Elders

Westover Elders

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you." - Hebrews 13:17

What is an Elder?

There are two major functions of an elder: governance (1 Tim 5:17, 3:4-5, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2, 1 Thess 5:12, Acts 14:23, Heb 13:17) and teaching (Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Tim 3:2, 5:17, Titus 1:9). Within these functions, there are 4 basic responsibilities: Leadership, Vision, Shepherding, and Sound Doctrine.

Elders...

Enact church policy, with the Senior Pastor and Strategic Leadership Team, while setting the direction of the church (Acts 15:22)
Lead, teach, and preach within the body (1 Timothy 5:17)
Exhort and refute – protecting the Westover body from doctrinal error (Titus 1:9)
Act as shepherds, setting an example for all (1 Peter 5:1-3). They are to devote themselves first to prayer and to the ministry of the Word, while delegating ministry assignments to gifted and qualified individuals (Acts 6:3-4)
Interview new members, ensuring they are ready for membership and understand the membership commitment

What are the Biblical Qualifications of an Elder?

1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 identify the biblical qualifications of an Elder. An Elder must also accept the Articles of Faith in the Westover constitution. He must be a man of exemplary Christian conduct who is devoted in attendance and service to the Church. He must also have served served at Westover for at least one year as a Deacon.

What is the Elders' relationship to the congregation?

Elders are called and appointed by God, confirmed by the church body and ordained to shepherd the local body of believers. They are responsible for modeling biblical lifestyles. Hebrews 13:7 and 17 emphasize both the responsibility to live as an example, manifesting virtue in his lifestyle, and the church's desire to follow this example.

Who are the Elders and how are they selected?

Active Elders identify qualified men and present them to the membership of Westover for confirmation each year. Elder candidates are selected by observing the life and ministry of men as they serve at Westover. There is a formal interview process with each Elder candidate. Once confirmed by the membership, Elders serve a four-year term.

Our current elders are: