Jesus Is The Senior Pastor
While we at Redeemer believe that we are biblically instructed to install elders to shepherd the flock, we also affirm that each of these elders must ultimately be submitted to One Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:4). All major decisions over the church as well as vision for the church are submitted to His authority, through prayer and through careful and humble investigation of His perfect and Holy Word given to us in the Bible. Jesus is our Senior Pastor, our Lead Elder and our Chief Shepherd, and it is Him that we serve with gladness.
Pastors
An elder (pastor) is described in the bible as an “overseer” or “shepherd” of the local church. The biblical qualifications for an elder are outlined clearly in Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and 1 Peter 5:1-5. At Redeemer church, the elders serve in a variety of capacities, all of which fall under the biblical model of leading and teaching the members of the local church. At Redeemer, we have a plurality of elders including one staff elder, who focuses his time on preaching, teaching and vision casting for the church, serving alongside a group of non-staff elders. These non-staff elders help with teaching, counseling and other church needs as they arise. Each of the elders also has specific areas of focus, which they oversee, such as prayer, membership, and finances. Ultimately, all of the elders at Redeemer serve together underneath our Great Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
Staff
In addition to elders and deacons, Redeemer Church also has other various part-time and full-time staff who work in specific ministries within the church. These staff members are again men and women who have demonstrated a commitment to and love for the local church and who have devoted themselves to a particular ministry within the church. Some examples of staff members include the director of Redeemer Kids (the children’s ministry of Redeemer) as well as the leader over the 242 (the college ministry of Redeemer).
Deacons | Deaconess
A deacon is a man or woman who serves the church in a variety of functions, including administrative duties, finances, and caring for the practical and spiritual needs of the members of the church family. They are people who have shown a particular love for the local church and a desire to serve the church family in a particularly selfless way. The qualifications for a deacon are outlined in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, and spoken of less extensively in other passages including Philippians 1:1 and Acts 6:1-6. Deacons are publicly installed by the church after a period of testing and confirmation. At Redeemer a deacon may be a staff member of the church, or may serve as a non-staff deacon.
