Officer Nominations

Nomination process

As the church continues to grow, so does the need for Elders, Deacons, and Deaconesses. Once a year, we accept nominations for these offices. You may submit your nominations for deacon, deaconess, and elder during the entire months of October and November every year. Periodically, in May, we accept nominations for deacon and deaconess only. Please fax your nomination form to Jenny Chang, at 646-572-0020 fax or mail to 1359 Broadway 4th floor, New York, NY 10018. Please be sure to include your signature. If you have questions, give Jenny a call at 212-808-4460 ext. 187.

(Get the Officer Nomination Form)

All nominees will be initially screened for membership and Christian experience requirements. If the nominee qualifies under both categories, they will be sent a letter informing them of their nomination and the subsequent process they can expect. Included in that letter will be a 4-page questionnaire that is required to be filled out and returned by a deadline. Two recommendation letters are also required to attest to the person's spiritual maturity and leadership/service experience. Once the questionnaire is completed, a personal interview will be set up with the nominee and two elders (for elder nominees) or two deacons/deaconesses (for Diaconate nominees) to discuss the appropriateness and timing of their nomination. If it is determined that they should proceed with the nomination, they will begin training in January. The recommendation letters are also used in this determination process. See below for training details.

After the training, a second personal interview and a group theological/doctrinal interview take place. The Session then votes on each nominee candidate. All nominees that are approved to stand for election will then be voted on by the congregation at the spring congregational meetings. If each nominee is voted in, they are installed in May and begin their term as an officer on June 1 and serve for an initial three years.
See Deacon/ess Testimonies.

Qualifications of Officers

The following are requirements for all nominations.

Qualifications to Consider

Should I nominate a particular person to be an officer at Redeemer?
Should I accept a nomination to be an officer at Redeemer?

The following guidelines, though they are not the final word on the matter, ought to help as you consider these questions.

Qualifications fall into five categories: calling, character, competency, compatibility and comprehension.

Calling: Calling is both inward and outward. A candidate should desire to serve and be recognized by others as possessing the gifts and graces necessary for the task.

Character: Though no leader can expect to be perfect, he or she must be exemplary, modeling in a consistent way the character of Christ. 1 Timothy 1-3 and Titus 1:5-9 offer a useful summary of the character qualifications.

Competency: God calls elders, deacons, and deaconesses to serve in distinct and varying ways. A candidate should evidence the inclination and ability to fulfill that particular biblical role.

Elder candidates should be able to equip and care for people spiritually and should know their way around the Bible and be able to teach it. They should be comfortable praying with people in need and should be good managers.

Deacon and deaconess candidates should demonstrate a practical and caring spirit. They should be willing to serve under the authority of the elders and in such a way as to free the elders to focus on their particular responsibilities. At Redeemer, deacons and deaconesses pray for individuals after services on Sunday, assist elders in membership interviews, assist elders in examining deacon and deaconess candidates, and advocate and care for those in need.

Compatibility: Candidates need to understand and fit into the Redeemer life and vision.

Comprehension: Candidates need to understand and accept Redeemer's convictions about theology and church government. This involves commitment to the Bible's authority, to Presbyterian Church government, and to the Westminster standards.

Training Schedule

Training begins in January of each year with the theological/doctrinal class. Both Diaconate and Elder nominees attend that training class together. It is taught by teaching and ruling elders.

After the conclusion of the theological training, elder nominees attend a practical skills training class as well as the deacon/deaconess nominees. These classes occur in March and April of each year. Diaconate nominee training is held on Saturdays and Elder nominee training is held on weekday evenings.

Deferments

If a nominee is unable to continue with the nomination process due to time constraints or other life circumstances, they may defer their nomination for up to 1 year. The Diaconate Director should be contacted and a deferment requested. If the nominee is unable to move forward with the process within the year, they will need to be re-nominated at a later date.

Nomination Form (PDF file)

Please fax your nomination form to Jenny Chang at 646-572-0020 or mail to 1359 Broadway, 4th floor, New York, NY 10018. Please be sure to include your signature. If you have questions, give Jenny a call at 212-808-4460 ext. 187.

(Get the Officer Nomination Form)