Leadership

The Bible describes Jesus as the head and the church as the body. We believe that means Jesus is in charge of not only the worldwide church, but of Second Mile specifically. We love Jesus, worship Jesus, and follow Jesus as he leads us to be the body of believers that he would have us be. All of the leaders who love and serve Second Mile do so under the authority of Jesus as head of this church.

We understand Scripture to use the terms “pastor,” “elder,” and “overseer” synonymously. For clarity, we have chosen to use the word “pastor” to reflect this role.

Pastors respond to God’s call to be the spiritual leaders of the church. They must meet the qualifications for pastors found in the Bible. They teach the church, understand theology, shepherd members, pray for the church, develop other leaders, cast vision, make community decisions, carry out church discipline, and take responsibility for the overall direction of the church as a spiritual community.

Pastor requirements do not focus on official theological training, age, career accomplishments, or any other human characteristic. Instead, the requirements God lays out for his church leaders center on their walk with God, leadership at home, and integrity of character.

Second Mile began with a single founding pastor and has grown into functioning with a group leading as a team. This reflects the plurality of leadership referred to in the Bible: worthy leaders leading their church out of shared responsibility and love for Second Mile.