Elders

Since its founding, River City Church has operated with a staff-led structure. Early in the church's history, however, founder Antley Fowler recognized the importance of balanced leadership and established a board of Elders. The Elder board was formed to ensure proper leadership direction and governance, maintain financial accountability, provide spiritual guidance, and oversee ministry activities.

The New Testament records evidence of pastoral oversight by a council of elders in nearly all the first churches. In Scripture, "elders" refers to mature leaders within a church community, while the "chief shepherd" is Jesus Christ — meaning that elders serve as under-shepherds, responsible for caring for the flock of believers under the ultimate leadership of Jesus.

At River City Church, Elders are installed as spiritual leaders over our community as laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9, 1 Peter 5:1–4, and Acts 20:17–35. They provide spiritual oversight, strategic direction, and overall leadership for the church, entrusting the implementation of that direction to ministry leaders and staff under the leadership of the Lead Pastor. Senior staff leadership is held accountable for fulfilling the church's vision and mission.

This leadership structure enables our Elders to focus on their biblical calling to govern and shepherd the church. At the same time, empowered staff and ministry leaders are able to use their own gifts and abilities to lead their areas of ministry and make practical decisions for fulfilling the Elders' vision and direction. Our Lead Pastor serves as one of the Elders, providing an important connection between the Elder board and the staff.

In the decisions they make on behalf of the church, our Elders are committed to prayerful, collective discernment. Rather than relying on a majority vote, they seek unanimity — waiting and praying together until they reach a shared conviction about God's direction.

Because River City Church is both a spiritual body and a legal one, our Elders also serve as the Board of Directors of the corporation, acting as trustees in the major financial and business matters of the church.

The responsibilities of our Elders vary widely and require discernment as the board works to keep the church on its biblical course. Our Elders are responsible for the following, and may delegate to other qualified people in the body so that these duties are carried out effectively.

Provide Spiritual Oversight

• Carry ultimate responsibility for the church's vision and future direction.

• Ensure that all teachings and practices align with sound biblical theology.

• Develop policies that define church values and establish biblical operating procedures.

• Guard the church against false teaching and behavior contradictory to biblical truth.

• Teach the Word of God.

Shepherd the Flock

• Provide pastoral care to the church community.

• Facilitate conflict resolution in keeping with the principles Jesus taught in Matthew 18.

• Administer discipline and guide restoration processes with grace and truth.

• Direct people toward appropriate avenues for guidance, assistance, and problem resolution.
  

Steward the Church

• Affirm the annual budget and guide decisions related to financial matters and risk management.

• Support and encourage the Lead Pastor, our staff, and their families.

• Oversee the work of staff and other agents of the church, entrusting day-to-day implementation to ministry leaders.

• Delegate to qualified leaders, staff, or outside experts as needed.

Pray for the Sick

• Demonstrate concern for the physical health of the congregation by regularly praying for the sick.

• Support and affirm the work of our prayer ministry.

• In particular circumstances, visit and pray with those who are ill.

As outlined in RCC’s bylaws, Elders are selected and nominated by the current Elders and go through a prayerful process of screening and interviewing. 

Candidates are then presented to those who call River City Church home, for prayer and feedback. The congregation has a 21-day period to express any concerns. In keeping with the conflict resolution principles found in Matthew 18, concerns should begin with direct communication with the candidate; if necessary, they can be brought to the Elder board for further consideration, or sent to elders@rivercitychurch.com.

Paul warns Timothy not to be hasty in the “laying on of hands" — that is, in commissioning elders — and he explains why: "The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden" (1 Timothy 5:24–25, ESV).

Therefore, we employ a three-month provisional period for new Elders. This season allows for the evaluation of a candidate's character, spiritual maturity, and alignment with the church's vision before formal, long-term appointment. It typically involves mentoring, observing the candidate in leadership settings, and a formal review at the end of three months.

The provisional period also gives the candidate an opportunity to observe the inner workings of the board, to raise specific questions and concerns, and to weigh the impact of the role on personal, family, and professional responsibilities. It offers a candidate the option to decline the role in a way that is composed and worthy of respect — understanding that an honest withdrawal is better than serving as a reluctant or ill-equipped leader.

If, after this season, it seems right to the Elders, to the candidate, and to the Holy Spirit, candidates are invited before the church again and ordained as Elders of River City Church by the laying on of hands.

Our Elders enter into a shared covenant governing how they serve, relate to one another, care for the congregation, and make decisions together.

By the astounding grace of Jesus Christ, we have been entrusted with the extraordinary role of "under-shepherds," called to care for His flock at River City Church. We recognize that our spiritual and relational health creates the context in which this role takes place. Therefore, we enter into this covenant, expressing an earnest commitment to our mutual obligations, in a spirit of Christlike honor and respect.

