Who are the Elders and What Do They Do?
Triangle church is a family with two facilities. One facility is located in Chapel Hill, NC and the other is located in Morrisville, NC, commonly referred to as the west side and east side, respectively. Since the Bible doesn’t specify a certain number of elders, but it does specify that there be elders (plural), it was determined that there should be a total of four elders, two from each facility. They are laymen who give their time and energy because they love God and His family, the church.
| East Side | West Side |
| Ron Cox | Alonzo Felder |
| Gary Hundley | Harold Lile |
After re-examining and retuning, the Triangle Church created the elder position in 2003. The Bible was the guideline used to nominate individuals who best fit the descriptions found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. After praying, receiving family counsel, talking to other Christians, etc., these six men were appointed by the evangelists (ministers) of Triangle Church. As stated before, these men volunteer (i.e. without monetary compensation) their time and energy because of their love for our Father in heaven. They meet bi-weekly and are in constant communication with each other, frequently on a daily basis.
The roles of the elder are to 1) oversee (direct) the affairs of the congregation and shepard (care for the needs of) the flock and 2) be able to teach and refute false doctrine (Titus 1), whereas the roles of the ministers are to teach, preach, and counsel. Triangle church also has deacons who serve in specific areas such as benevolence, finance, new members, etc. And just as the Bible is unchanging, so is the overall objective of the elders. They encourage the Triangle Church to be a genuine FAMILY of Christians who
- love and honor our gracious and all powerful God
- worship God in spirit and truth
- love and serve each other with the unique talents bestowed by God
- share the great news of eternal life with our neighbors and friends
- give from our abundance to those less fortunate, locally and globally
- are bonded together by the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
The accomplishments of the last year, as shepherds, include praying, listening, studying, reading, feeling, visiting and praying for the sick among us, mourning with those who have lost a loved one. There is never enough time for all of this, but fortunately God has blessed us with many Shepherd-hearted brothers and sisters who do the same things, just because they care! As overseers, the elders have built trust during a time of difficult transitions. With a shrunken budget, they were faced with tough decisions such as cutting costs and reorganizing our ministry to meet as many needs as possible while being righteous with church finances. They appointed deacons, as instructed in God’s word, to help make sure that needs are met and to involve more and more disciples in works of service.