Pastor’s Council
Our Heart
Lifecentre’s mission of “Growing together With Jesus, to make a difference in our city” is revealed across a variety of ministries that reach all demographics. As a volunteer member of the Pastor’s Council, you are an integral part that strives to make this vision a reality.
To be an effective member of the Pastoral Council requires an open heart that is quick to listen and slow to speak. The Council should not be simply viewed as a legislative decision-making board that is governed by a rigid legal framework, but as a collective body that provides spiritual wisdom, experience, and insight to assist the Lead Pastor in guiding the Lifecentre through decision, challenge, crisis and growth.
Lifecentre is a staff-led, Pastor’s Council governed leadership structure in which together we serve using their spiritual giftings and agency God has given us.
Our 2024/25 Pastor’s Council
- Tom Abernethy
- Joseph Anderson
- Lucy Chung
- Kofi Kobia
- Terry Koyman
- Daniel Plourde
- Mark Shea
- Olusola Sotunde
If you would like to recommend someone who meets our qualifications to serve on The Pastor’s Council for 2022/23, email us today.
In 2025, our goal is to add two new qualified members who are in their 30’s or 40’s. If you have been requested to serve on The Pastor’s Council, using the button below is where we invite you to complete your applicaiton.
Serving Lifecentre together we,
a. Practice transparency and accountability in our governance processes, with no secrets or surprises between the Lead Pastor and the Council. The Lead Pastor and Council chnnel productive attention within a spirit of openness to all input. We set clear goals and speak the truth in these settings, knowing that a rebuke from a friend is a gift.
b. Cultivate our Council members as senior mission leaders. We thoughtfully steward their time and gifts, providing them with the information, experiences, clarity, and relationships they need to best serve their role in guiding Lifecentre.
c. Lead from a posture of mutual trust, in which our Council respects the role of the Lead Pastor, and holds them responsible for implementing the mission of the organization. They avoid unhealthy direct engagement with other staff members that could cause confusion around the priorities or direction of Lifecentre.
d. Recruit our Council to include representation and meaningful influence from all of Lifecentre, and not only members who can fill gaps in our expertise or giving capacity but are not aligned with the deepest values of Lifecentre.
e. Cultivate authentic, mutually appreciative relationships across the lines of our Council, staff, and church.
The composition, function and authority of the Pastoral Council is specifically governed by the Constitution and By-Laws of Lifecentre (General Operating By-Law No. 1).
Assists the Lead Pastor in providing leadership to The Pastor’s Council (Board of Directors). Makes sure the Council adheres to its bylaws. Reviews the Council’s agenda before it is distributed. Encourages fellow Council members to participate in meetings and activities. Assists the Lead Pastor by keeping the Council’s activities focused on the organization’s mission.
Serving Pastor’s Council Members share a legal responsibility for the Lifecentre from a governance perspective. In this light, the Council fulfills the Government of Canada, and specifically Industry Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA), Not-For-Profit legislative requirements for an independent Board of Directors accountable for the Lifecentre’s actions and financial decisions. From this perspective the Council ensures compliance with both federal and provincial policies and regulations.
The Apostle Paul identifies nine qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-12. Not all might be applicable to you at this stage of life. Whereas the Bible charges elders with the tasks of teaching and leading the church, the deacons’ role is more service-oriented. That is, they are too care for the physical or temporal concerns of the church. By handling such matters, deacons free up the elders to focus on shepherding the spiritual needs of the congregation. Yet even though deacons are not the congregation’s spiritual leaders, their character is of utmost importance, which is why deacons should be examined and held to the biblical qualifications laid down in 1 Timothy 3.
Please find below the necessary resources to help fulfill your membership duties at Lifecentre.