The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church; as such, He is the sole authority over it (Colossians 1:15-20). He governs His church through His Word. His government is exercised through the leadership of biblically qualified elders who have been set aside by the church to teach the Word and lead the flock (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Heb 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-5). The New Testament uses the words elder, pastor, pastor-teacher, and overseer as synonyms that refer to the same office.
The members of Winchester Baptist embrace leadership by a plurlality of elders because (a) scripturally, the New Testament always speaks of a plurality of elders overseeing the church (Acts 20:17; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 5:17; James 5:14); and (b) practically, there is diversity, wisdom, accountability, and power when a plurality of biblically-thinking men serve together in unity.
The qualifications for elders are found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and the responsibilities of elders are indicated in various contexts within scripture, including the often-used reference to shepherding. The Apostle Paul exhorted the elders to “be shepherds of the church of God” (Acts 20:28) and Peter said, “be shepherds of God’s flock which is under your care” (I Peter 5:2). In short, the role of shepherds in the Bible reveals a list of roles and responsibilities which can be described as leading the flock, providing oversight and direction, caring for and feeding the flock, guarding the members from going astray, protecting, seeking the lost, and helping the weak.
Elders are primarily responsible for prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:3). Scripture also assigns them responsibility for directing the affairs of the church (I Tim. 5:17), formulating church policy (Acts 15:22), preaching and teaching (I Tim. 5:17), and praying for the sick (James 5:14).
CALEB BOHON
Through the faithful witness of family and local churches, Caleb came to understand the gospel at a young age. He and his wife, Alyssa, have four children and have been members of our church since 2013 and began serving as an elder in 2023. Caleb works as an Automation Lead Technician and Programmer at InstruLogic in Winchester.
ZACH MCCAIN
Bio Coming. Zach began serving as an elder in 2023
TIM WHITE
Tim grew up in Pennsylvania where he came to understand the gospel of Jesus through the faithful witness of his parents, siblings, and two local churches. He moved to Virginia to attend college where he met his wife Sherry. In 1987 they were married and, in time, the Lord blessed them with three children (three more by marriage) as well as three grand-children. Since 1990, the Lord has allowed Tim to serve three churches in pastoral ministry: twenty years as an associate pastor in Lynchburg, Virginia; two years as a senior pastor in Northern Virginia; and, since 2012, as teaching pastor (and planter) of Winchester Baptist Church. Tim has an MMin and MDiv from evangelical seminaries. But it has been personal study and experience that has influenced his pastoral ministry most profoundly — namely, by cultivating a love for expository preaching and reformed theology.