Roles and Descriptions
MEET THE RH ELDER TEAM
T.J. serves as the founding pastor and first on-site elder of Redemption’s Hill Church. God called him to plant Redemption’s Hill while serving at a church plant in Des Moines, Iowa, in the role of associate pastor. He has a strong desire to make much of Jesus Christ through lives forever changed by the gospel in and around Columbia. He is married to Allison, a hairstylist and mother. T.J. and Allison have three boys, Judah, Abel, and Asher.
In some of his free time, there is a decent chance you’ll find him doing something outdoors; hunting, archery, biking or playing with a camera.
Garett serves as one of the elders at Redemption’s Hill Church, he leads worship and is also a missional community leader. Garett serves the body by also preaching several times a year. He is married to Katie, a nurse and mother. Garett and Katie have two boys Quincy and Emmett.
Blake has faithfully served and loved Redemption’s Hill Church for years. He regularly serves the body by preaching and is a missional community leader as well as an elder. He is married to Lauren, a rock star and mother, and has a daughter, Adeline, and a son, Jackson.
Clayton has been a member of Redemption’s Hill since 2020 and in that time he has proved himself to be devoted to the life and community of the church, the discipleship and mentorship of fellow believers, and the faithful teaching and preaching of God’s Word.
If you have been attending Redemption’s Hill Church recently, you have probably seen Clayton leading worship on a Sunday morning, teaching Sunday School classes in the RH Kids Ministry, and even preaching on the occasional Sunday morning. Anyone who has had the privilege of calling Clayton a friend, mentor, and brother in Christ knows that it is indeed a joyful privilege.
Redemption’s Hill is elder-led and member-informed
What are elders?
Elders are the leaders of the church also called pastors, bishops and overseers in the New Testament of the Bible (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 5:2). The elders are men chosen for their ministry according to clear biblical qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The elders are always spoken of in plurality because God intends for more than one man to lead and rule over the church as a safeguard for both the church and the man.
What do elders do?
At Redemption’s Hill the elder’s primary responsibility is the oversight of Doctrine, Direction and Discipline.
Who Are Our Current Elders?
Currently, planting pastor T.J. Dreyer, Garett Richards, Blake Sellers and Clayton Kreisel serve as the elders for Redemption’s Hill Church.
Doctrine – Elders are responsible to:
- Teach the Bible accurately (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:2)
- Preach (1 Tim. 5:17)
- Teach sound doctrine and refute false teaching (Titus 1:9)
- Protect the church from false teachers (Acts 20:17-31)
- Care for the people comprising the church (James 5:13-15; 1 Pet. 5:2-5)
Direction – Elders are responsible to:
- Rule and lead the church (1 Tim. 5:17)
- Manage the church (1 Tim. 3:4-5)
- Give an account for the church (Heb. 13:17)
- Rightly steward the money of the church (1 Pet. 5:1-3)
- Train other leaders and teachers in the church (Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)
Discipline – Elders are responsible to:
- Care for the people comprising the church (James 5:13-15; 1 Pet. 5:2-5)
- Live exemplary lives (Heb. 13:7)
- Rightly use the authority God has entrusted to them (Acts 20:28)
- Discipline unrepentant Christians (Matt. 18:15-17)
