Overseers Tribe
Roles and Descriptions

In the Old Testament, the term elder is applied to various offices from the heads of tribes, clans and families proceeded the elders, who, even before the time of Moses, formed the superiors of the people.  In the New Testament they were associated sometimes with the chief priests (Matthew 21:23), sometimes with the chief priests and scribes (Matthew 16:21), or the council (Matthew 26:59), always taking an active part in the management of public affairs. The “elders” of the NT church were the “pastors” (Ephesians 4:11), “overseers” (Acts 20:28; etc.), the leaders who “have charge” (Hebrews 13:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; etc.) of the flock. The Overseers Tribe serves as the administration for all that we do.  It directs, supervises, and encourages the staff and residents, handles all the record keeping, financial business, legal needs, and the personnel needs of those who live and work here. Handling administrative responsibilities for the facility includes supervision of the eleven other Tribes, always mindful of the fact that Jesus is the Chairman of the Board, and that He is watching us.
 

Before looking at the organization and structure of the Tribe, we need to reflect on how serious we are when we say Jesus is in charge.  1 Timothy 6:15-16 tells us …” God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.  To him be honor and might forever.  Amen.”  

There is no room for, nor need for anyone else to be in charge.  All our facilities and all that we do is headed by the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  Special areas have been set aside in several places throughout our facilities to recognize that Jesus oversees all that we do.     

There is a big difference between being a believer in Jesus and being a follower of Jesus.  A believer is one who has placed his trust in the Lord for salvation and has received the gift of eternal life.  A follower goes beyond that and attempts to know God and to obey Him.  Jesus is the rock, the foundation, the cornerstone for all that is and will ever be.  The real Chairman of the Board – we seek His advice and guidance in all that we do, and we never precede without His stamp of approval.  To Him be the honor and glory forever and ever.
 

Hebrews tells us that in a world that is shaking apart, believers in Jesus Christ have the privilege of sharing the best news imaginable:  there is something that is stable, something that is completely secure.  There is a rock on which we are able to stand, and it cannot be shaken.  That unshakeable foundation, of course, is Almighty God.  The Lord gives us other immovable truths as well.  We can trust that Scripture is His unchanging, always relevant truth for all time.  We can depend on a secure, eternal relationship with Him through His Son.  And we can be sure that a heavenly home awaits all those who place their faith in Jesus.  We can have stability, even in this unstable world.
 

Remember, God wants us to succeed!  Jesus came to save the lost, the last, and the least. No wonder He is in charge of all that we do!!  Thank you, Jesus!!!
 

Now that we understand who is in charge, it is important to spend time understanding how important our human leaders are, and how seriously we take their selection.  A leader is:
 

• someone who encourages and enables others to discover insights and build relationships from Scripture.

• a person who helps others meet their goals, enabling the ministry to fulfill its God-given purpose.

• a protector to keep other leaders and those working within the ministry from being attacked or taken advantage of.

• obedient to the Word of God, not listening to false prophets, but always to the Word.  There are a lot of testimonies and resources in the world today, but what it all boils down to for the Christian, particularly a leader, is what the Word of God says.

• someone who checks to be sure his heart is in the right place:  a wrong heart leads to wrong motives, and wrong motives lead to people being in the wrong ministry.

• the person who structures time, giving God priority and always planning ahead.

• the facilitator who stimulates relationships and participation by asking questions that will lead others to search out Scripture on their own for answers to their questions.

• an affirmer, encourager, and challenger.

• above all, in love with the Lord, enthusiastic about God’s Word, enjoys the work the Lord has given us to do, and oversees discovering and growing through the Lord.

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So, with all this being understood, to accomplish its responsibilities, the Overseer Tribe is structured as follows:
Rebirth Nerve Center as the name implies, is where it all begins.  Never-Ending Grace Corporation and the staff are housed here.  So is the Pastoral Team and the Chief Shepherd.  Never-Ending Grace Corporation identifies locations of need and acquires property, designs, develops, and builds “ComeUNITY Centers” and “Urban Home Churches” intended to advance the love and values of God's Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven.
 

