ELDERS / PASTORS
There are three important questions to be asking when it comes to Eldership at MERCYhouse— what do they do, who is qualified to be an elder, and how elders are chosen? Below, you’ll see our concise answers to these three questions which we hold from Scripture.
What do Elders do?
Elders primarily do three things in the church:
Oversee
(Titus 1:7 | 1 Timothy 3:2)
Teach
(Titus 1:9 | 1 Timothy 3:2)
Shepherd
(1 Peter 5:2)
Who is Qualified to be an Elder?
Candidates for Eldership Must
Be able to Teach
(Titus 1:9 | 1 Timothy 3:2)
Have Christ-Like Character
(1 Timothy 3:2-4)
Be Male
(1 Timothy 2:12-14)
How are Elders Chosen?
Elders chosen by
God
(Acts 20:28)
Other Elders
(Titus 1:5)
The Congregation
(Acts 14:23, Acts 6:6)
CURRENTLY SERVING ELDERS
Tommy Moore
LEAD PASTOR
Tommy is a graduate of UMass Amherst and loves serving the students, families and community members in the Pioneer Valley. He is passionate about helping others hear and understand God’s Word, and is joyfully dedicated to his calling to shepherd God’s flock at MERCYhouse.
“God’s Church is at its most beautiful when the People of God are treasuring the Word of God, being transformed by the Spirit of God to worship the Son of God. I get the pleasure of seeing this miracle happen every Sunday… and that’s what I love about my church.”
You can reach Pastor Tommy at tommy@mercyhouse365.org
Jimi Oke
LAY ELDER
A native of Ibadan, Nigeria, Jimi moved to Western Mass for college in 2006. He is married to Tolu, also a Western Mass college transplant. They both moved from the Boston area to Amherst and joined MERCYhouse in 2019, and were blessed with their daughter, Dara, in 2022. Jimi has a passion for worship ministry, and served as deacon and director at his two most recent churches prior to MERCYhouse. He also loves campus ministry (having been in school and education for almost all of his life!), missions, and bringing the light of Christ into the neighborhood. Besides learning to be a good husband and father, he also likes to read, run, make good coffee, and work on house projects in his spare time. Jimi holds degrees in physics, music and civil engineering, and is currently an assistant professor at UMass Amherst. Jimi and Tolu are grateful to share and grow in their hospitality ministry with MERCYhouse and the surrounding community.
You can reach Pastor Jimi at jimi@mercyhouse365.org.
Cory Telman
LAY ELDER
Cory came to Massachusetts for his undergraduate studies at UMass in 2006, and joined MERCYhouse in 2007. He stuck around, remaining a part of MERCYhouse and working for a local wine and cheese shop. He's married to Kate, and has one son, Benji. Cory has a passion for understanding different cultures, and he loves being outside.
"MERCYhouse has been consistently dedicated to preaching and teaching God's Word. That's what has kept me coming back year after year."
You can reach Pastor Cory at cory@mercyhouse365.org