Even though God has blessed us with a strong pastoral staff, our most valuable assets are our volunteers. In fact, it's the volunteers who give of their time and energy that truly make Coastal the special place it is. And it will be the volunteers who are actively using their gifts in ministry, who will help us reach our God-given potential as a church.
We thank God for each of them! They are all ministers and vital parts of our ministry. Would you like to know more? With that said, we'd like for you to get to know the highly passionate staff that God has brought to Coastal.
- Chris Rollins, Lead Pastor (Get to know Chris)
- Wes Roberts, Worship Pastor (Get to know Wes)
- Sean Clements, Youth Minister (Get to know Sean)
Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). He is the true source of all the church is and does and His glory is to be the object of every act, function and motive of the body, both individually and corporately.
Vision
We want to be a New Testament church existing for the supremacy of the name and purpose of Jesus Christ. One thing we have noticed about churches described in the New Testament is that they were led by pastor/elders.
New Testament Churches
Acts 11:30 refers to elders in connection with the church in Jerusalem. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every church they helped start and prayed for them (Acts 14:23). They left those churches in God's hands with the elders as His representatives.
Shepherds and Overseers
Elders are also called shepherds (pastors) and overseers in the Scriptures. They are responsible for guarding the spiritual lives of worshippers and for making sure sound doctrine is taught in the church (Titus 1:9). They are advocates of spiritual growth in the church rather than a clearing house for decision-making. They are less like dictators or CEO's and more like good and loving fathers.
Although the terms are used interchangeably in Scripture, the New Testament does recognize those elders "whose work is preaching and teaching" (I Timothy 5:17). Many scholars also understand the Greek construction in Ephesians 4:11 ("pastors and teachers") to refer to one person with a two-fold function, and therefore it could be translated "teaching pastors."
So at Coastal, the pastors are a part of the Eldership. Pastor Chris serves as the 'mantle leader' of his fellowship shepherds. But for accountability and encouragement, he is also in submission to the Eldership, thus walking out the redemptive tension of both leading and being in submission, while giving himself fully to his life's work of preaching and teaching.
