By Molly Petersen

On Tuesday, March 29, Lynn Green announced on behalf of the Leadership Team (LT) that the process will begin for adding two or three new members to the existing LT.

 

“We commit to steering this process with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and to you, the Body of Christ in this place,” said Lynn in the Oval community meeting.

 

The goal is to broaden the current Leadership Team by adding people with leadership abilities coupled with operational and/or apostolic, prophetic, and pastoral gifting.  Secondarily, the LT hopes for a wider representation from the community: younger, female and male, single and married, western and non-western.  The existing Leadership Team is Anne Adams, Lynn, Jay Randall and Donovan Palmer with their respective spouses participating in some responsibilities, especially pastoral leadership.

 

Lynn explained how the LT will go about selecting new leaders by first citing the different approaches to appointing leadership that were seen in the Bible. Lynn gave the examples of leaders choosing leaders as Paul and Barnabas did when they appointed elders; and believers choosing leaders from their own ranks as they did in Acts 6.

 

“Whatever the process, the aim is to hear from God and to have leaders who can do the job and who will be accepted and respected by all.”

 

With this in mind, the LT is currently accepting names to fill the positions submitted by the community. The LT will then prayerfully consider those names and discuss the role with the candidate. Names will then be reflected back to the community for all to pray about and to affirm the nominations or express reservations. Following this process, the new leaders will be announced and appointed to the Leadership Team by a “laying of hands and prayer” in a community meeting.

 

As Lynn closed the meeting he urged the community to “make this a mature and honourable process.” This will be done by approaching it with prayer and high trust, speaking up during the process, and not ‘whispering in corners,’ then supporting those appointed.

 

“Let us demonstrate that we are a healthy and mature body by giving the outcome our full support.”

 

Nominations with a brief description of why the candidate would be suitable for a leadership position will be accepted until the end of next week, April 7.