In the Holy Scriptures, God revealed his plan for leadership in the church. He launched the church by bestowing special spiritual gifts on specific individuals. They are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. These believers, guided by the Holy Spirit, initiated the Christian movement and established local churches through their teaching and preaching of the gospel.

1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 13:17-18; Acts 6:1-6, 20:28; Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-12; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Psalm 78:72

As churches were established in the faith, elders were appointed to continue the pastor-teaching ministry in each local church. The elders were given responsibility for overseeing that particular church body and shepherding its members.

As necessary, deacons were also appointed to serve the church, particularly by undertaking those areas of need that would otherwise prohibit the elders from performing their primary biblical responsibilities of prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:1-6).

Rooted in Scripture, Crossway Church is 

• LED by a team of pastors
• OPERATED by our staff
• GOVERNED by a body of elders
• SERVED by our deacons and lay ministry leaders

Our governance structure and decision-making process are designed to accomplish three things: 

• Maximize ministry
• Minimize bureaucracy
• Maintain accountability

Elder Body

Constitutionally, the elder body at Crossway consists of the lead pastor, 2-4 additional pastors appointed by the lead pastor, the chairman of the deacons, and four active lay members of the congregation who the church family nominates. The lead pastor serves as the president of the elder body and, simultaneously, is accountable to the executive committee of the elder body. The lay elders make up the executive committee.

Together, the elders pray, maintain doctrinal purity, govern, teach, equip people for ministry, oversee the budgeting process, act as trustees of the non-profit corporation, confidentially review and advise on personnel matters, and maintain open communication. The elders are qualified to serve based on 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. 

Legally, the elder body serves as the board of directors of Crossway Church, a Virginia non-profit corporation, and is granted authority to act on behalf of the church family. The lead pastor is the president of the board of directors.

What is a Lead Pastor?

The Lead Pastor at Crossway is the visionary and primary teaching pastor of the church. He is responsible for the spiritual equipping and oversight of the entire congregation, serving as the president of the elder body. He is the primary spokesman for the elder body to the congregation and is directly accountable to the executive committee of the elder body for carrying out his duties in the church (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:2-4). Furthermore,

• The Lead Pastor is the primary SPIRITUAL LEADER of the church (presbuteros).
• The Lead Pastor is the primary SERVANT LEADER of the church (poimen).
• The Lead Pastor is the SENIOR LEADER of the church (episkopos).

The New Testament suggests that James was the primary leader in the early church, a leader among leaders, alongside a plurality of elders (Acts 12:17, 15:19ff, 21:18).

Deacons

Deacons were appointed in the early church to serve the church, particularly in areas of need that would otherwise hinder the elders from performing their biblical responsibilities (Acts 6:1-7). At Crossway Church, deacons are lay leaders who serve the body in various capacities, including caring for families in need or in crisis. Deacons are selected and approved by the elder body. They are qualified based on 1 Timothy 3:8-12.

Pastors and Vocational Personnel

God uses vocational personnel and lay leaders at Crossway Church to implement the work of His ministry at His church. We consider it a sacred trust for anyone to serve in a paid or volunteer capacity, and we set high standards for such service. Our goal is to create a healthy work, volunteer, and worship environment that builds up the body of Christ and that everyone can enjoy (Ephesians 4:1-6).

Vocational personnel include pastors, ministry directors, ministry coordinators, operations personnel, and administrative staff. All personnel matters are subject to confidential review and advisement by the elder body. When it comes to human resources, the elders and personnel supervisors carefully follow biblical principles, state and federal laws where applicable, and best practices from other churches, businesses, and charitable organizations. Generally, we do not comment, publicly or privately, on the departure of vocational personnel for the following reasons: (1) to protect the unity of the Spirit, (2) to protect each employee’s right to privacy, and (3) to protect the church legally. 

Lay Ministry Leaders

Members of the church family are called to serve on various lay ministry teams. Most volunteer opportunities require you to be an active member of the church. Some volunteer opportunities require a confidential background check. We consider it a sacred trust to serve as a lay spiritual leader and, therefore, set high standards for such service. Go here for a list of lay ministry opportunities. Go here to learn more about membership at Crossway. 

Decision-Making and Voting in the Church

As a general rule, we do not make decisions by calling a vote of the congregation. However, we ask the active members of the church to vote in the following situations: (1) to call a new Lead Pastor, (2) make amendments to the church Constitution and By-laws, and (3) approve the annual church budget.