In November of 2002 a new leadership model was adopted in which the elders were split into three groups that operated separately, one in charge of administration, one in charge of teaching, and one in charge of pastoral care. For each group, men were selected who were perceived as having gifts in that area. The administrative team was to make decisions concerning the ministries of the church. It was comprised of four elders, an associate minister and the Senior Minister, each of whom had equal voting rights. Collectively this group was called the "leadership team". Some of the members and elders questioned whether this model was scriptural. Mark Henderson states: "A few of the elders still experience some anxiety over relinquishing most decision making authority to the administrative team." The goal of his doctoral thesis sited below was to find a theological basis for this leadership model. Under "Basic Assumptions" his number one assumption is: "Scripture does not present a fixed pattern for church leadership." His number two assumption is: "The present leadership model is appropriate for the Quail Springs context."*
*See Henderson, Robert Mark, "Leadership and the life of God: distribution of ministerial gifts and leadership practices at the Quail Springs Church of Christ" (2004), thesis presented to ACU, pages 25-27.