The below is a list pertinent to the selection of Elders. This comes straight from scripture. An Elder's personal life does matter and has everything to do with the decisions made by leadership. Not everyone should be considered for the role of Elder. Why? Because Elders are responsible for leading the church. Poor selection of Elders can reap devastation upon a church body.

If you look at the list below you will see that ones personal sin does factor in when being considered for an Elder. Why? Because personal sin nearly always affects more than just one person. There is often a corporate effect and consequence from personal sin.




THE QUALIFICATIONS OF AN ELDER

1 Timothy 3:1-7
1 ¶ It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity
5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),
6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.
7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Titus 1:5-9
5 ¶ For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,
6 ¶ namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.
7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,
8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,
9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

The Qualifications Listed:

A. Must be a male (1 Tim. 3:1; Titus 1:6)

B. Must desire the work (1 Tim. 3:1)

C. Must be above reproach (blameless) (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6)

D. The husband of one wife (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6)

E. Have children who believe (Titus 1:6)

F. Be temperate (vigilant) (1 Tim. 3:2)

G. Be self-controlled (Titus 1:8)

H. Be prudent (1 Tim. 3:2)

I. Be respectable (of good behavior) (1 Tim. 3:2)

J. Be hospitable (1 Tim. 3:2)

K. Be able to teach (1 Tim. 3:2)

L. Holding fast to the Word (Titus 1:9)

M. Be able to exhort and refute (Titus 1:9)

N. Must have a good reputation with those outside the church (1 Tim.3:7)

O. Not addicted to wine (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7)

P. Manages his household well (1 Tim. 3:4; Titus 1:6)

Q. Free from the love of money (covetous) (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7; 1Pet. 5:2)

R. Gentle (patient) (1 Tim. 3:3)

S. Not pugnacious (1 Tim. 3:3)

T. Not a new convert (novice) (1 Tim. 3:6)

U. Not self-willed (Titus 1:7)

V. Not quick-tempered (not soon angry) (Titus 1:7)

W. Loving what is good (lover of good men) (Titus 1:8)

X. Sensible (sober) (Titus 1:8)

Y. Just (Titus 1:8)

Z. Devout (holy) (Titus 1:8)
Other passages for consideration:

1 Timothy 3:11
11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.

1 Peter 5:1-4
1 ¶ Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

The specific method of choosing elders is not regulated by Scripture, therefore, we must concern ourselves with finding a method acceptable to God, and which promotes a harmony of acceptance by the congregation.

We must first concern ourselves with the Biblical qualifications given. Each individual under consideration should meet the test of Scripture. These qualifications are not options they are imperatives which each individual must possess if we expect the Lord to bless the process of selection.
The Duties of the Elders:

A. Be on guard for yourselves (Acts 20:28)

B. Be on guard for the flock (Acts 20:28)

C. Be guided by God’s Word (Acts 20:32; Titus 1:9)

D. Be an example to the flock (1 Pet. 5:3)

E. Shepherd the flock (feed) (1 Pet. 5:2; Acts 20:28)

F. Rule and rule well (1 Tim. 5:17)

G. Watch for harmful influences to the flock (Acts 20:29-30)

H. Silence empty talkers (Titus 1:10-11)

I. Assist in deciding differences that arise in the church (Acts 15:6)

J. Give instruction to the church (1 Thess. 5:12)

K. Help the weak (Acts 20:35)

L. Pray for the sick and administer to their needs (James 5:14)

M. Encourage the preaching of the gospel and establishment of new
congregations when needed (Acts 16:4-5)

N. Watch for the souls of the church and give an account (Heb. 13:17)

The last passage given above (Hebrews 13:17) summarizes the duties and responsibilities of the elders. They are to concern themselves with the spiritual well being of each individual in the congregation. This will require of them many things that are not listed in a specific way by the Scriptures. Only those men who possess the qualifications given by God can adequately meet the tremendous needs of God’s family.
Duties of the Church Toward the Elders:

A. Appreciate the elders (1 Thess. 5:12)

B. Esteem them very highly in love (1 Thess. 5:13)

C. Be submissive to the elders in their leadership of the church (Heb.13:17)

D. Live in peace with them (1 Thess. 5:13)

E. Obey the elders (Heb. 13:17)

F. Do not sharply rebuke an elder; appeal to him as a father (1 Tim.5:1)

G. Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis
of two or three witnesses (1 Tim. 5:19)

H. Remember them and imitate them (Heb. 13:17)

I. Count them worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17-18)

J. Call them when in need (James 5:14)

K. Correct them when they continue to sin (1 Tim. 5:20)

L. Elders are fellow Christians, therefore they are entitled to all of the mutual duties
the Body of Christ fulfills to each other Christian.

It goes without saying, elders cannot lead where people refuse to follow. The responsibility of every individual is to submit his will to the oversight of God’s leaders. To refuse to submit is to disobey God.

