Under Christ as the only Head of His Church, our body is structured in three layers that work together. None ranks above the others; each serves the others; together they build up the Body.
Christ as Head
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Head of this church. Every other person and every other structure in this body sits under His authority and His Word. Where we get it right, it is by His grace. Where we get it wrong, His Word corrects us.
The Saints
The Saints are the body. Every member of our church is gifted by the Spirit, called by the Lord, and sent into the world as an ambassador of Christ. The Saints are not the audience for ministry; the Saints are the ones who do the ministry. Sunday worship is for the Saints. Discipleship is for the Saints. Programs are for the Saints. The work of equipping every Saint is the central purpose of our church.
The Spiritual Eldership
A team of qualified men, identified, installed, and walking together, who provide spiritual oversight, teach the scriptures, shepherd the flock, pray for the sick, address false teaching where it appears, exercise loving discipline where needed, and lead the annual rhythm of the church. The Eldership is not a board; it is a team of shepherds. The qualifications come from 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The process by which Elders are identified is set out in a separate document of our Series, walked through with prayer and fasting over months.
The Diaconate
A team of qualified Saints — men and women — who attend to the practical needs of the body so that the Eldership can give itself to prayer and the Word, and so that the Saints are well served in mercy, hospitality, helps, and administration. The Diaconate carries the operational work of the church. The qualifications come from 1 Timothy 3:8–13.
The Five-Fold Equipping Ministry
Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — the equipping gifts the ascended Christ gave His Church (Ephesians 4:11). These gifts are received, not appointed. The Eldership recognises them as they appear in the body and releases them to do their work. Some of these gifts operate within our local body; some operate beyond it in partnership with other bodies; some operate itinerantly. We are part of a wider Body of Christ, and we walk in fellowship with other bodies.
The Annual Rhythm
Each year, the Eldership leads the body through a five-stage planning process: prayer and alignment; review of the body’s gifts and current ministries; workshops with the Saints to discern the Lord’s direction; scoping of the work; and the annual Prospectus that is presented to the body at the Annual General Meeting. The base operating costs of the church are disclosed transparently. New ministries for the year ahead are funded in faith. Every Saint who steps into a specific ministry does so under a Ministry Works Agreement — a voluntary, joint, clear articulation of what the Saint will do, with what time, with what resources, in what working relationships. Through the year, the body sees the funding status every six weeks. Nothing is hidden. Everyone knows where we stand.
The Household
Strong churches are built on strong households. The marriage covenant, the parenting of children, the courtship that prepares for marriage, the daily devotion of families — these are the foundation on which everything else stands. The pattern is set out at length in another document of our Series. The body walks alongside every household to support, equip, and encourage.