How we Operate

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Titus 1:9

We’re a Presbyterian Church and that means we’re not led by any one person, but a group of people. The word ‘Presbyter’ is a Greek word meaning ‘Elder’. Elders are people who God has entrusted to be leaders of his church. These are people who know the good news about Jesus and want to share it with others. They must be reliable, of good character, and able to teach (Titus 1:7-9). This means the Presbyterian Church is not a democracy, but rather has entrusted the task of leadership to suitably qualified people. The Elders of a church are free to decide on the format for the election of new Elders and the election of the Committee of Management.

We have some of our people elected to a Committee of Management. This Committee is in charge of maintenance, approving funds for the purchase of resources, like bibles and Sunday school materials. They look after the outgoing and incoming funds. But they are not quite like a Lions club or Rotary. They’re main concern is that what they do makes it easier for others to hear about Jesus.

We have other leaders in our church as well, but ultimately all our leaders come under the authority of our Elders. Others in our church teach Sunday School, do our Kid’s Spot and some preach occasionally as well. Everyone working with children has attended a certified child protection course.

We’re a funny lot us Presbyterians. We have two types of members, Adherents and Communicants. There’s not a lot of difference really. Both have accepted that Jesus died for them and both are happy to sit under the leadership of the church. The only real difference is that a communicant member has made a public profession of faith and must have been baptized at some stage in their life. In our church, you must be a Communicant or an Adherent to vote for or be placed on the Committee of Management and only Communicant members can vote for, or be voted onto the Eldership. Care for the spiritual maturity of believers is a high priority in the Presbyterian church and so we feel a public confession of faith showing clearly a right understanding of the gospel is a step in the right direction for anyone wishing to serve as an Elder or wishing to participate in the election of new Elders. This is not about elitism, but about the right people leading God’s people.

We have a policy to give new comers six months breathing space before being involved in any formal leadership responsibility. This is a chance for you to relax, settle in and just hang out with us. There are, like most things, exceptions to this rule for those we know have been entrusted by the Lord in other situations and of whom we are confident of their ability and godliness. Naturally, it is not our desire to stifle the gifts of others and it will always be the case that those with gifts in teaching, encouragement, hospitality etc... will be exercising those gifts whether they are formally recognized or not. Secondly, like all good policy, it is set in place for our protection. For example, slowing down to 40km/h around a school zone may prevent a serious accident. Our church policy operates in a similar way. We know that people are big enough and ugly enough to look after themselves physically, but God warns us to watch out for false teachers. He calls them ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ which indicates they are not always easily spotted! Good leadership is essential for the growth and maturity of God’s people, so it makes sense to take it slowly—like in a school zone!