Dear Cornerstone Family,
“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: 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; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” —I Peter 5:1-4
One of the joys of serving as a pastor at Cornerstone is having a strong group of leaders to work beside in ministry. At Cornerstone we believe the Bible teaches that there are two primary offices for leadership in the church—elders and deacons. Based on the qualifications for the offices found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, we regularly nominate, train, and elect men for these two offices, so that spiritual and physical oversight is given to the body of Christ.
Toward this end, I’m very pleased to announce that at our February session meeting the elders once again voted to begin a new officer nomination, training, and election cycle at Cornerstone. Nominations for the office of elder and deacon will open two weeks from today on Sunday, February 26th and close two weeks later on Sunday, March 13th.
Following nomination, the pastors and elders will evaluate nominees for fitness and qualification for office. After initial evaluation, a certain number of nominees will be invited to officer training. Upon accepting the invitation to officer training, the nominee becomes a candidate for officership. Candidates will be trained in the areas of personal character, family management, knowledge of the Bible, the Westminster Confession of Faith, history and constitution of the PCA, and the duties of the office of Elder and Deacon. After successfully completing the training process, candidates will be examined by the elders in the aforementioned areas. Upon successful completion of examination, the elders will recommend candidates to the congregation for election.
Between now and February 26th, we urge all members of Cornerstone to begin prayerfully identifying qualified men in our congregation for the office of either elder or deacon. As you undertake this important responsibility, please remember that only official members of Cornerstone are eligible to nominate for office, and only men who have been official members of Cornerstone for at least one year are eligible to stand for office.
In the next couple of weeks, we will republish and review the unique job descriptions of elders and deacons. In addition, we will explain in detail the process for submitting an official officer nomination. Please pay close attention to any and all communication from the church regarding the upcoming officer nomination season.
Grace & Peace,
