God cares for His church as the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8).
One of the main ways God cares for, nourishes, and shepherds His church is through elders and deacons trained to perform this important work. The Bible establishes clear foundations for their work; when these are ignored, the church weakens and its testimony declines.
One of the church's primary tasks is to call and train its elders and deacons. Today, "bossism" predominates in many congregations, rather than God's will for His church, which is a plurality of recognized leaders, with biblical training and formation, supported by the entire congregation.
In fulfillment of our commitment to the Lord's church, CLIR offers this manual as a contribution to the task of ministry.
