Leaders are first and foremost servants of Jesus and therefore servant leaders. We also recognize that all leadership in the church flows from the authority of Christ as the head of the church and all true authority resides not in a man or position but the word of God. Jesus is the chief shepherd of the flock, the risen and reigning King who has been seated with all authority to advance the Gospel through his body.

When we look at the scriptures (specifically the Acts and the Epistles) we don’t see leaders as disconnected decision-makers or power brokers in the church. We see examples of Christian maturity, who are not perfect but have evidenced maturity in Christ. Therefore the fundamental identity of a Christian is a disciple. Leaders are disciples first and leaders second. A disciple is an identity; everything else is a role (mother, worker, etc).

Elders are biblically qualified men who lead the church as co-equals. They submit to Christ and each other as they humbly serve as examples to the church, overseeing the direction of the church, protecting the church by teaching sound biblical doctrine, and shepherding both individual and corporate spiritual growth. Redeemer’s Elders lead together, equal in authority and accountability, unique in function, and unified in direction and vision. The elder team is comprised of qualified men who meet the qualifications in Scripture. Elders oversee and shepherd specific gospel communities, as well as provide general direction and vision for Redeemer as a whole.