Online Congregational Vote
June 18, 2020Dear Lake Forest Church Ministry Partners:
In this season of “stay at home” we are doing something never attempted before for the Lake Forest Family of Churches…an online congregational vote!
We are asking you to review and vote on two recommended changes concerning our “Session,” which is another name for the team of Teaching Elders (LFC Pastors) and Ruling/Active Elders who oversee the spiritual and physical well-being of the church.
Voting will take place via an email which will be sent to all Ministry Partners on Monday, June 29. All votes must be cast by 11:59pm on Sunday, July 5.
The following proposals are recommendations from the Session – we hope you will affirm with “Yes” votes:
Vote #1: Proposal to change how candidates for Ruling Elders are sought out and presented for election to Ministry Partners:
Some Background:
Ruling Elders are elected by Ministry Partners. Since 2001, the process to identify candidates for Ruling Elders is by using an Elder Nominating Committee (“ENC”). A ENC team is identified by Elders each spring and then affirmed via vote by Ministry Partners. Our Elders believe this is a cumbersome and confusing practice as some Ministry Partners get confused between the ENC election and the actual Ruling Elder election – which happens in late summer.
Our denomination, the EPC, does not require us to use an ENC process to identify Elder candidates for election.
The Proposal – Replace ENC Process with a “Search Team” Process:
Your Pastors and Ruling Elders recommend that Lake Forest abandons the ENC process. Instead, they recommend that Ministry Partners allow the Ruling and Teaching Elders to annually appoint a team of 5-7 Ministry Partners, PLUS two Ruling Elders to an Elder Search Team. Just like the ENC, the Elder Search Team will seek out and recommend Ruling Elder candidates for the Ministry Partners to affirm by vote.
Again, Ministry Partners will still affirm Elder nominees by vote each summer. In the new proposed process, you won’t need to vote on the team that seeks out these Elder nominees.
Vote #2 – Proposal to INCREASE the maximum number of Ruling Elders on Session.
Some Background:
Since 2001, we have allowed up to nine (9) Ruling Elders on Session at any time – three typically join at the same time and all serve a three-year term before becoming Inactive Elders. Also since 2001, we have more than tripled the number of Pastors on staff and have grown to a family of four churches – without increasing our Session size.
The Proposal – Increase Maximum Number of Ruling Elders on The Session from 9 to 12 – with up to four rotating on each year. Three-year terms remain unchanged.
The Session feels strongly that a 12 Ruling Elders maximum is a more effective number to adequately address the growing needs of our family of churches and ensure we always have active Elders from each congregation.
Please be on the lookout for the email with your voting “ballot” to arrive on June 29. If you have any questions about these proposals or the elder selection process, please email Rusty Andrews.
Thank you-
The Lake Forest Family of Churches