By Amy Norman
On a bright, clear Saturday morning in October, nearly 100 men gathered at Chapel Rock Christian Church on the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana, to learn and be reinforced in their leadership roles as elders and ministers in their respective churches.
The fourth annual Indianapolis Congress of Elders was conducted October 20 and brought together men from the Indianapolis area who are in leadership at Christian churches and churches of Christ.
“The congress is marketed to Marion County and the eight surrounding counties, but it”s open to everyone in the state,” said Dave Soucie, senior minister with Southport Heights Christian Church on the south side of Indianapolis.
ONE ELDER”S SUGGESTION
The Congress of Elders grew from the suggestion of an elder at an Illinois congregation where Sou-cie preached years ago. The elder suggested it would be nice if elders and ministers from other Christian churches talked to one another and compared notes about situations they faced.
The Southern Illinois Congress of Elders was born in 1999. When Soucie came to Southport Heights Christian Church, he brought the idea of the Congress of Elders with him. The first Indianapolis Congress of Elders was conducted in 2004.
“We are so independent, we don”t pay attention to each other,” Soucie said. “We are not looking to become structured denominations, but we are still sister congregations.”
The congress is designed to encourage the following:
“¢ leadership
“¢ partnership between elders and ministers
“¢ fellowship among local congregations
“¢ challenge of local leaders to stretch themselves and more faithfully serve the Lord and his church.
REAL-LIFE ISSUES
The congress is a series of workshops attended by elders and ministers.
“Topics (for the workshops) grow out of the ministers” luncheon that is held once a month, and from submitted suggestions,” Soucie said. “These are how-tos and they focus on the responsibility of being a leader.”
This year, the workshops included topics on shepherding, the three personality types you don”t want in leadership, helping Christian leaders defend the hope we have in Jesus Christ, domestic violence, financial campaigns, small groups, and eliminating burnout.
A highlight of the day is a session that involves case studies. Elders participating in the conference are presented with a hypothetical situation they might face.
“We put a draft number in the right-hand corner of the schedule they are given at the beginning of the day,” Soucie said. “We draw numbers to see who will serve on the panel. A little peer pressure is involved to get people on the panel.”
Eventually, three or four men are placed on the panel. This year, the elders had the opportunity to discuss topics such as designated giving, working with area churches with a different understanding of Scripture, and the balance between traditional hymns and contemporary music during Sunday services.
“We deal with real-life issues,” Soucie said. “And, we have enough godly men who keep the discussion on track.”
Each year, the host church chooses the speaker for the Congress of Elders. Fred Rodkey, senior minister at Chapel Rock Christian Church, invited Ken Idleman, senior minister at Crossroads Christian Church in Newburgh, Indiana, and the former president of Ozark Christian College.
Idleman challenged the group, calling them “the overseers of health and growth of the church.”
He looked at 1 Timothy 3:1-7, which outlines the qualities an elder should have.
“The stakes are too high for unworthy leaders,” Idleman said, quoting Bill Hybels. “We need men who will sin less, but not men who are sinless.”
SERVING TOGETHER
Throughout the day, organizers reiterated the purpose of the conference: to serve together.
“We want people to take the opportunity to get to know others,” Soucie said.
To this point, the conference has attracted mostly elders and ministers from small- to medium-sized congregations in the metro Indianapolis area.
“Elders may never go to leadership conferences elsewhere,” Soucie said. “They may not have resources to bring people in.”
The Congress of Elders is less than an hour away for most congregations who attend it and provides the opportunity for men to focus on their leadership skills and recharge their spirituality.
Next year”s conference will be October 18 at Post Road Christian Church.
Tapes or compact discs of the sessions and workshops are available.
For more information, visit the Congress of Elders Web site, www.congressofelders.org.
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Amy Norman is communications director at The Church at Mount Gilead in Mooresville, Indiana.
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