Wheaties—you know, those dry brown flakes pretending to be a tasty breakfast cereal? The people who market them knew no one would want to eat them for the taste alone. So they put pictures of famous athletes on the box. The message was simple: eat your Wheaties, and you too can be great. For many people, talking about how a church is governed feels just as boring as a bowl of Wheaties with skim milk. But the truth is, learning how church leadership works can actually help us do amazing things together. So take a few minutes to learn how we do things here at ABCModesto.
The People
The people of the church—the congregation—are the church. At ABCModesto, we believe that the people are the body of Christ, and our leaders respect that. Our Pastor often says, “If we’re not doing something, it’s because the church hasn’t spoken up or stepped up to make it happen.” The opposite is also true: everything we are doing is because someone in the church said, “This matters,” and got involved. Ministries like Children’s, Worship, Administration, and Benevolence only happen because people care enough to make them happen.
Our Elders
About two years ago, we officially recognized our elders during a family meeting. It was a joyful day as the church affirmed its leadership. Elders guide the church in teaching, discipline, and direction. Usually, someone brings up a need, the elders talk about it, and a plan is shared at a family chat. If the church agrees, we move forward. The elders help ideas grow and keep us grounded in God’s Word. They help answer the question, “Why are we doing this?” while the congregation helps identify “What needs to be done?”
Our Leaders
Alongside the elders, we have a Leadership Team. These are people who lead specific ministries and help organize events, meet needs, and get things done. They help answer the practical question: “How do we do it?” This teamwork between the congregation, elders, and ministry leaders keeps the church moving forward in unity.
What we Are Not
Sometimes people think that being elder-led means the elders control everything. But that’s not true at ABCModesto. Our elders lead the church, but they don’t rule over it. Real authority is shared between the church body and its leaders. If the elders are answering every question—the what, the how, and the why—then you’ve got an elder-ruled church. That’s not us. We follow a principle called mutual submission. That means elders use their role to serve the church, and the church is called to respect and support the elders. This kind of teamwork makes us stronger—like how kneading dough again and again makes it firmer and more useful.
Why Don’t We Vote?
Some people ask, “You don’t vote? Isn’t that unbiblical?” The answer is, we don’t need to vote if we’re working together. In fact, the Bible never shows churches voting, and for most of history, churches didn’t vote at all. Voting is actually a newer idea that comes more from American culture than from Scripture. Also, voting often divides people. Every vote creates winners and losers, and that can harm unity. Ephesians 4:3 tells us to work hard to keep the peace and unity of the church. Voting can make that harder.
Instead, we focus on collaboration. This approach can be slower and a little messier, but it helps bring people together. When you have to work with people who are different from you, the church grows stronger. Collaboration builds unity. Voting often breaks it. Now, there are a few legal times when we do vote, like when forming or closing the nonprofit organization. But those votes are only for legal reasons. For the regular life of the church, we work toward agreement and unity.
Use Your Voice
So what does this mean for you? At ABCModesto, everyone’s voice matters. That doesn’t mean we’ll do everything someone suggests, no matter how passionate they are. But we do want to hear from everyone. In a world where loud voices often drown out others, we aim to make space for the quiet or different voices too. So speak up. Share your ideas. Just do it in truth and with love—that’s the best way to be heard. Also, get involved. It’s the people who show up who help shape what happens. And most of all, pray. Pray for unity. Pray for a humble heart that’s willing to follow even when the final decision isn’t what you wanted. Even the Pastor has to do that from time to time, so you’re not being asked to do anything your leaders wouldn’t do themselves.
Access the By Laws
Finally, we want you to have a copy of our Bylaws, which we adopted in June 2021 when ABCModesto and Baptist Temple joined together. These are always available during our Anchored Connect and Essential classes for new members, and we’re happy to provide them anytime. It’s important to remember that everything we do at ABCModesto is done in the open. We value honesty, transparency, and accountability. So if you ever need something, just ask. Church leadership might still seem as boring as Wheaties, but when we understand how things work, we can accomplish great things—together.