Elder Nominations 2025

Elder nominations will be open until end of day Sunday, February 2.

The Process

At Compass our mission is “to glorify God by making disciples who love him completely and others sacrificially”. This mission is founded on the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Our vision as a multisite church, is the spiritual transformation of people, families, and communities. Our Core Values are Biblical Teaching, Passionate Worship, Relentless Prayer, Practical Care, and Intentional Outreach. The role of the Board of Elders is to guide our church and staff in the pursuit of our mission and vision and to ensure that we operate according to our values. In addition, the Board oversees the legal governance and finances of our church.   

Each year we ask those who are part of our church community to participate in the nomination of Elders who serve on our church Board of Elders. In this process, we ask you to recommend those who you believe are gifted and called to be an Elder. This is a significant leadership responsibility and an important process for us as a church. Therefore, we ask you to spend time in prayer and reflection and then submit your suggestions through the form below. Recommendations will be prayerfully considered by our Leadership Development Team and current Board of Elders. A final slate of proposed Elders for the coming year will be presented for vote at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, April 27. 

We are thankful for the godly Elders that God has given us over the years. The criteria for nomination of Elders includes spiritual gifting, maturity of faith, godly character, and confirmed calling. Elders can be men or women, must be members, and function as the Board of Directors for our church, with overall responsibility for governance in keeping with Compass by-laws. Elders also work with the Lead Pastor to serve our entire church providing spiritual oversight and leadership, care for the church’s spiritual condition, and maintain a focused understanding of the church’s vision. An Elder must be able to affirm, support and articulate the mission, vision, and values of Compass. Elders are elected on a three-year term and can serve for two consecutive terms. New terms begin in September.  

If you feel led to nominate someone for Eldership or be considered for other leadership roles at Compass, please use our online form to submit your recommendation or call the office at (519) 941-4790. 

Elder nominations will be open until end of day Sunday, February 2. 

Qualifications of an Elder

Scripture tells us that Elder leadership in the church is an honourable task to which people are called by God. This would suggest a great responsibility and the ability to think beyond ourselves. The desire to be a leader is to be God-given and endorsed by the following qualities: 

  • Leaders are to be people who are mature for their age, with their lives centered around Kingdom priorities.

    Family (1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5 & Titus 1:6)
    Leaders who are married must be faithful to Christ in their love and care for their spouse and children. The family relationships of the Elder are to be a model for and asset to the community.

    Finances (1 Timothy 3:3, 8 & Titus 1:7)
    The leader’s life is not to be centered around accumulating money. Leaders should be those who intentionally attempt to resist and even fight this temptation, and should exemplify giving, generosity, and simplicity.   

  • Leaders are to be people who live for others. This ‘others-focus’ should be seen in the following areas:

    Society (1 Timothy 3:7)
    The leader is a person who has a good reputation and testimony to those outside the church community. The leader is a person who 'gets outside' and lives in relationship with those outside the church community. Leaders are to be missional by example.

    Spirituality (1 Timothy 3:2, 6, 10 & Titus 1:8)
    The leader is not to be a new Christian, must understand who Jesus Christ is, be able to articulate ideas well and assist others to understand, rather than confuse issues or people. This applies to the leader’s words and the leader’s actions. 

  • Leaders are to be people of character and integrity. This suggests that ‘who they are’ comes before ‘what they do’. 

    Self-Controlled (1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:8)
    Leaders should show a desire to live life in a balanced way. This includes how they interact with family, colleagues, community, and the environment. They are not to be consumers of society, but contributors to society.

    Respectable (1 Timothy 3:2, 7 & Titus 1:6)
    The leader’s life is to model the lifestyle to which God is calling His people.

    Hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:8)
    Leaders are people who are willing to open their homes and lives to others.

    Gentle (1 Timothy 3:3)
    Strong leadership is confident but not arrogant, meek but not weak; humility is key; influence and impact should be carried out with gentleness and respect. 

    Listening (1 Timothy 3:3 & Titus 1:7)
    Leaders are to be people who value other opinions and strive to see the best in people. Their conversations are to be peaceful and should value the team over the individual.