Our Mission
What We Stand For
We are a congregation of people from various walks of life, all ages and many interests. We are a congregation seeking to worship after the pattern set forth in the scriptures. We have no head but Christ, are overseen by elders meeting scriptural qualifications and served by deacons who lead in many works and ministries undertaken by our congregation. We are a congregation which has a great desire for greater knowledge of the word of God and in which the study of the Bible is encouraged in numerous ways.
When you visit us, we encourage you to stay around for a little while after bible classes and worship assembly so that we can meet you. If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask!
Our Structure
Elders
God established the pattern of leadership of His church. At Highland, our goal is to reject manmade traditions and follow the commands of God and the example of the first century church.
God has established that His church is to be overseen by a plurality of elders. Elders are also known as bishops, overseers, shepherds, or pastors. These are all terms that are descriptive of the role leaders in God’s church are to fill. They are to be older men (elders) who oversee the church. They are to feed and nurture (shepherd) God’s flock. They are to minister (pastor) to the needs of the congregation.
When studying the Scriptures, elders are always referred to in the plural form. Never in Scripture or early church history do we find a congregation being led by a single individual or pastor.
The characteristics that God requires for the leaders of His church are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
Deacons
Deacons are servant leaders in the church. In fact, the word deacon means “servant”. Deacons serve under the oversight of the elders. The role of a deacon is to help the eldership by assuming responsibility for various areas of work so that the elders can maintain their focus on the spiritual well being of the congregation. Deacons have no authority other than what is delegated to them by the elders. God has established specific qualities that deacons are to have in order to serve in this capacity. These are found in 1 Tim. 3:8-13.
Click here to view our Deacons
Ministers
Our ministers at Highland have devoted their lives to serving God’s church. We are blessed to have these men and their families work and serve at Highland. There are no specific qualifications or characteristics given in Scripture for ministers. Ministers are also known as preachers or evangelists. Our ministers are not called pastors, as that term Biblically refers to the position of elders and not preachers. Since our goal is to be like the church Jesus established in the first century, we reject the use of unscriptural titles such as pastor, father, or reverend for our ministers.
Our ministers work and serve the Highland congregation to help us grow spiritually. They earn their living by serving the church, as is described in 1 Corinthians 9:1-14.