THE BOARD OF ELDERS

The Board of Elders shall form an extension of the Pastoral Office of the Congregation. The primary concern of this Board shall be the spiritual life of the whole Congregation and of the individual members and families specifically. The qualifications for the office of Elder are given in the Scriptures, especially in I Timothy 3:8-12. Only male confirmed members who

exhibit these qualities of spirituality and Christian development and who have reached their twenty-fifth birthday shall be eligible for this Board.

The Board shall consist of an elected Chairman selected by the Board and affirmed by the

Voter’s !ssembly, and an appropriate number of elected Elders as determined by the

Pastor(s) and the Chairman of the Board of Elders whose numbers shall approximate one Elder per twenty member families. The Board shall appoint a secretary who shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings especially in the cases of church discipline. The Elders shall be continuously involved in training programs with the Pastor, and each newly elected Elder shall be trained for his basic duties before being asked to perform those duties.

It shall be the duty of the Board to:

1.            Pray diligently for the Pastor(s) and other spiritual leaders, for the Congregation and its members. Each Board of Elders meeting shall open and close with prayer;

2.            Give constant attention to the preaching and teaching of the Pastor and all teachers, making certain that Article III of this Constitution is adhered to. Doctrinal concerns shall be worked through with the Pastor(s) and, if necessary, the Circuit Counselor and other District officials;

3.            Give constant attention to the worship life of the Congregation. The ushers, the altar guild, Worship Committee, acolytes, musicians, and all others who are involved in worship leadership fall under the supervision of the Board of Elders;

4.            Be concerned about the spiritual, emotional, and physical health and welfare of the Pastor(s) and his family (including details regarding adequate compensation, housing, free time, vacation, assistance in time of illness) and to that end, specifically review these items annually;

5.            Be concerned about the spiritual, emotional, and physical health and welfare of the other staff (including details regarding adequate compensation, free time, vacation, assistance in time of illness) and to that end, specifically review these items annually;

6.            Consider the general attitudes and harmony of the Congregation as a whole. If there are wrong attitudes or lack of harmony, the Board of Elders shall work to correct these problems;

7.            Exhibit genuine spiritual love and concern for every soul under the responsibility of the Congregation, and shall exercise church discipline as necessary in accordance with Matthew 18;

8.            Regularly and systematically review the attendance and communion records of the members. When proper church discipline fails to restore a member to attendance and

communion, the Elders shall initiate that person’s removal from membership as

outlined in Article I, Section C of these Bylaws;

9.            Commune the Pastor, assist him in the distribution of Holy Communion, and assist him in administering Holy Baptism;

10. Assist the Pastor in examining candidates for early communion to ensure that each candidate has a thorough understanding of the doctrines of the Lutheran Church regarding Holy Communion;

11. Assist the Pastor in examining each candidate for Confirmation to ensure that each candidate has a thorough understanding of the doctrines of the Lutheran Church as outlined in Luther’s Smal1 Catechism, and is ready to be received as a Confirmed member of the Congregation as outlined in Article I, Section A of this Constitution;

12. Review eligibility for membership of all individuals and families requesting membership in this Congregation according to article I, Section A of these Bylaws, including giving prompt attention to requests for transfer for members coming into the Congregation or for those leaving the Congregation; and

13. Develop specific programs, as it sees fit, to provide financial assistance to needy individuals or families in our Congregation through the "We Care Congregation" program.