DUE TO WEATHEr: MSC OFFICES CLOSED TODAY & NO SERVICE TONIGHT
Mountain Springs Church exists to empower God’s people to restore the world. Faithfully pursuing that mission requires healthy leadership, clear accountability, wise stewardship, and biblical integrity. We want those who call Mountain Springs home to understand how our church is led, how decisions are made, and how our leaders are held accountable. Scripture is at the heart of how we lead. Our bylaws, policies, and leadership structures provide clarity and accountability, while recognizing that no structure can replace prayer, wisdom, character, and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
Leadership at Mountain Springs is shared, with different leaders carrying distinct responsibilities. The Board of Elders provides governance and accountability, safeguarding doctrine, affirming vision and long-range direction, overseeing significant financial decisions, and fulfilling the Board’s fiduciary responsibilities, including the approval of the annual budget.
Our Senior Pastor provides spiritual, visionary, and executive leadership for the church. Our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) works alongside the Senior Pastor to translate vision into strategy, provide church-wide ministry oversight, and lead the church’s day-to-day operations. Pastors, directors, staff, and ministry leaders are entrusted to lead, equip, and carry out ministry within their areas of responsibility.
A simple way to picture it is:
Board of Elders: Govern, safeguard, oversee, and hold accountable.
Senior Pastor: Provides spiritual, visionary, and executive leadership.
Senior Leadership Team: Provides strategic leadership and ministry oversight.
Pastors, Directors, & Staff: Equip, lead, and carry out ministry.
The Board of Elders also provides governance oversight for Family Restoration Center (FRC), which operates as an auxiliary ministry of Mountain Springs Church.
Mountain Springs is governed through a plurality of Elders. Our bylaws provide for a Board of five to eleven Elders, with the Senior Pastor serving as the only staff Elder. Pastors, directors, staff, and ministry leaders are empowered to make decisions within their areas of responsibility, while significant church-wide matters, including doctrine, long-range direction, major financial commitments, real estate, and borrowing, require appropriate Board oversight and, where required, formal approval. The Board seeks unity through prayerful discussion and follows the voting requirements established in our bylaws when formal decisions are necessary.
Elders are men who meet the biblical qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9 and demonstrate godly character, spiritual maturity, and faithful leadership. They are active participants in Mountain Springs and aligned with the church’s doctrine, vision, and values. Potential Elders are identified and recommended by current Elders, nominated by the Senior Pastor, and appointed with the approval of three-fourths of the Board. All Elders annually affirm the church’s doctrine and their commitment to serve faithfully. Non-staff Elders ordinarily serve up to two consecutive three-year terms, followed by at least a one-year sabbatical from Board service.
Our Senior Pastor is entrusted with the spiritual, visionary, and executive leadership of Mountain Springs, providing overall direction for the church, its staff, and ministries. He serves under the governance and accountability of the Board of Elders. Each year, the Board conducts a formal evaluation of the Senior Pastor’s leadership and establishes his compensation, with the Senior Pastor not participating in compensation decisions. The non-staff Elders provide independent accountability when serious concerns arise and hold the authority to remove the Senior Pastor when necessary, in accordance with the bylaws. The Board is also responsible for selecting and appointing the Senior Pastor, including overseeing the selection of his successor when a transition occurs.
We believe generosity should be handled with care, transparency, and appropriate oversight. Each year, ministry priorities and financial plans are developed through prayer, planning, and leadership input, with the annual budget approved by the Board of Elders. Significant expenditures, real estate transactions, borrowing, and other major financial commitments also require appropriate Board approval. Our One Fund approach operates within this same system of budgeting, oversight, accounting, and reporting. Mountain Springs undergoes an independent annual financial audit and is accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), providing additional outside accountability. Additional financial information is available through our finance page and ECFA profile.
Mountain Springs maintains a written Conflict of Interest Policy requiring Elders to disclose potential conflicts and refrain from participating in decisions where a conflict exists. Leaders also do not participate in decisions regarding their own compensation. This same commitment to fairness and independence applies when family members serve on staff. Family relationships neither disqualify someone from employment nor provide an advantage. Our policies generally prohibit one relative from directly supervising another, and employment decisions involving potential conflicts receive appropriate independent oversight from leaders who are not involved in the conflict.
Creating safe ministry environments is an essential part of caring well for people. Mountain Springs requires background checks for employees and volunteers serving in designated roles, and our policies establish clear expectations for appropriate conduct, safety, confidentiality, and reporting concerns. Allegations of abuse, neglect, and serious safety concerns are taken seriously and are never treated solely as relational matters to be resolved internally. When required by law, Mountain Springs reports concerns to the appropriate civil authorities, cooperates with investigations, and takes appropriate steps to protect those involved.
We want people to know where to go when they have a question or concern. For ordinary relational matters, we encourage biblical, direct resolution when appropriate, with pastoral or leadership help available when needed. Concerns involving abuse, harassment, sexual misconduct, safety, retaliation, violations of law or church policy, or other serious misconduct should be reported directly and do not require first approaching the individual involved. Anyone may also report suspected abuse or criminal conduct directly to the appropriate civil authorities. Concerns may be brought to a ministry leader, pastor, Human Resources, Senior Leadership Team member, or non-staff Elder. Concerns involving the Senior Pastor may be reported directly to a non-staff Elder. Mountain Springs prohibits retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith. Reports will be handled discreetly and with appropriate confidentiality.
Have a question or need to raise a concern?
For questions or concerns involving staff, safeguarding, workplace matters, or church policies, contact our HR team.
Healthy organizations continue to evaluate how they are leading. Each year, the Board reviews leadership, finances, strategic direction, and ministry priorities. Our bylaws, governance practices, and organizational policies are also reviewed regularly and updated when appropriate.
No leader at Mountain Springs serves without accountability. Leadership is a trust, and ultimately this is Christ’s church, not ours. Our desire is to lead with humility, wisdom, transparency, and meaningful accountability so that those who call Mountain Springs home can participate in the life and mission of our church with confidence.
Saturdays 4:30 pm | Sundays at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am
Saturdays 4:30 pm | Sundays at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 am
DUE TO WEATHEr: MSC OFFICES CLOSED TODAY & NO SERVICE TONIGHT