Phase One: Elder-in-Training:
A man is identified as someone who could potentially be an Elder and aspires to be an Elder. The current Elders vet him and examine his readiness.

If the Elders believe he ought to start moving toward being an Elder, then the Elders design a training pathway that is 1-3 years long (unique to each man), including reading and various training activities. Once the Elders believe the Elder-in-training has been trained well, they will move this man into the second phase.

Phase Two: Elder Candidate:
A man proves to be trained and there are no red flags with his character or family. The Candidacy phase is 9-18 months (unique to each man). This phase will give the man opportunity to take on more pastoral duties.

The primary goal of this phase is for the congregation to observe and vet this man. There are also potential scenarios where the Elders believe it is ideal for a man to skip Phase One and begin directly in Phase Two candidacy.

Phase Three: Eldership:
At the end of the man’s candidacy phase, the congregation will gather to vote to approve or deny him as an Elder.

Lay Elders shall serve a three-year term on the Council of Elders and be brought before the congregation for renewal at the at end of each term. There shall be no term limits. Vocational Elders shall serve indefinitely until their staff position ceases.

As part of the Eldership Pipeline, our Elder nominees will read/watch and discuss various articles, books, papers, and sermons.

This list (on this page) is not exhaustive; there will be additional assigned resources. But these works will be the core of the development process.

Elders are expected to have read these works prior to becoming Elders:

• Workers for Your Joy (David Mathis)
• Problem of Pain (CS Lewis)
• Abolition of Man (CS Lewis)
• Dangerous Duty of Delight (John Piper)
• Spectacular Sins (John Piper)
• Future Grace (John Piper)
• Leadership and Emotional Sabotage (Joe Rigney)
• Recovering Classic Evangelicalism (Gregg Thornbury)
• The Colson Way (Owen Strachan)
• Christ-Centered Preaching (Bryan Chapel)
• Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self (Carl Trueman)

All potential vocational Elders and Elders/Residents moving toward church planting must also read these books:

• The Advantage (Patrick Lencioni)
• Church Planting Thresholds (Clifton and Solomon)
• Planting by Pastoring (Nathan Knight)
• Saving Eutychus (Millar and Campbell)

In addition, Elders will be expected to be thoroughly acquainted with the ideas/content presented in these works listed below, either by having previously read these exact books or by having learned the ideas/content from some comparable works/resources:

• Church Elders (Jeramie Rinne)
• Church Discipline (Jonathan Leeman)
• Theology for the Church (ed. Danny Akin)
• Don’t Fire Your Church Members (Jonathan Leeman)
• Church History in Plain Language (Bruce Shelley)
• Invitation to Biblical Interpretation (Köstenberger and Patterson)
• Let the Nations Be Glad (John Piper)
• Deacons (Matt Smethurst)
• Your Old Testament Sermon Needs to Get Saved (David King)
• The Baptist Story (Chute, Finn, and Haykin)
• Believers’ Baptism (Schreiner and Wright)
• Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views (Spectrum Multiview Series) (multiple contributors)
• Psychology and Christianity: Five Views (Spectrum Multiview Series) (2nd. ed.) (multiple contributors)

Our Elders joyfully affirm this below-mentioned collection of documents. We believe these documents, together, accurately depict the gospel of Jesus Christ, its doctrines, and its implications:

• Bethlehem Elder Affirmation of Faith
• Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy
• Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
• Nashville Statement on Gender and Sexuality