Elders

Roles — The duties belonging to the office of elder consist of continuing in prayer and ruling the church of Christ according to the principles taught in Scripture, in order that purity of doctrine and holiness of life may be practiced. They shall see to it that their fellow-elders, the minister(s) and the deacons faithfully discharge their offices. They are to maintain the purity of the Word and Sacraments, assist in catechizing the youth, promote God-centered schooling, visit the members of the congregation according to their needs, engage in family visiting, exercise discipline in the congregation, actively promote the work of evangelism and missions, and ensure that everything is done decently and in good order.

Requirements — The qualifications of the elders are found in 1 Timothy 3:1–7: “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

The apostle Paul repeats these qualifications in his letter to Titus. “An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:6–9).

PURC ELDER FACTS

We currently have six lay elders.

Their combined experience in office is over 100 years.

Pastors

• Rev. Phil Grotenhuis
  (M.Div, Mid-America Reformed Seminary, 1987)

• Rev. Michael Spotts
  (M.Div., Westminster Seminary in California, 2016)

Roles — Pastors are equal in authority with other elders, but shoulder the vocational burdens of ministry. Their duties consist of continuing in prayer and in the ministry of the Word, administering the sacraments, catechizing the youth, and assisting the elders in the shepherding and discipline of the congregation. They also evangelize, disciple, and counsel.

Requirements — As Elders, Pastors must possess the same character attributes as ruling elders described in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9. Additionally, prior to ordination, the URCNA requires candidates to pass an extensive public examination that shows their competence in biblical languages, homiletics, theology, history, counseling, and other areas.

PURC PASTOR FACTS

Rev. Grotenhuis has pastored for over 25 years, including eight at Phoenix URC.

Before taking his call, Rev. Spotts participated in foreign missions and worked in commercial photography.

Deacons