Elder Leadership

Something HUGE has happened in the life of Vallecito Church....HUGE! Yep, you guessed it......we have adopted elder leadership. Although our church is a Baptist church, many of it's members don't like for us to be referred to as Baptist..."it's a community church" is what I've heard from some. (Yes, there is a pretty big stigma to being Baptist if you were raised Pentecostal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, etc). Therefore, they have been somewhat of a democracy, everyone making the decisions at a very formal business meeting. The church was first established by a Baptist group and later was determined to be just a community church because so many people from different backgrounds came here to live in this little valley. Then the church returned back under the Baptist denomination many years ago.

So when we arrived here, there were no deacons or elders established within the church. Soon after we got here, Mike taught a study on the Biblical leadership of elders and deacons. Two years later, after much prayer over the matter, getting to know the congregation, and watching the men for the characteristics listed in the Bible for elders, 3 men were recommended and the church stood in agreement to enlist these 3 as elders in Vallecito Church. Mike was very nervous about this...imagine coming in and totally changing the "power" structure within the church, but knew the church needed to line up with God's Word. Now, please don't misinterpret what I am saying; the elders will not "rule" the church, but they will SERVE the church in a leadership position and while we are not doing away with business meetings, we are cutting them back to quarterly meetings. Unfortunately there was one couple who did not agree with all this but the rest of the church were very supportive. Next step will be deacons so pray along with us that God will plainly show us who they are! God Bless!