Redeemer Officer Nominations: April 1 to 30
The Session is soliciting nominations for the office of ruling elder and deacon through the month of April. The nomination form is available below.
Nominating potential officers is one of the primary responsibilities of the congregation. The structure of our church government is, like our American system, representative in nature. That is, the congregation chooses those whom they wish to exercise leadership among them. This season of nominating men to serve as elders or deacons should be a time spent in prayerful consideration, careful conversation with potential nominees, and hopeful expectation that God’s will may be done through this process.
All nominees are required to attend two semesters of class instruction and submit to written and oral exams before the Session to determine if they are qualified to stand for election. Successful nominees will be presented to the congregation in Summer 2025.
After several years of back-to-back nomination periods, the Session has determined to hold nominations every two years for the foreseeable future. So, anyone who desires to serve but is not nominated in 2024 will need to wait until 2026 for their next opportunity.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the pastors or elders for information.
Officer Nominations – Choose the form that works best for you.
This is a pdf hat you can print, fill out/sign and return to Barry McBee via scan: bmcbee56@gmail.com or via mail: 2111 Alexander Ave, Austin 78722
[click here for nomination form]
The alternative is a Google form that you can fill out online.
[Google Form link]
One of the regular responsibilities of the congregation is to nominate men to serve Redeemer as elders and deacons. The session is calling on you to enter into a season of prayer and consideration of men in the congregation who might be qualified to serve the church in this way. Starting on April 1 and concluding on April 30, the elders are requesting that you nominate men for the office of elder and deacon. You will find a nomination form at the end of this handout. For the next month, forms will also be available in the narthex, in the church office, and in the link above.
There are three steps to nominating someone to serve:
First, pray and observe. Who is already doing the work of an elder or deacon in our church, but without the title? Who would you turn to or direct others to for spiritual care and material help? Who is God raising up amongst us that we in turn should recognize?
Second, ask. Before you nominate anyone, you should ask them if they would consider serving Redeemer in this way. Meet the man for coffee; invite him and his family over for lunch; send him questions via email or text. The officers of the church must agree with the system of doctrine contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms. As you consider men to serve in this capacity, part of your responsibility is to ask if they agree with those doctrines.
Third, nominate. No one can be considered unless they have been nominated. Please use the official form. Do not merely mention your nomination to someone; do not send an email or a text. Fill out the form and turn it in.
After all the nominations have been received, we will contact the nominees to confirm that they are willing to be considered. Those who are will be evaluated by the session to see if they are qualified to serve. A key part of the evaluation is the completion of Leadership Training and Officer Training. Any nominee who has not yet completed both classes will be asked to do so before being subject to a final interview and theological examination by the session.
Once the session determines who is eligible to stand for election, we will circulate their names, photos, and brief biographical statements for your prayerful consideration. A congregational meeting will be scheduled at least thirty days later. A nominee must receive at least a simple majority to be elected. Once the elections are completed, we will schedule a Sunday to ordain and install our new officers. Thank you for fulfilling an important part of your responsibility as a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church! May God guide us as we choose new elders and deacons to serve us.
Guidelines for Officer Nominations at Redeemer Presbyterian Church
Nominating godly individuals for office within the Presbyterian Church in America and Redeemer Presbyterian Church is a weighty and significant responsibility. No one should undertake it lightly. Godly and effective leadership is essential to the purity and peace of Christian congregations. If the church’s leadership is weak, the church will also be weak.
With that in mind, please prayerfully consider the following guidelines as you answer these questions:
1. Should I nominate someone for office at RPC?
2. Should I accept a nomination for office at RPC
To help you answer those questions, please consider the five categories below that help determine someone’s qualification to serve as an officer of Christ’s church.
Calling
Calling is both an inward and outward reality. One should not only desire to serve, but also be recognized by the body of the church as one having the requisite gifts (see 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 6:3ff).
Some Questions to Ask:
– Has the church had sufficient time and opportunity to recognize this person’s desire for service and gifts for ministry?
– If so, does the church as a body recognize this person’s desire and gifts for ministry?
Character
No leader is perfect; far from it. However, a leader’s character must be exemplary, consistently modeling the character of Christ. Again, please see 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9 for biblical guidance regarding character qualifications.
Some Questions to Ask:
– Without demanding perfection, does this person evidence a striving after holiness by God’s grace?
– Does this person show both godly confidence and gracious humility?
Competency
God calls officers to serve in various ways; those holding these offices should evidence the desire and ability to fulfill them.
Elders: God calls elders to shepherd people, spiritually equipping and caring for them with great gentleness, graciousness, and diligence (1 Peter 5:2ff). They should be willing to support the ministry of the local church and the work of the presbytery and denomination (see Acts 15:1-35). While elders should have a thorough understanding of Scripture and doctrine and an ability to teach the same, they should not be doctrinaire or contentious on secondary matters (2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15; 2 Timothy 2:23; Titus 3:9). Lastly, they should be willing and able to visit and pray with members of the congregation as needed (James 5:14).
Deacons: God calls deacons to care for the physical needs of Christ’s people (Acts 6). Deacons should be sufficiently knowledgeable of the Scriptures, discerning and pursuing godly aims in the light of his Word (1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9). Lastly, they should be willing to serve under the authority of the elders as a way of freeing them to focus on their respective responsibilities (Acts 6).
Some Questions to Ask:
Does this person have an established record of worship and overall ministry participation? In other words, are they routinely and significantly involved at Redeemer?
– Is this person gentle in spirit, gracious, and dependable?
– Is this person well-known to this body of believers?
– Does this person have the time necessary to serve as an elder or deacon?
– Is this person doctrinally sound, without being doctrinaire/contentious or divisive?
– Is this person a doer of the Word?
– If called upon, could this person competently teach people about the faith?
– Is this person a team player, even able to enthusiastically support decisions of the session or deacons with which he disagrees (if on secondary or non-essential matters)?
– Could this person make visits to and pray with members of the congregation as needed?
Compatibility
Candidates need to understand, embrace, and fit into Redeemer’s life and vision. Candidates also need to work well with others, generally, and be willing to work with existing elders and deacons, particularly.
Some Questions to Ask:
– Is this person compatible with the ministry, philosophy, and strategic vision of Redeemer?
– Will this person support the work of the other officers and equip them for the same?
Comprehension
Candidates need to understand and accept Redeemer’s convictions about theology and church government. This involves an agreement with and commitment to the Bible’s inspiration and ultimate authority, to Presbyterian church government, and to the Westminster standards. While we can permit some stated exceptions to our secondary standards, these are typically quite limited.
Some Questions to Ask:
– Is this person well-versed in the central doctrines of the Reformed faith, not enamored with theological fads or heterodox practices and beliefs?
– Will this person operate well within a Presbyterian framework?