Each ComeUNITY Center is independently managed, reaching out to all peoples in the community with the love of Christ, striving to provide them with the opportunity to learn, experience, grow and flourish with a heart of service and a burning desire to see their community united in purpose bringing prosperity to the community from within. We know that it takes the love of Jesus for any community to thrive. Through prayer put into action, a unified community will prosper.
 

Profits from its operations are redistributed directly back into the Kingdom of God continually striving to see that God's Will is done for His Kingdom. Never-Ending Grace Corporation provides a complete structure under which we operate to create lasting change in the community. Bringing God's vision to life helps put into place a system that continuously educates and nurtures community involvement and growth. This enables followers of Christ to influence their cities for good through prayer, partnership with others, and by facilitating ministry efforts dedicated to seeking and doing God's will, bringing hope and light to people mired in darkness and despair.
 

The Pastoral Team serves as a liaison, taking instructions from the Board of Directors and having them carried out by the various Tribes.  Heading this team is the Chief Shepherd. Shepherd in the KJV translation of the Hebrew term for shepherd in Jeremiah 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 22:22; 23:1, 2. Modern translations generally substituted shepherd for pastor. The background of the term lies in the biblical image of the people of God as God’s flock (Jer 23:1-4; Ezek 34:1-16; Lk 12:32; John 10:16).  Pastoral ministry is closely associated with teaching (Eph 4:11). Pastoral ministry is an expression of love for Christ (John 21:15-17). Shepherd came to designate not only persons who herded sheep but also kings (2 Sam 5:2) Later prophets referred to Israel’s leaders as shepherds (Jer 23; Ezek 34). The NASB and NIV renderings, “shepherd,” “shepherds,” or, in 2:8 only, “ruler,” or “leaders,” are to be preferred. The spiritual and administrative leader for what we do is the Chief Shepherd - the shepherd of our flock, and all-around cheerleader for everyone and everything at our facilities.  
 

Administrative Assistant to the Chief Shepherd is the eyes, ears, and detail manager for the Chief Shepherd with strong organizational and delegation abilities, as well as patience exceeding that of a Saint.  This individual is assisted by several Clerks.   
 

Special Projects Crew is assigned by the Chief Shepherd to individuals or groups to handle short-term events or to achieve a particular aim.
 

Bethesda Osteria The fifth chapter of the Gospel of John describes the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, near the Sheep Gate, which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. The name means either house of mercy or house of grace. An old-fashioned Osteria is a fun, noisy rendezvous for locals to eat and meet with friends in an informal setting, where the owner is the host.  Bethesda Osteria is a place where the Pastoral Team holds meetings, and gatherings to discuss and work on projects.
 

The Pastoral Team Director monitors and oversees all programming at our facilities, monitoring what the programs are doing. The Director also constantly researches to find programs and groups outside of our facilities who we can learn and benefit from. There is no need to recreate something that is already successfully doing the Lord’s work.  Rather than duplicate, the Pastoral Team Director works to partner with such programs and groups.  
 

Crisis Management Team headed by the Kingdom Ambassador from the Media-Tech Tribe. The Team is made up of staff and Sojourners and meets on a regular basis.  It is responsible for establishing procedures to handle and review any kind of physical confrontations, hostage situations, complaints regarding food and any other services offered at the facility, security breaches, fire outbreaks, and any natural disasters that may strike.  The goal of this Team is to anticipate problems so as to avoid any breakdowns in our system.
 

The IT Support Specialist researches and stays on top of the latest in IT developments.  The first to be called for failed or down equipment is to the Specialist.  The Specialist works to research or create any variety of computer programs that can be used by the Tribes.
 

The Chief Financial Officer is the financial overseer and consultant for all that we do.  This person monitors our finances, supervises investments, and keeps an eye on all our income and expenditures.  Additionally, the Officer oversees the Chief Shepherd’s Joshua 24:15 Trust, and the Barnabas Scholarship Fund.
 

The Community Chaplain reaches out to the various churches, ministries, and businesses in the community looking for opportunities for partnership and ministering.
 

