Elders of the congregation together with Rev Kenneth M Ferguson 

 Back row:  Calum Maclean, John Mackay, Donald W Gillies, Iain Macsween, Donald Maclean, Iain Gillies
Front row:  Alick J Morrison, Norman Morrison, Rev Kenneth M Ferguson, Norman Smith, Norman Smith

Cross Free Church follows the New Testament model and is simply structured with only two kinds of officer: Elders and Deacons. Of these two, the higher office is that of the Elder and, because the church is ruled by Elders, it belongs to the family of churches known as ‘presbyterian’ - a term derived from the Greek word for ‘Elder’.

Elders

Elders are a group of rulers elected by each congregation to oversee their spiritual welfare.  The group includes one ruling Elder called the Minister, who is specially trained and set apart to teach.  As a formal body, Elders are known as the Kirk Session, or simply, the Session.  In the Presbyterian system, every Session is represented in a superior court called the Presbytery which consists of a certain number of congregations within a specified geographical boundary.  Each Presbytery is then represented in the highest court of the Free Church, the General Assembly.

 

Deacons

 

Deacons are individuals elected to take care of the material and financial concerns of the congregation and, as a formal body, they are referred to as the Deacons’ Court.