While we do have ministers and shepherds that help spiritually nurture the body of believers at the Starkville church, our only true leader is Christ. Paul presents this powerfully in Colossians 1:18 when he states, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He might come to have first place in everything.”  Our leader is Jesus; we look to His example, rely on His word, and trust in Him only to lead us to our heavenly home.

      While scripture tells us that each congregation of the Lord’s church looked fully to Christ as head, God also purposed that there would be those who would equip the saints for service and spiritual growth (Ephesians 4:11-16). These include evangelists (ministers), pastors (elders or shepherds), and teachers.  Our spiritual leaders simply have the gifts and desire to encourage and build up the body.  We all look to Christ, and He is our only “leader” in the true sense of the word. Since Christ is our head, churches of Christ are autonomous and strive only to look to God’s Word for guidance.

     The following two paragraphs describe those who have servant/ leader positions at the Starkville Church of Christ.

     Those who do the spiritual shepherding of the congregation are our elders, or shepherds.  These men: Bascom Allen, Bailey Howell, Johnie Jenkins, Roger King, Terry Kiser, David Shaw, and Dean Stewart have the spiritual oversight of all our members. These men lift up Christ to all our members through service, example, and leadership.  Our elders are selected based on Paul's instruction in I Timothy 3:1-7 and examples such as presented in I Peter 5:1-3.

      But the ministers and shepherds don’t lead the congregation alone. The church enjoys and is supported by a great group of servants/leaders.

      Our heart's desire is to make the Starkville Church of Christ a place where both churched and non-churched can feel safe and loved as they explore their relationship with God. We care about people and do our best to show all the love of God. We hope you find this site informative to the point that you will want to come and see more for yourself. We would love to see you at any of our services!