NewSong Church

Leaders

Shepherds under the Chief Shepherd

Christ is the head of His church, and He gives elders to care for it. Here is what the Bible means by that office.

The office

One office, three names

The New Testament uses three words for the men who lead a local church: elder, pastor, and overseer. They are not three ranks. They are three ways of describing one office, and each one highlights a different side of the work.

  1. Elderπρεσβύτεροςpresbyteros · “an older man”

    Points to spiritual maturity and proven character. An elder is a man whose faith and life have been tested, so the church can follow his example.

  2. Pastorποιμήνpoimēn · “shepherd”

    Points to care. A pastor feeds the flock with God’s Word, leads it, and protects it, the way a shepherd tends his sheep.

  3. Overseerἐπίσκοποςepiskopos · “one who watches over”

    Points to responsibility. An overseer guards the church’s doctrine and keeps watch over souls as one who will give an account to God.

Acts 20

All three in one passage

When Paul says goodbye to the church at Ephesus, he uses all three words for the same group of men.

  1. Verse 17Paul sends for the elders of the church.
  2. Verse 28He tells those same men the Holy Spirit made them overseers,
  3. Verse 28to shepherd the church God bought with His own blood.

Our leaders

The men who serve NewSong

  • Chris Bales

    Lay Elder

    Bio coming soon.

  • Alex Matson

    Pastoral Intern

    Bio coming soon.

  • Noah Sams

    Elder in Training

    Bio coming soon.

At NewSong

How NewSong is led

Under Christ, NewSong is shepherded by a plurality of elders: qualified men who meet the standards Scripture sets in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Shared leadership brings accountability, wisdom, and balance.

Pastors on staff serve as elders alongside lay elders, with equal authority. No elder stands above the others. Each one is affirmed by the congregation, and members share in that responsibility. Learn about membership.