Elders and Deacons ‹ Vale Church of Christ

Elders and Deacons

At the Vale Church of Christ we follow the examples and instructions found in the New Testament bible on congregational leadership and duties. As a local member of the Lord's church, and following scriptural principals, we have appointed men as elders to direct and guide our congregation, and deacons to serve the needs of the church.

Our Elders

We are led by older men (Elders, Bishops, Pastors are all Biblical names that apply to this office) among us following the guidelines of the New Testament (Acts 14:23, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-5). These men are servants of the Lord by leading and helping us follow the Lord all the time.

In the New Testament there were men who took on the task of preaching and teaching about Jesus. In modern times they are mistakenly called "Pastor," "Father," or "Reverend." While all of these terms are Biblical, they do not belong solely to the one who teaches about the Lord. While our preacher is also one of the Elders, the person in the front with the microphone is a teaching servant of God and under the guidance of the Elders.

Brian Glover

John Osborne

John Osborne and his wife Dawn are long time members of the Vale Church of Christ. In 2011 John was selected to serve the congregation as a shepard of the local Lord's body. John has been faithfully serving since with the purpose to meet the spiritual needs of God's people.

Mark Russell

Mark and his wife Cindy have been worshipping and working with the church in Valparaiso for over 30 years. They moved from Bowling Green, KY as a young married couple, and now as grandparents they have seen the changes of the seasons of life personally and in this local church. Serving and leading this family of God in Valpo with the other elders since 2011 has been and continues to be a joy and blessing for him.

Craig Teel

Craig and his wife Lisa moved to the Northwest Indiana area in 1994 from West Virginia. They have been worshipping and working with the church in Valparaiso since that time, doing their best to raise a family "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord". Making the choice to be a servant of God by following and submitting to the Father and the Son takes a deep and serious commitment from any that seek to be pleasing to Him. Craig has had the honor and blessing to serve as a deacon and now, since his appointment in 2019, is currently serving the Bride of Christ as an overseer of this local group christians.

Our Deacons

Also in the New Testament, men were selected to help meet the needs of the growing church (similar to the teaching in Acts 6:1-7). These servants (deacons), are men who have been selected by the church who meet the qualifications for this work ( 1 Tim. 3:8-13). These servants complete an invaluable service, helping the Elders deal with more pressing spiritual matters and prayer.