Elder Nominations

Any member of New Life Church may be involved in the process of selecting a man of God to serve as an Elder. The steps below explain the process that we follow to be in line with our church constitution. In order to have the names and bios available to our church members ahead of our annual meeting, we will need nominations by Sunday, June 9.     

  1. Congregational Input

  • Please read through the Biblical qualifications of a elder, the constitutional role of an elder, and the time commitment of an elder.

  • Pray

  • If God puts a man’s name on your heart, who fits the above qualifications and is a member of New Life Church, please fill out the online Elder Nomination Form. You are welcome to call the church office (605-886-1977) or talk to a current elder if you have any questions.

2. Elder Evaluation

Names submitted will be prayed over by the current Elders.

3. Self-Evaluation

If God confirms the man with the current Elders, they will approach him and invite him to pray about the possibility of serving as an Elder.

4. Congregational Confirmation

If God confirms to that man, His desire to have him serve, the Elders will post his name and ask the church members to confirm the man to serve as an Elder. The confirmation vote will take place at our Annual Business Meeting at the end of August (date TBD) and the name(s) and bios of elder candidates will be included in our Annual Report which will be available at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting.

Biblical Qualifications of an Elder

  1. Above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6)

  2. The husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6)

  3. Sober-minded (1 Timothy 3:2)

  4. Self-controlled (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8)

  5. Respectable (1 Timothy 3:2)

  6. Hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8)

  7. Able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2)

  8. Not a drunkard (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)

  9. Not violent (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)

  10. Gentle (1 Timothy 3:3)

  11. Not quarrelsome (1 Timothy 3:3)

  12. Not a lover of money (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)

  13. Manages his household well (1 Timothy 3:4-5; Titus 1:6)

  14. Not a new convert (1 Timothy 3:6)

  15. Well thought of by outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7)

  16. Not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7)

  17. A lover of good (Titus 1:8)

  18. Upright (Titus 1:8)

  19. Holy (Titus 1:8)

  20. Disciplined (Titus 1:8)

  21. Holds fast to the Word (Titus 1:8)

  22. Eager and willing to shepherd the Church (1 Peter 5:2)

1 Timothy 3:1-10 

3 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. 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.

Titus 1:6-9

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.

1 Peter 5:1-5

5 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 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; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

 An Elder’s Ministry Role - From our Constitution

 Elders.

A. Name.

The New Testament uses the terms elder, pastor-teacher, overseers and bishop interchangeably. For the purpose of this Constitution these officers shall be called Elders (1 Peter 5:1-5; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 5:17; Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1). In keeping with their Biblical calling as overseers, the Elders shall make up the governing Board of the church. They shall provide overall direction for the Body by planning, authorizing implementation of the ministries, and evaluating the general effectiveness of the properties and ministries. This Board shall present a formalized budget to the Congregation for their approval at the Annual meeting and shall provide the Congregation with an annual report of the ministries and the future plans/visions of the church. The Board shall choose one from the group who shall act as the Church Chairman for a period of one year. The Church Chairman shall preside over all meetings and present the agenda for discussion. Each year the Board shall choose one from the group who shall act as the Secretary and maintain minutes of the Board meetings. This Board shall meet on a monthly basis.

B. Responsibilities.

1) To Shepherd the Flock. The Elder Board shall purpose to shepherd the flock (Acts 20:28), by being on guard for them, presenting God’s Word, praying regularly for their needs and illnesses (James 5:14-15), being a godly example (1 Peter 5:3), and listening to the desires of their hearts for the local church.

2) To Maintain General Oversight of the Church Ministries (Titus 1:7), seeking to remain focused on our church’s purpose and mission statement.

C. Qualifications.

An Elder shall meet the qualifications listed in 1 Timothy 3:1- 10, Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Peter 5:1-5.

 D. Terms.

When a man is observed to be doing the work of an Elder, and seems to meet the qualifications listed above, he shall be considered for the office by the Elder Board. After interviewing him and examining his life, testimony and desire to serve, his name shall be brought before the Congregation for a vote to confirm God’s calling for him to be an Elder in the church. He shall serve for a three year term. At the end of that term, the rest of the Elder Board shall meet with the man to evaluate his ministry and see about his desire to continue as an Elder. After this, if the Lord is leading to have him continue, the Congregation shall evaluate his ministry and have the opportunity to reaffirm him as an Elder. An Elder can serve two consecutive terms and must then be off for a year.

 Ministry Role Summary:

Elders oversee the doctrine, the character and the needs of the church.

 Elder Time Commitment

  1. Elders attend a monthly business meeting focused on ministry, leadership and finances.

  2. Elders attend a second monthly meeting focused on prayer, training, team building and social time.

  3. Elders must regularly attend services and be involved in serving in the ministries of New Life Church. Through this attendance and serving they are able to observe and fellowship with the church family, therefore knowing their needs as well as supporting the ministries of our church.

  4. New Elders will complete Elder training.