Eldership/Leadership at Restoration Christian Church

       In accordance with 1 Timothy 5:17 "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching"… we at RCC believe a plurality of leadership, shared leadership is the New Covenant model after which the local ecclesia today should be patterned.

       According to the New Testament concept of eldership, elders lead the church, must be able to teach and preach the Word, protect, exhort and admonish the saints. Elders oversee, shepherd, lead and care for the local church.. Within shared leadership, RCC promotes the biblical concept of "first out amongst equals", in keeping with Peter, James, and John being first out amongst the 12 apostles. This provides no legal or official rank or title above the rest of the leadership, just as the rest of the apostles were not subordinate to the three. Similarly, Paul and Barnabas shared the "first among equals" status ; Paul held no formal ranking over Barnabas; they labored as partners in the work of the Gospel of the glorious good news of our salvation in Christ Jesus.

       With the "elder" structure in the local church, the body is governed collectively with each elder sharing equally the position, authority, and responsibility of the office.

       RCC further believes the equipping gifts of apostle, prophet, pastor/teacher, and evangelist are gifts to the body and therefore separate from local leadership. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, but local leadership consists of the elders, of whom may very well be someone called as an apostle or a prophet.