Grace is led by a community of leaders called the joint elders. It is comprised of:
- Our senior pastor, who is ordained and paid by the church to be our primary teacher and vision caster. The pastor is called by the church and serves indefinitely.
- Any pastoral staff would serve as elders and must meet the qualifications of an elder.
- A group of non-paid elders who meet the spiritual requirements laid out in Scriptures and act in concert with the senior pastor. Elders currently serve three year terms, with a required year of rest between terms.
The elders are equal in authority, but the pastor is considered the “first among equals” because of the clear calling of God upon his life into vocational eldership.
As of December 2009, we have four non-paid elders and our senior pastor.
In our church, deacon and deaconess are not leadership positions. While they lead in areas, they do not set the direction for the church ministries.