his church in this important capacity.

2. Initial Interviews

Explanation: During March and into the early part of April, Pastor Tom (and/or a member of the Session) will be meeting with the men who have been recommended for office. During this meeting, the men will be examined as to the basic qualifications listed above. They will also be further informed on the schedule for officer training which will begin in mid-April. Pastor Tom will also be reaching out the spouse of any nominees to inquire as to their opinion of their husband’s fitness for office. The men will then be asked to take at least one week to pray about this pursuit with their bride (if applicable) before making a determination as to whether or not they desire to proceed.

3. A Period of Training (Required For Potential Officers, But Open To All Members)

Explanation: Between April 2023 and May 2024 a series of 5 different classes will take place for potential officers (as well as any male or female members who would like to participate in this training without the intent of pursuing office). Each of these classes will meet on a weekly basis for 4-10 weeks, (depending on the length of the particular class). All classes will have required reading and homework and will involve significant investment on the part of participants. Breaks between classes are built in during the months of July & August, and from mid-November through December.

4. Final Examination by the Session & Presentation To the Congregation

Explanation: After completing the training, men will be given by a final exam respective to the areas in which they are being called to serve. Those who, by God’s grace, demonstrate sufficient understanding will be approved by the Session. These trained and qualified candidates will then be presented to the congregation for their final consideration.

5. Congregational Vote

Explanation: During a scheduled congregational meeting, the congregation will vote on the men whom the Session has put forward with respect to the offices which they are seeking.

6. Installation Service For New Officers

Explanation: Those men who are voted into office by the congregation will be installed during a special worship service within the weeks following the congregational meeting.

7. New Officers Begin To Serve

Explanation: In humble dependence upon the Lord, these men will begin to faithfully serve both our congregation and the community around us for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Closing Word

The pursuit of calling new officers is an important step in the life of a church. Leaders play an important role in shaping the future of a church either for good or for harm. Please join us in earnestly praying for the Lord to guide us through this process, to bless those men who pursue office, and to use this undertaking to strengthen us for generations of gospel-ministry to come.

For the glory of the Lamb,

Pastor Tom