CHURCH LEADERSHIP

TEACHING ELDERS: THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD AND SACRAMENT

G-2.0501 Teaching Elder Defined

Teaching elders (also called ministers of the Word and Sacrament) shall in all things be committed to teaching the faith and equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12). They may serve in a variety of ministries, as authorized by the presbytery.

When they serve as preachers and teachers of the Word, they shall preach and teach the faith of the church, so that the people are shaped by the pattern of the gospel and strengthened for witness and service.

When they serve at font and table, they shall interpret the mysteries of grace and lift the people’s vision toward the hope of God’s new creation.

When they serve as pastors, they shall support the people in the disciplines of the faith amid the struggles of daily life. When they serve as presbyters, they shall participate in the responsibilities of governance, seeking always to discern the mind of Christ and to build up Christ’s body through devotion, debate, and decision.