The Tribes have been created to best delegate the responsibilities at our facilities. There are twelve Tribes.  All twelve Tribes are headed by a Minister who is responsible for managing the focus and performance of that Tribe as directed by the Head Shepherd via the Board of Directors.  Each Minister reports directly to the Chief Shepherd and assists him as needed.  The Minister supervises all staff in the Tribe they serve, recommends hiring, promotion, and handles terminations of employment when necessary.  The Minister coordinates all the programs in the Tribe and is the final say, creating, evaluating, and constantly improving everywhere within each Tribe.  The Minister assists in preparing and following the yearly budget.  
 

Within each Tribe are programming operations or venues that require a full or part-time manager to supervise the program.  To deal with this, the Tribe Minister appoints a Governor.  Candidates for positions of Governor falls under the Scriptural heading of “Deacon”.  A Deacon is one who serves.  The purpose of a Governor (deacon) is to free the Chief Shepherd and the  Ministers so that they may give their full attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6.2, 4).
 

The Council of Ministers is the governing board, made up of the Ministers from each Tribe that we have. They meet regularly to pray, study, and fellowship, while striving to follow God’s instruction with the love of Jesus as they discuss and handle decision making regarding the operation of the facility, its goals and growth.  Accountability for each of the Tribes is provided at the Council meetings.  The Council must agree on all decisions made. The Minister of the Overseers Tribe serves as coordinator and secretary for the meetings. The Overseers Scribe handles agenda’s, schedules, and does a variety of duties related to the work of the Council of Ministers.  
The Council of Ministers meets in Solomon’s Hall. Solomon means “peaceable”.  Solomon is remembered most for his wisdom, his building program, and his wealth generated through trade and administrative reorganization.     
 

Solomon’s Hall is serviced by the Patriarch’s Mess Hall (pā´tri-ark) is used as the equivalent of the head of the fathers’ house, or of a tribe (1 Ch 24:31; 27:32; 2 Ch 26:12).
 

City Gateway Israelite cities regularly had an open court just inside the gate, known as the city gateway.  This area served as the center of community life, both as the administrative and judicial center for a city – the town hall of ancient Israel.  Ruth 4:1; Gen 19:1-2; 22:17; 23:10. The City Gateway is the headquarters for the Overseers Tribe. The Overseers Minister, Overseer Ministers Scribe, Templekeeper and Clerks all work from here.  Scheduling of all events and activities at the facility is handled by the Facility Use Coordinator.  
 

Each of the Tribes have their own projects and programs, but in some cases the Tribes share responsibilities.  Whenever this occurs, the Overseers Tribe assigns a Daysman (The KJV term for a mediator, arbitrator, or umpire who heard disputes and rendered an unbiased verdict, Job 9:33.) who serves as a liaison between the Tribes to assure that there is no duplication of efforts, things run smoothly, and that all the Tribes involved in an activity together know what is happening in the other Tribes.
 

Registers Office Modern translations use register more often in the verbal sense, to record in formal records – NASB Num 1:18; 11:26; 2 Sam 24:2, 4; Neh 12:22-23; Ps 87:6.  Headed by the City Recorder (Recorder was a Government post with unidentified responsibilities in 2 Sam 8:16; 20:24. The REB identified the recorder as the secretary of state. The TEV identified the recorder as the official in charge of records.) who is responsible for handling all of our record keeping and data entry work.  The office carries the responsibility for the entry necessary to keep our system-wide computer system up to date.  All data entry, storing and retrieval of information is done here by Data Entry Techs.  Any requests by Sojourners to review their personal files and records are coordinated here.

Treasurer’s Office Treasure is what one values whether silver and gold or something intangible.  It is also the storage place of what is valuable. This office is managed by the Treasurer, who is an accountant. This office handles all financial transactions.  Aided by Data Entry Techs, each of the Financial Officer’s deal with their specific area of responsibility:  Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Banking/Investments.  As part of the training program for Sojourners, we maintain our own In-House Monetary System that uses Drachma, drams, shekels, mina, and talents.  This system allows us to teach responsible and practical money management and budgeting by “charging” residents for their expenses, and “paying” them for work and program participation without the exchange of “real money” confusing or getting into any kind of tax conflict with the government.  This entire program is managed by the In-House Monetary System Officer.  Actual Sojourner monies are handled by the other offices within the Treasurer’s Office.  
 