If a congregation selects and appoints men who are qualified according to the Scriptures to serve as elders, it is the responsibility of the congregation to follow.

The following gives a suggested guide to follow in the selection process. It is not the final word, only a guide.
GUIDE FOR THE SELECTION OF ELDERS

(BISHOPS, PASTORS, OVERSEERS)

In my judgment, brother ______________________ is qualified in the following manner:

I. EXPERIENCE IN CHRISTIAN LIFE..... Excellent... Moderate... Poor

A. Able to teach (skilled) ...........................( )............ ( )......... ( )

B. Able to exhort and refute ......................( )............ ( )......... ( )

C. Holding fast to the Word .......................( )............ ( )......... ( )

D. Is he a recent convert? .......................................No ( ) Yes ( )

E. Is he given to pride?............................................No ( ) Yes ( )

II. REPUTATION AND HABITS

A. Well thought of by outsiders ...................( )............ ( )......... ( )

B. Gets along well with people ....................( )............ ( )......... ( )

C. Temperate (watchful, alert) ....................( )............ ( )......... ( )

D. Dignified (tactful) .................................( )............ ( )......... ( )

III. DOMESTIC RELATIONS

A. Knows how to manage his own household ..( ).......... ( )......... ( )

B. Keeps his children submissive and respectful.( ).......... ( )......... ( )

C. His wife is serious, not a gossip, temperate,
faithful in all things .....................................( ).......... ( )......... ( )

D. Is he the husband of one wife?
(lit.="one woman man")............................................No ( ) Yes ( )

E. Does he have children that believe?.........................No ( ) Yes ( )

IV. CHARACTER AND OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

A. Above reproach ...................................( )............ ( )......... ( )

B. Master of self (sensible, sober) ...............( )............ ( )......... ( )

C. Holy (devout, pure in life) ......................( )............ ( )......... ( )

D. Lover of goodness (men and things) ........( )............ ( )......... ( )

E. Hospitable ...........................................( )............ ( )......... ( )

F. Gentle, not quarrelsome ........................( )............ ( )......... ( )

G. Just (upright)........................................( )............ ( )......... ( )

H. Has leadership ability ...........................................No ( ) Yes ( )

I. Addicted to wine ...................................................No ( ) Yes ( )

J. Is he violent? .......................................................No ( ) Yes ( )

K. Is he a lover of money? ........................................No ( ) Yes ( )

L. Is he self-willed? ...................................................No ( ) Yes ( )

M. Is he soon angered? .............................................No ( ) Yes ( )

N. Does he dominate others? .....................................No ( ) Yes ( )

O. In your opinion will he take the time to do the work
of an elder?...........................................................No ( ) Yes ( )

I have to agree with Wondering Now about posting the character struggles of a fellow Christian who was not a part of the history of deceit and cover-up at TPC. I also have to wonder about why the person was proposed. Could it be because those weaknesses can in some way be exploited by TPC leadership? We all know that weaknesses were exploited when M & C wanted their own way about something. The Bible spells out the characteristics that an Elder must possess, if TPC chooses to ignore the Word of God then what does that say about TPC?

It does not appear that the changes that so many of us have prayed for on behalf of TPC are coming to pass and the current leadership continues to make the same type of poor decisions as were made by M & C and handed down for implementation by the former elders.

The names that the existing Elder Board propose to be the new TPC elders are: David Scarth, Dan Crawley, David Reche, Wendy Davis, Wayne Hagemen, Chris Johnston, Ken Hale.

My question is since Judy Johnston is on staff does that mean she is leaving so that Chris can serve on the elder board? If not why not? I question the choice of Ken Hale. The rest of this group I never met in the years I attended so I cannot comment. With at least two seriously questionable choices, what can be inferred as to the rest?

D of D

Quote
WonderingNow
Wherefromhere: I find it VERY disturbing that you would post something so personal and hurtful about a brother in Christ who has nothing at all to do with decisions made by leadership at Turning Point. I believe we need to draw the line at gossip about others. I'm sure many believe all we have done here is gossip and slander leaders at TP; but your comment about someone's battle against his PERSONAL sin is out of line. We may not agree with the theology of that church or its LEADERS, but it is wrong to call out personal struggles of people who attend there in this forum. Very wrong.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2011 04:14AM by Daughter of Dorcas.

