Each year around this time, our congregation begins to prayerfully organize for our annual church elections. While Western culture may direct us toward the popular leader and vote, it is our desire within the Church to declare a whole new culture as we gather for leadership those women and men of God’s own choosing.
Nominations
The first step in this organizational process is for the Church Board to work with our senior pastor in developing a nominating committee. Once chosen, this committee gathers for prayer and instructions. For several weeks each member of this committee is invited to continue in prayer in search of the names of God’s chosen leadership for these days at LFC. By the first of February, the committee is called back together to collect the names of those God has laid upon their hearts. This list of nominees is then further ushered to the Lord in prayer by our Senior Pastor and Church Board before each of these nominees are requested themselves to prayerfully consider this opportunity for service.
*Please note: This year, our Church Office will be mailing the letters to our Nominees by February 9th.
Nomination Criteria
More than simply choosing leaders from our current congregational list of regular participants in worship and generally active owners (our local term for congregational members), our Nominating Committee considers very seriously the charge found in the 2017-2021 Nazarene Manual that says, “We direct our local churches to elect as church officers only persons who profess the experience of entire sanctification and whose lives bear public witness to the grace of God that calls us to a holy life; who are in harmony with the doctrines, polity, and practices of the Church of the Nazarene; and who support the local church faithfully in attendance and with tithes and offerings.”(39). As you can see this is a very high charge, and one built upon the awareness that while we are always extending open arms to all people to join us for congregational life and events, the responsibilities of a church leader require exceptional commitment and faithfulness to the Lord and our congregation’s mission. Therefore, not everyone will be nominated during our process, while everyone in our faith community will be valued and celebrated as integral to the Lord’s mission lived out in our worship and daily lives.
Elections
Following the collection of nomination responses, a church ballot will be prepared for a congregational election to be held before the end of our church year, on March 17th. The timing of this election coincides with the start of our church year on April 1st.
Conclusion
So that’s LFC church nominations in a nutshell! As always, you are more than welcome to speak with one of our pastors or church board leaders with any questions or for more information regarding church leadership. General questions may be answered by looking online at our Manual (our denominational book of polity and procedure for local church administration) at: https://nazarene.org/manual
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