Elders and Deacons
May 2, 2025
Dear City Church,
At the start of the year, I indicated my promise to write a monthly letter to City Church. I just missed this one. I blame Spring Break and Easter week. This month, I want to share with you about the process of nominating, training, and electing elders and deacons at City Church. It’s an important part of our church and one that you may not know much about.
As part of what it means to be a presbyterian church, City Church relies on its members to nominate leaders for the church. We do this regularly, usually once every two years. For the next several weeks, we will receive officer nominations at City Church. Any communing member is invited to prayerfully submit nominations for the offices of elder and deacon, keeping in mind the Biblical standards and our denomination’s commitments. All nominations should be made to the Session in writing (email is fine) and received by Sunday, May 25th.
While City Church is strongly committed both to the equality of men and women and to a leadership structure that is diverse and representative, we believe that the specific offices of elder and deacon are limited to qualified men. This limitation is based on the Bible’s teaching on church leadership, particularly passages like 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
As you consider participating in this nomination process, it’s essential that you understand both what the elders and deacons do and what the Biblical qualifications for elders and deacons are.
What is an elder?
An elder is a member of the church called by God and set apart as a servant-leader, teacher, and shepherd. On Sunday, I explained how elders keep watch over the souls of City Church— by teaching the Word, praying with and for the church, and modeling a life of faith. The apostle Paul appointed elders at many of the churches he started (Acts 20:17-38); they were an integral part of the early church.
Working alongside City Church’s pastors (Erik Bonkovsky and Harrison Ford) are ruling elders: Andrew Bleckley, George Davis (on sabbatical), Mack Hendrix, Stefan Kling, James Murphy (on sabbatical), Jeremy Pryor, and Barry Saunders. No set number of elders is required for a church, but it is determined by the congregation through the nomination and election process. At City Church, elders serve three-year terms and are permitted to serve two consecutive terms before taking a required one-year sabbatical.
What is a deacon?
A deacon is a member of the church, called by God and set apart as a servant, who addresses the physical and tangible needs of the church. This coming Sunday, May 4th, I will explain in more detail how deacons at City Church catalyze faithful and sacrificial service among the congregation. Deacons lead the larger Diaconal Ministry Team so the elders can carry out spiritual teaching and shepherding. Deacons were first chosen in the New Testament church after prayerful discernment (Acts 6:1-7).
City Church’s deacons are: David Boyce, Barrett Clark, Stephen Day (on sabbatical), Jacob Hotinger, Will Jarrett, Eric Morgan, Carter Neal, and Blake Parrott. Like the elders, deacons serve three-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms before taking a one-year sabbatical.
It is important to note that elders and deacons are only part of the larger leadership structure at City Church. They work alongside our staff and other members of our Leadership Committees to set the direction and carry out the mission of the church. The Leadership Committees are composed of men and women, young and old, ordained and non-ordained. We believe such a collaborative structure is more representative of the whole church and helps us make better decisions.
If you’re interested in further understanding the training and discernment process City Church uses for elders and deacons, we’ve put together a 2-page summary. Ours is a detailed and thoughtful process that reflects how seriously we take the responsibility of leading and serving the church.
What should you do?
First, if you have any questions or concerns about this process, please contact me (erik@citychurchrva.com) or another member of City Church’s leadership. We realize that for many members at City Church, the process of officer nomination, training, and election is unfamiliar. Second, prayerfully consider nominating an individual, preferably after you have talked with that individual. Finally, and most importantly, please pray for City Church as we continue to embody and proclaim the gospel. May we all cling to Christ and trust His grace as we move forward together, remembering that we are kept by God and called to keep others.
Stay Well & Do Good,
Erik