wow tprj I just copied and was going to paste on here the qualifications for being an elder, when I saw you already posted it.. I'm not sure wherefromhere is gossipiing or just pointing out that tp doesnt go by scripture choosing thier elders. I say that myself would NOT be eligible according to the bible, and I accept that. I really dont know the intentions of any poster on here. but hey the truth is the truth. I do know that jackie stepped down as elder because she felt she didn't qualify according to scripture. so I know it can be done, the question is does someone with a shady past have more of a desire to please God then to be somebody in the chruch. if the leaders dont have Godly character, or even desire it , then how can they change things to become the way Gods wants them. that was my point all along. when people who still attend tell me how wonderfull and full fo Gods spirit turning point is. I say why would His spirit want to dwell umong those who intentionally lie to achieve their own goals. who seek to please man more then Him. who instead of having true humility, continue to lift themselves up over others. I dont know I could be wrong about everything I just know when I'm practicing these things it sure isnt the Holy spirit I feel, that is not one of Its fruits. this is my opinion I will state it here it may not be fact matter of fact may be totally wrong, it is I think tp is a business the leaders have hired people to show them how to grow that business.tp make it prosper, to attract carnal Christians. who are more interested in gaing relationships with people then their Heavenly Father., who like the goose bumps or emotional experiecnces they have while listening to good music, who desire the things of this world and use God to get them. really who turningpoint choose's to call elders is of little conscquence. God will pull out His own

by the way I have no clue who wherefromhere is and I am not trying to defend them, and who are we to condem them.

Dan Crawley's personal sin was made very public in a service years ago. It is well known. I agree that I would not want to gossip or slander here, and I thought for a long time before posting. However, TP is headed down a very dangerous road with the selection of these men and women as elders. They have errored seriously in the past. I mean look at what happened with unqualified elders. Jackie Singer admits she should never have been selected as an elder. Not one of the elders chosen were above reproach. ALL had serious sin struggles and issues, except Rick Lewis that I know of. As Tp moves further away from the truth of the Gospel, it moves further away from God and God's blessing. I am sorry for Mr Crawley and his family. But he has put himself into the ever present and very bright light of being an elder and under the scrutiny that comes with the coveted postion. I would be interested to know if his wife is behind him. Transparency comes with disadvantages. Has he conquered these issues? Where is the distance or arms length that is needed when you have a spouse on staff that can benefit from you vote as an elder. How can the advisory board put themselves up? Who in the world are these people accountable to? Is there a covering organization yet? Or has Jeff Barnes perpetuated the TP denomination. Did the people really have a choice. Why wasnt Dan Crawley ever a Deacon first? ASK QUESTIONS TP- or blindly follow. You are accountable for what you know. And while I am at it, what is with these people that still are chasing relationship with the Villamors. How can they ever repent if they have a continued following, that tells them what their ictchy ears want to hear.

Wondering Now, I have to disagree, this is not gossip or slander.

This is probably going to get me into trouble....

David Scarth, Dan Crawley, David Reche, Wendy Davis, Wayne Hagemen, Chris Johnston, Ken Hale.

I have absolutely nothing to base this on, except maybe discernment, if you want to call it that. The only one from this list that my "gut" feels okay about is Chris Johnston. I always believed that he was well grounded in the faith and didn't get caught up in the hoopla of TP. Despite that though, there is an obvious conflict of interest, and he should be disqualified.

I have always felt like Dan Crawley was more interested in impressing leadership than anything else. That man would do anything for their attention...even at the expense of going back on his word to a brother in Christ.

I can't pin point it, but I've never been comfoprtable with Ken Hale as a leader of any sort.

Wendy Davis seems nice enough, I don't know enough about her to determine is she's qualified or not. As for David Scarth and David Reche... I know who they are and nothing more. I have no clue who Wayne Hageman is.

I stand corrected :O)

Just wanted to verify what wherefromhere said.

I was in the service in which Dan Crawley boldly announced his having been busted for trying to pick up a prostitute. He held up some legal documentation--which I don't remember whether it was that he'd "done his time" or been absolved or what--and was declaring his freedom.

Meanwhile, his poor wife was sitting there looking mortified. I was sure she was feeling complete and utter humiliation. Dan seemed so absorbed in is heroic "confession" that he was totally oblivious to J's pain. I don't know if he's free from whatever issues he's had in the past; I sincerely hope so. But regardless of any of that, I don't beleive he is a discerning man.

It's all a club mentality at TP. They have no sense of the gravity of what it means to shepherd people who belong to God. Any old longtimer will do.

PS: Ken and Jean Hale have a bearing of spiritual superiority. Perhaps they don't mean to seem this way, or maybe I misinterpret the "vibes." But if it is a true discerning--if they do have a spiritual superiority complex--then it is a dangerous thing to grant them power.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2011 06:51PM by LearningPoint.

OK. I agree that Chris Johnston seems like a good guy, but will he have the guts to stand up for the truth, or does he cow to the power? I wonder, does he call the shots for his family or does Judi? Nice men are wonderful, but they won't do on a church elder board if they're going to turn out to be "yes men." Does anyone know if Chris Johnston has what it takes?

For the record: I hope Chris Johnston DOES have what it takes. It would be a very good thing for Turning Point to have a man of strength of integrity, a man who won't bow to popular opinion.

Another thing I wonder about these elder candidates: How many of them know what's in the Bible? How many of them have read it all the way through...and more than once? If you're going to lead God's people in God's ways, it would be good to know what God has said. I don't think that's too much to expect.