Elders

An Elder must be a mature Christian man who meets the standards for an Elder described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-4, and Titus 1:6-9. The Elder should be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined, respectable, hospitable, managing his own family well and in a manner worthy of full respect. He must also have demonstrated a shepherd’s heart and a spirit of humility through a history of selfless service to and through the church, such as serving as a Deacon, teaching Sunday School or Bible study, serving on committees or ministry teams, regularly volunteering and serving in church ministries, and other similar acts of service. This service will be exemplified by our Lord’s teaching on leadership and humility (Matthew 20:27-28; Luke 10:9-14; Luke 14:1-11). An Elder must be a God-fearing man who shows the Fruits of the Spirit in his life. He must also be able to teach others the way of the Lord and defend truth in the face of false teaching (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Titus 1:9). He must not be quarrelsome (1 Timothy 3:3) or enter into senseless controversies (1 Timothy 1:3 and 6:4-5).

Additionally, an Elder must be at least 30 years old, have been a believer and a member of FHBC for at least five years prior to beginning his term of service (1 Timothy 3:6), be a practicing financial tither to the church, and over the past three years have demonstrated active, faithful, and selfless service to the church as set out above.

A man shall not be eligible to serve as an Elder for a period of two years following the end of his most recent term of service as an Elder.