Leader: Dr. John Olango
Elders:
Dr. Jon Olango, Tabari Brannon, Mark Joseph, Martin Martinez, Swinton Nwamarah, and Brenda Howard. 

Goals:  Elders must be recognized by the church as strong spiritual leaders and must have good reputations both in the church and community. In the absence of a pastor, elders are the spiritual leaders of the church and by precept and example must seek to lead the church into a deeper and fuller Christian experience.

Who:

LOCAL CHURCH OFFICERS AND ORGANIZATIONS 71

Elders should be able to conduct the services of the church and minister in both word and doctrine when the assigned pastor is unavailable.  However, elders should not be chosen primarily because of social position or speaking ability, but because of their consecrated lives and leadership abilities.  Elders may be reelected, but it is not advisable for them to serve indefinitely.

The church is under no obligation to reelect and may choose others whenever changes seem advisable. Upon the election of new elders, the former elders no longer function as elders but may be elected to other church offices.

Work of Elders Is Local—The authority and work of elders are confined to the church in which their election has been made. It is not permissible for a conference committee by vote to confer on an elder the status that is granted to an ordained pastor to serve other churches as elder. If that need exists, the conference committee may recommend to the church needing an elder that it invite and elect the elder of a nearby church to serve. Thus by election one individual may, when necessary, serve more than one church. Such an arrangement should be made only in counsel with the conference committee.

Authority to elect elders is inherent in the local church and not in the conference committee. The only way one may be qualified for serving the Church at large is by ordination to the gospel ministry. (See pp. 33, 72, 73.)