Bridges Church is elder led following biblical guidelines. They lead the church on a broad level, a 50,000-foot view, guiding us spiritually through vision, oversight, and by example, ensuring that we stay on mission, living out the right values. Day to day leadership is provided by the staff, ministry leaders, and volunteers.
They have a key role in making sure Bridges is theologically and biblically sound, and that the church as a whole is spiritually healthy, and people are being discipled. In addition, they play a key role in identifying and developing new leaders that will keep us moving forward in the future.
Elders serve on a three-year rotation and then are resubmitted to the church family for review in the fall before starting a new term the beginning of the next year. It is essential that their testimony and lifestyle continue to be above reproach setting a healthy example as a follower of Jesus Christ.
This year, Bob Fye is being submitted to you as an elder candidate to serve another 3-year term. Bob has been an elder for several years now and has the support and approval of the other elders.
Through this process, the insight and wisdom of our church family are important to hear. If you are aware of an issue or have questions about his candidacy, please reach out to one of our other elders so that your concerns can be addressed. Transparency and accountability are crucial to this process. The other elders include Rodney Harden, Patrick Norris, and Evander Woo. Please feel free to reach out to any of them. Jonathon Jarvis is wrapping up a year of leadership training with the elders this year as well.
This process will last from October 13 – November 30.
The Qualifications for an Elder are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 & Titus 1:6-9.
In the passage in Titus, the Apostle Paul is writing to a younger pastor on the island of Crete to encourage him to appoint elders for this new church. Here is the type of person Titus should be looking for…
The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. - Titus 1:6-9
Below is Bob’s testimony to give you a better idea of his story.
My story begins growing up in a godly family that attended church whenever the doors were open (for which I am very grateful.) I made a decision to follow Jesus at a young age. I remained faithful until I started to drift in high school. The verse from 1 Corinthians 15:33, "Bad company corrupts good character" describes what happened to me perfectly. I followed my peers instead of Jesus longer than I would have liked to admit.
But God...The Holy Spirit started a faint tug on my heart. At the same time, two of my friends that I grew up with in church, started reaching out to me and encouraging me to consider Jesus again. It was difficult for me to give up running my life and giving over control to God. After a call I received from one more friend late at night who gave me his powerful testimony, that was all I needed to surrender my life back over to God. Even though I walked away from Jesus and lived a self-absorbed life, His grace welcomed me back home with open arms.
That was 40 years ago, and I have never regretted my decision to change my direction and follow Jesus. He is the only Way. He has been faithful every step of the way. The verse that is currently special to me is Matthew 7:24 - "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock."
Putting His "words into practice" is now my life's goal.
A typical day in my life following Jesus usually starts like this:
I combine a cup of coffee while reading God's Word. They go together really well for me. Also, there is an invitation for the Holy Spirit to speak to me through God's Word. I will then have a conversation with Jesus to talk about what my day should look like with His guidance and direction. I do my best to give Jesus complete authority to have His way on each given day.
– Bob Fye