Elder Selection: Engaging the Monterey Church of Christ in a Collaborative Elder Selection Process

Author

Benjamin D. PickettFollow

Date of Award

Spring 2013

Document Type

Thesis

Primary Advisor

Tim Sensing

Secondary Advisor

Fredrick Aquino

Abstract

This doctor of ministry thesis presents the outcomes of a project intended to foster greater collaboration at the Monterey Church of Christ in its selection of elders. The intervention involved the engagement of the Monterey Church in a process that involved multiple steps. These steps involved engagement with teachers in the context of a teacher training seminar, with Bible classes in a series of Bible lessons, and with elders, elder nominees, and their spouses in order to discern the perceived degree to which Monterey members participate in the elder selection process. The Bible lessons presented an alternative model for theological reflection on the character traits of elders in hopes of generating thoughtful discussion for members as they submitted nominees.

The outcomes of the project presented several important insights: a) the engagement of additional constituent groups in the process was viewed as a positive contributor to feelings of collaboration within the church; b) the lesson materials, on the whole, presented an opportunity for Bible classes to reflect more intentionally on the character traits of elders contributing to the overall sense of involvement in the selection process; and c) the project provided opportunities for the Monterey leadership to reflect on the elder selection process, inviting thoughtful theological and practical consideration of the steps involved.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Pickett, Benjamin D., "Elder Selection: Engaging the Monterey Church of Christ in a Collaborative Elder Selection Process" (2013). Doctor of Ministry Theses. 20.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/dmin_theses/20