Joyfully submitted to the authority of Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church, and bound by the authority of the Scriptures,
MERCY’S DOOR is
ELDER-LED.
DEACON-SERVED.
& MEMBER-INFORMED.
WHAT ARE ELDERS?
Mercy’s Door is led by Jesus, our Chief Shepherd, and by a plurality of God-ordained elders.
Two key questions: How many elders would God have for us? And, what should we call this office?
Throughout the New Testament, we see a consistent pattern: each local church is led by multiple elders. This plurality of leadership ensures shared oversight, accountability, and pastoral care. It is not merely a pragmatic structure—it is part of God’s design for the health and maturity of His church.
The Bible uses terms for this office, including presbyteros (presbyter, elder), episkopos (overseer, bishop), and poimēn (shepherd, pastor). While each word adds richness to our understanding, they all refer to one role carried out by a plurality of men called to serve the local church by laying down their lives in Christlike leadership.
Just as the risen Jesus said to Peter, “Feed my sheep,” so elders are called to shepherd the flock through doctrine, teaching, care, protection, prayer, governance, discipline, and example. Their task is to watch over souls, not for personal gain, but with joy and faithful stewardship under the Chief Shepherd.
(John 10:11-15, I Timothy 5:17-20, Acts 20:28, I Timothy 3:1-2, Titus 1:5-7, Ephesians 4:11, James 5:14, Hebrews 13:17-20, Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5, and I Peter 5:1-4)
WHO ARE THE ELDERS OF MERCY’S DOOR?
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Brett and his wife Kat are the proud parents of three amazing kids: Kelty, Kallum, and Beck. Before joining Mercy’s Door, they spent three years in Southeast Asia as missionaries and English teachers. Originally from the Metro East, Brett has served in full-time vocational ministry for many years. At Mercy’s Door, he teaches during Sunday gatherings and leads the church in worship as we respond to the good news of the Gospel.
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Dude and his wife Joy met in college in Southern California and have since built a life full of adventure, including a Navy career and raising four amazing kids: J.D., Matt, Moriah, and Beth. Their journey eventually brought them to Scott AFB and Mercy’s Door, where Dude served as a GC leader and now elder. He enjoys teaching and caring for others at every opportunity. Their family enjoys music, construction projects, and spending time with others.
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Mike and his wife Sandy have been part of Mercy’s Door since the beginning and are the proud parents of Michael and Rachael Collins, and Stephen and Angela Kull. Affectionately known as Meemaw and Pops, they love spending their time with their nine grandkids. Their deep roots at Mercy’s Door reflect a legacy of faith, family, and joyful service. Mike teaches with directness and genuine love for God’s truth.
WHAT ARE DEACONS?
Deacons are Biblically-qualified, faithful servants of the body of Christ who are recognized by church members for their faithfulness and character and are appointed by elders to carry out ministry service in the church (1 Tim. 3:8-13).
Biblically, deacons are deployed to assist the pastors by protecting church unity, organizing practical service, and meeting tangible needs. In a general sense, every Christian is called to be a deacon (the New Testament word diakonos simply means “servant”). But the designation is not always generic; it is also used to describe a formal church office. Deacons are model servants who excel in being attentive and responsive to tangible needs in the life of a church.
On the broadest level, diaconal work can be summarized as encompassing three things in the life of a church: meeting tangible needs, protecting church unity, and supporting the ministry of the elders.
It is not accidental that Paul turns his attention to deacons (1 Tim 3:8-12) immediately after discussing elders (1 Tim 3:1-7). The structure suggests deacons are both paired with and subordinate to the elders they support. This relationship between the offices is also implied in the other passage where deacons (plural) are mentioned (Phil 1:1).
By enabling elders to remain focused on their teaching and prayer roles, deacons both guard and advance the ministry of the word. They help to execute practical demands of ministry to assist the elders in executing the ministry of the Word and to remain devoted to prayer.
WHO ARE THE DEACONS OF MERCY’S DOOR?
willis crouch
Mobile Ops Ministry
David Cheney
Mobile Ops Ministry
Catherine Underwood
Housekeeping Ministry
KAT BARTON
Women’s Ministries
Matt Burton
Audio-Visual Production
DAWN UNDERWOOD
Prayer Ministry & Missionary Liaison
““For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.””
WHAT IS A MEMBER?
In addition to elders and deacons, within the church are members. These church members take responsibility to ensure the local church’s health and growth. Church members are Christians whose eyes are capable of seeing beyond themselves to the wellbeing of the whole body. They realize Jesus died not just for them but also for the church (Acts 20:28).
Scripture tells us that leaders within the church are called to “equip the saints – or believers – for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph 4:12-13). Essentially, we are called to function as one body, made up of many members, with Jesus Christ as our head, working together to grow into maturity (1 Cor 12:12-31). When all believers – not just church leadership – embrace the importance of their role in the church community, the body of Christ is able to function with all of the faculties it is supplied with. When each part is working properly, the body grows into health and strength (Eph 4:16).
So you should not enter into the membership covenant because you’ve been around Mercy’s Door awhile and figure it’s the next step or “something you should do.” Nor should you enter into the membership covenant simply to say, “Mercy’s Door is where I go to church.” That’s part of it but membership is more than that. It is an informed commitment to the doctrine and vision of Mercy’s Door, a willing submission to the leadership of the church and an intentional embrace of your role in the body of Christ and the mission of the church.
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE I BECOME A CHURCH MEMBER?
Some Christians question whether they need to have a church home in which they participate as official members. The illustrative imagery of the church through The New Testament leaves no room for non-membership. The imagery used includes the fact that Christians are to work together as a family (1 Tim. 3:15; 5:1-2) or as the parts of a body (1 Cor. 12:16-17). The early church had a notion of membership that included numerical records (Acts 2:37-47), records of widows (1 Tim. 5:3-16), elections of deacons (Acts 6:1-6), discipline (Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5; Gal. 6:1), accountability (Heb. 13:17), and an awareness of who was a church member (Rom. 16:1-16).
We believe obedience to New Testament teaching requires that a Christian be a member of a local church. When the Bible speaks of church membership it does not take it lightly, but does so with all seriousness in relational terms. Christians are to work within their particular church for the cause of the gospel (Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 2:18-19). Church members must be trained and released to use their gifts and resources in various ways so that they too are serving the church, with the pastors and deacons, so that all may be doing “the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-12). Inside the church and outside the church, members are to serve believers and unbelievers by telling the gospel of God concerning Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In addition, all members are to serve their church and the world by loving others as themselves. The church, purchased by Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, reconciled to the Father, works together as ministers of the same reconciliation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5).