Melchizedek’s Tribunal (Mehl khihz eh dehk) He was a priest and king of Salem, a city identified with JerusalemPsalm 110:4 refers to one who would be forever a priest in the “order of Melchizedek.” A Tribunal is most frequently thought of in reference to a military court of justice.  It is a group empowered to determine or judge. We use Melchizedek’s name as a reminder that Jesus is the head priest and judge of all things, and we must strive to serve Him.  The Tribunal settles disputes primarily between residents and staff at the facility.  Perhaps a rule violation has occurred, or a Sojourner has been found not following our guidelines.  After determining that the “Chain of Command” set out in the Sojourner’s Handbook has been followed correctly, a Tribunal is held in Solomon’s Hall.  One Sojourner, one staff person, and one Minister from a Tribe determined by the Tribunal Scribe, sits on each Tribunal as Tribunal Judges The first duty of a judge in the Bible is to execute absolute justice, showing the same impartiality to rich and poor, to Jew and foreigner. A judge must not let himself be swayed by popular opinion, or unduly favor the poor (Ex 23:2, 3).  Whenever possible, one of the Ministers not involved in the hearing will “intervene” at a Tribunal, seeking a fair and quick resolution.  Dependency on Jesus and responsibility to others should be taught at every opportunity with the way, the truth, and the light defining conduct.  Amos 5:15 and the NIV notes give some insight to the Tribunal.  After hearing both sides of a dispute, the Tribunal Judges meet in the Judges Room and determine a binding disposition of the matter.  If the Sojourner is found to be at fault, or to have broken the rules, the Tribunal Judges will determine, based on Scripture, what the punishment, if any, should be.  If the staff person is found to have been at fault, or to have broken a rule, the Tribunal Judges will recommend a resolution, subject to final approval by the Chief Shepherd. It would be nice if this was the least used group at the facility.  
 

Petra Community Room (Peh' traw) means “rock.” Located near the City Gateway, the name serves to remind us that we must be a “rock” for our cornerstone – Jesus, and is a multi-purpose room for use by any number of groups, or organizations.  It is managed by the Overseers Tribe.  Capable of accommodating up to 250 people, the Room is a state-of-the-art facility with sound and lighting to handle any of the needs for a group of that size.  Attached to the Petra Community Room is the Summit Café at Petra to handle the food service requirements of those using the Petra Community Room.  
 

Outside of the City Gateway, the Overseers Tribe supervises three other areas:
 

Sheepgate This was an entrance in the northeastern corner of Jerusalem’s city wall (Neh 3:1, 32; 12:39). Apparently, sheep for Temple sacrifice entered the city through it. It is where all our staff and volunteer’s check-in for their shifts, prepared to sacrifice their time and talents so that others may learn and grow.  Watched over by the Sheepgate Tender, the area has locker rooms, a meeting room, and the Shepherd’s Field Lounge for snacks and light meals.  
 

Never-Ending Grace Post Office Ignore all the things you may have thought were related to post office – one of the most common uses of the word “post” in Scripture is its designation of anyone who conveyed a message speedily. The Never-Ending Grace Post Office handles all incoming and outgoing mail, shipping and receiving via UPS or other services for all our facilities, staff, and Sojourners.  It is managed by the Postmaster with assistance from Clerks.  Stamps, a variety of envelopes and other mailing needs normally found at any Post Office are available.  Staff and Tribe mail is routed via Couriers (the people who were the very early means of communication, Job 9:25.)  who handle inter-office mail.  Sojourners pick up their mail via a mailbox system similar to post office boxes, during posted hours.  Larger packages are picked up at the service counter.  All shipping and receiving of larger packages are supervised by the Shipping and Receiving Clerk.
 

Ramla a city in central Israel that became an important trade center is a clearing house if you will for local churches and ministries that can’t afford full-time support staff.  Ramla provides phone answering, emailing of newsletters, printing of Sunday bulletins and more to ease the burden and help the outreach of these churches and ministries.