Governance - the nuts and bolts of Eldership

3. What are Elders responsible for?

There are a number of formal and legal responsibilities which fall to the Elders' meeting, however, it is important to remember not every Elder has to undertake all the tasks and there are many resources available to assist. No one should be put off from becoming an Elder because of these responsibilities - you will not be alone in dealing with these responsibilities.

The next few pages explore the key areas Elders need to be aware of as well as talking about some of the assistance available. Ordained Elders will always be guided by their minister and their fellow Elders once they take up their role, the notes here are just to give a flavour of how these responsibilities work.

The first point to note is:

Trusteeship

 The Elders' Meeting (the Minister and the serving Elders) are normally the charity trustees of the local church funds and, under the terms of the Charities Act 2011, have specific and legal responsibilities, as