With faith, humility, and resolve, we consecrate ourselves to the glory of God and the good of His people, and to fulfilling the tasks entrusted to us.

We commit to watch over one another in love; to remember one another in prayer; to support one another in sickness and distress; and to foster a culture of honor among us, recognizing, affirming, and empowering the special purposes and gifts God has given each of us.

Steadfast Spiritual Formation and Practice

We will continually pursue personal intimacy with God by spending time in His presence through spiritual disciplines — engaging His Word, praying, confessing our sins, repenting, fasting, and celebration.

We will, by God's grace, seek to walk in holiness in all areas of life as an act of worship to Jesus Christ. We will declare and demonstrate the Gospel in both word and deed and bear witness to God's Kingdom of righteousness, mercy, justice, hope, and healing.

We will pray regularly for those in our church, for our staff, and for our Elder team, that His Spirit would be at work in them. We will pray that God would grow us all in Christ, and that He would strengthen us to do His work.

We will steward the resources God has given us, including our time, talents, spiritual gifts, and finances. This includes regular financial giving, service, and participation in community.

Authentic Relationships with Each Other

We will seek to honor one another in our thoughts, words, and deeds. We will affirm and submit to one another's gifting and experience. We will seek to exercise care and watchfulness over each other and each other's family.

We commit to mutual accountability, approaching each other in love when we see departure from our shared responsibilities and obligations.

We will be slow to take offense but quick to resolve any conflict with grace, respect, and humility, diligently following the biblical directives of Jesus.

We will offer forgiveness and receive it from one another, believing the best about each other's motives.

We will value and honor each other's time and energy in how we respond in communication and how we prepare for and participate in meetings.

We will uphold confidentiality at all times. Where spouses are brought into our confidence as our partners in this ministry, they will hold the same measure of confidentiality to which we hold ourselves.

Attentive Shepherding of the Flock

We commit to shepherd, mentor, equip, and care for the flock. This includes, but is not limited to: 1) praying for and consoling those in suffering or need, 2) overseeing the ministry of the Word and prayer, 3) promoting unity and facilitating reconciliation, and 4) equipping the saints for ministry.

We will ensure that the whole counsel of God is faithfully proclaimed and taught from the whole of Scripture. We will be on guard against false teachers and teachings and protect the sheep from their influence.

Diligent Support of Our Lead Pastor

We commit to honor our Lead Pastor as a servant of Jesus Christ, to give the esteem, love, and obedience which the Word of God prescribes, and to offer our faithful assistance and prayers.

We commit to help our Lead Pastor maintain physical, spiritual, and relational health, including rest, time with family, and time away with the Lord.

We will seek to assist our Lead Pastor in growing in their calling, developing their gifts, shepherding the staff, and leading the church.

Secure Confidence in the Leading of the Spirit

We are qualified only by the calling and work of the Spirit in our lives. Therefore, we will seek to continually rely on the Holy Spirit's strength, power, and guidance.

We hold that in His love, God longs to show us His will for our church, and that the Holy Spirit will reveal His will to us as we humbly seek Him. We commit to prayerfully seek God's will for our church community and to steward her resources to the best of our ability, based on our understanding of the Scriptures and the guidance of the Spirit.

We commit to enter any discernment process holding loosely our own ideas, opinions, and preferences about the matter, trusting fully that God's wisdom will come through our corporate discernment. We will be willing and open for God to change our hearts.

Unyielding Commitment to Unity

We will seek to work in harmony with staff and other church leadership to preserve unity in the body of Christ, striving to be a continual source of encouragement with an attitude of honesty, openness, support, and cooperation.

We will not move forward on any decision or initiative without reaching unanimity to do so. Unanimity means that everyone is either in agreement about the will of God or acquiesces to the position of those believing they have a clear understanding of God's will. It also means that no one is convicted that it is not God's will to proceed.

If unanimity is not reached, we will persevere in prayer and humble engagement with one another until God has brought us all to peaceful conviction regarding His will, or we will wait.

We commit to taking full responsibility for the corporate decisions of this group, and we will always represent this group well and fully support these decisions. We commit to speak with one voice outside of our meetings and to support any decision of the group as if the vote had been unanimous.

We will acknowledge fully that we are a team of fallible human beings. Therefore, we continue to listen to hear God's voice for confirmation or correction, and willingly seek forgiveness when the Lord brings to our attention that we have missed hearing His voice.

We commit to listen to the concerns of, and communicate transparently with, the church body to the best of our abilities within the bounds of this covenant.

We recognize that we can only be faithful to this covenant by being thoroughly dependent on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, both individually and collectively. We commit to the Lord, to one another, and to the River City Church family to honor this covenant, and we ask for God's Spirit to empower us to do so. Each of us agrees to step down if we can no longer fulfill the role or meet the qualifications.