Sample Elder Covenant

NOTE: I’ve been a part of writing several elder board covenants. This one is my favorite.  

As elders (Acts 20:28-10; I Peter 5:1-4) we pledge ourselves to:

1. Watch our relationships with God carefully, knowing that we are only as useful to each other and our church as we are close to God. Acts 20:28
2. Make sure our relationships with our spouses and children are kept as our next priority. God does not want us to sacrifice our families on the altar of our ministries. Ephesians 5:25-6:4

3. Love each other, endeavor to know each other well, pray for each other, defend each other –giving each other the benefit of the doubt (as we would desire for ourselves) when anyone criticizes a fellow elder. I Timothy 5:17-22; I Thessalonians 5:12-15

4. Tell each other the truth, in love, knowing that withholding the truth from each other is not loving, it is selfish. It is our calling to lovingly grind the rough edges off each other.  Church leaders who do not challenge each other remain spiritually stunted and unable to lead their congregations to godliness. Ephesians 4

5. Never gossip about each other. Gossip is saying negative things about a person which the hearer does not need to hear.  We will “speak to, not about.”  We will gladly serve as “conflict coaches,” who counsel and guide church members to do the right thing, speaking directly and respectfully to elders with whom they have disagreements.

6. Settle issues with each other as quickly as possible, knowing that relational, doctrinal and philosophical unity at the level of the elders is vital for church health and effectiveness. Ephesians 4:1-6; Matthew 5:23-26; Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1-5

7. Begin our meetings on time and end our meetings at a reasonable time, occasionally scheduling a special meeting if necessary to resolve an issue or complete a task.

8. Not procrastinate difficult issues but deal with them honestly. We will always speak the truth in our meetings, knowing that true unity and godly leadership require our honesty with each other.

9. Disagree graciously in private and agree to speak as one voice in public. It is vital for our church that we discern the will of God and lead the congregation with one, united voice.
10. Not betray the confidence of our fellow elders. We will agree together on which decisions and discussions will be shared with the church and what information will be kept confidential.

11. Always seek to honor the only true owner and Lord of the church (Acts 20:28-20; Ephesians 1:22,23) with our decisions. We will not shirk from difficult decisions because of the “fear of man.”

12. Pause for serious prayer, asking for God’s promised guidance (James 1), when, in our meetings, we encounter especially difficult matters.

13. Always seek to lead our church so that it fulfills its purpose (glorifying God, as in Ephesians 1), accomplishes its mission (making disciples, as in Matthew 28:18-20) and achieves its God-given vision (Romans 12:1,2; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 15:5,6; Philippians 1:27-2:4).

14. Stay on task in our meetings, (normally) following the agenda prepared by the Senior Pastor and Elder Chairman. Any elder may request subjects for discussion but these items will be scheduled for discussion by the Pastor and Elder Chair (I Corinthians 14:33,40).

15. Deal with decision items once and decisively, if at all possible. Many decisions will be turned into policies (e.g., use of the building, wedding policies) so that matters do not need to be revisited.

16. Focus on the “big rocks” items of purpose, mission, values, vision, policy.

17. Meet at unusual times and places if necessary in times of crisis. We will handle crises with faith, unity and godliness. II Timothy 4:5

18. Refer potential board meeting guests to the Senior Pastor or Board Chairman.

19. Review, discuss, and potentially, update, this document annually.