Elder Letter

14 May 2008
Brothers and sisters,

We are writing to God’s holy people [at Barcroft Bible Church], who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace. (Colossians 1:2) We take this opportunity to report the results of the nominating committee and other issues before the church.

God raised up one man to serve as Elder. As God wills, Dick Fitts has agreed to serve as the Missions Elder. Please take the time to meet with him and discuss his vision for Missions at our church. With only one additional Elder, the Board will be three (3) short of the seven (7) required in the Bylaws. In accordance with our Bylaws, we have already contacted members of the Advisory Council regarding their willingness to serve on the Board of Elders beginning 1 July. This will ensure we can continue to conduct church business. God is providing us an opportunity to continue to grow in our understanding of what it means to be His under-shepherds. In particular, appointment as an Elder is a lifetime commitment, not 2, 4 or 6 years; also there is no particular number of Elders required, though wisdom may dictate no less than three. Until we more closely align our Bylaws with Scripture regarding church governance we will ask you to approve on 8 June a one year waiver to our Bylaws regarding the number of elders required to conduct church business.

No one has agreed to serve as Treasurer. Our Bylaws require a man for this position. This requirement is a holdover from the days when the Treasurer was part of the “official” board. The Board of Elders as described in our current Bylaws does not include the Treasurer. The nominating committee is pursuing the possibility of having a woman fill this position. If you are interested, please contact Wayne Shaffer. If a woman agrees to serve as Treasurer, then we will put forward a motion at the 8 June congregational meeting to waive the requirement in our Bylaws that a man must fill this position.

The future direction of this church includes governance by a Council of Elders versus a Board of Elders. We are already operating as a Council, a group of peers devoting ourselves to prayer and the Word to ensure sound doctrine, to disciple others and to provide direction for this church. Our Bylaws prescribe a governing structure that distracts the Elders from their primary function in the Body. In the coming months, we will be discussing with you God’s unfolding vision for this church and the changes required for facilitating that vision. We expect formal presentation of these changes at the September congregational meeting.

We continue to praise God for what He is doing and look forward to discussing these issues further with you this Friday 16 May at the Potluck with a Purpose.

In His service,
The Elders