Our Structure

The body of Christ, all the believers across all of time, is a united body. But it is also diverse. We acknowledge that there are many possible approaches to church structure, as the Scriptures provide guiding biblical principles rather than definitive methodologies.

Northland is not part of a denomination. It is a distributed church, and as such, has many partnerships around the world. It works as a catalyst for relationship between like-minded ministries. Rather than focusing on the separation that non-essential doctrinal distinctives can create, Northland chooses to focus on the unity that can be found in the shared essential beliefs of Christianity.

As a local church, we were originally conceived, and continue today, as an elder-led congregation. Our elders exercise spiritual authority for our congregation out of a heart of servanthood, not coercion. Although Northland’s form of government is an eldership, this does not mean that all decisions or ministries are the direct responsibility of the elders. Rather, Northland affirms that each Christian is a member of the “priesthood of all believers”¹ and is responsible to faithfully utilize individual Spirit empowered giftedness for ministry².
¹1 Peter 2:9; ²1 Peter 4:10

Our internal leadership structure is evolving as we expand our understanding of what it means to be a distributed church, as well as a local congregation. The following is a brief overview of the various roles of servant leadership at Northland.

Governing Elders

The role of governing elder includes overseeing the spiritual life and well-being of local church members, exercising governing authority for the church in all its distributed expressions, and maintaining the biblical faithfulness of all church ministries. Northland’s Governing Elder Board is the highest governing authority of this church, approving the general policies and direction of the church, as well as approving and overseeing the annual budget. The church ordains Governing Elders; they serve an initial term of six years. The governing board of lay elders normally is composed of not less than five or more than nine men.

Elders

Nine governing elders could not personally equip and encourage all the ministries that emanate from Northland. Therefore, non-governing elders are trained for specific areas of ministry and are then distributed throughout our local body, distributed geographically around the greater Orlando area or distributed globally. Elders understand their roles as overseers of specific ministries and as equippers of leaders; both functions are carried out through the context of personal relationship.

Senior Pastor

The Senior Pastor has the authority to carry out the elders’ direction for the church. He provides vision and leadership for the church and is the primary preaching pastor for our congregation. He participates in an Executive Leadership Team that oversees the daily operations, including both ministries and financial resources, of the church.

Pastors

The role of pastor is to shepherd the congregation and enhance the spiritual growth of the church. Pastors work together with the Executive Leadership Team to coordinate efforts and shape the carrying out of the mission of the church, as they plan, staff, and supervise their own specific areas of ministry. Northland’s pastors are a special category of elder who have input but no vote on matters of governance.

Executive Team

Northland’s Executive Leadership Team is responsible for aligning the staff and congregation to accomplish the mission of the church. While these team members make regular reports to the elders, they have the authority to make operational decisions that do not have to wait for governing elder approval. The Executive Leadership Team can also appoint ad hoc teams to carry out specific ministry tasks and develop specific recommendations to be presented to the elders. As we see in the early church (Acts 6), gifted leaders are assigned to make appropriate arrangements for the needs of people so that the ministry of the Word and prayer can be continually prioritized.

Ministers

The role of Minister at Northland fulfills the responsibilities described by deacons in the Scripture. Ministers support and promote the ministry of the Word, lead various ministries of the church, and care for members of the congregation. Men and women are commissioned as Ministers by the church.

Staff

As Northland sees its members as ministers, it is the job of the staff (as well as the executive team, pastors, and elders) to provide education and training as well as support environments for ministry service.