HOW WE ARE STRUCTURED
At Santa Cruz Baptist we are Elder led, Congregationally governed, and Deacon served.
Elders (or pastors) are biblically qualified men who oversee the local church, particularly through teaching God’s Word, praying, caring for church members and training members to do the work of ministry (1 Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:6-9; Ephesians 4).
Congregationalism: We believe that the final say in matters of doctrine and practice are the members of the church, the priesthood of all believers. Together, they guard the Gospel (Galatians 1:6-10), take in new members (Matthew 16:13-20), and lovingly correct one another (1 Corinthians 5, Matthew 18:15-20).
Deacon Served: Deacons are biblically qualified men or women who work to care for the church through acts of service (1 Timothy 3:8-13; Acts 6:1-6).