New Elder

First Christian Church is a staff-led, elder-empowered church. That means that while we have staff who handle the day-to-day functions of ministry, our vision and oversight of the church are the responsibilities of our Lead Pastor and our Elder Team. They protect, guide, and shepherd the church. They ensure that we are doing a good job of leading people to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith.

Elders are defined in the New Testament as men whose lives are strong examples of living by faith that the people of the church can follow. The Biblical qualifications for elders can be found in Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and 1 Peter 5:1-4.

First Christian Church’s Elder Team is made up of a group of men who love God, love the Church, and meet these qualifications. Elders serve for two consecutive three-year terms, followed by a minimum of a one-year sabbatical break from service.

This year, we have identified two men who are excellent candidates to join our Elder Team. Our process involves a period of several weeks where their biographies are posted to allow time for church partners (at FCC, we use the term “partner” to identify people most churches might call “members”) to ask questions or discreetly express potential concerns about the candidates’ qualification to be an elder in the church.

Please take a minute to get to know our prospective elder candidates. If you would like to contact our current Elder Team to ask a question or share a concern, please email elders@firstchristian.com. Your message will be treated as confidential.

Finally, please pray for them and for our current Elder Team and Staff Team as they serve the church and lead us forward in our vision to help people find hope, experience community, and live with purpose as all-in disciples of Jesus!

Dan LaHaie

Dan LaHaie and his wife Jennifer celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary in July of 2025. They love their three children – Harrison who is 24, a graduate of Ohio State University and lives and works in Columbus; Tate who is 21 and a graduate of Hoover High School and has been a participant at First Christian Day Service, loves Challenger Baseball and also being a member of Kingdom Builders at FCC; and Teagan who is 19 and a graduate of Hoover High School. She is attending Stark State College and hopes to transfer to Ohio State in the coming year.

Dan is a wealth advisor and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) at his firm Wright LaHaie Jarvis Wealth Advisors in North Canton. Jennifer is a certified academic language therapist and works for Neuhaus Education Center. Dan and Jennifer met and graduated from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.

Dan has served on deacon and elder teams in previous faith communities. He also served on worship teams, served as a youth leader and was also part of a van ministry. He currently serves at First Christian Church as a volunteer in the Disability Ministry and has begun serving on the Prayer Team. He and Jen host and lead a great Rooted Group at their home.

He also advocates for children and young adults with disabilities by helping coach the Canton Challenger Rockies, a special needs baseball team for which his son Tate plays. He is a member of the Rotary Club of North Canton, currently serving as the Youth Exchange Officer, a current member of the Board of Directors and is a Past President. He also currently serves as secretary of the North Canton City Schools Foundation. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of Malone University, serving on the Audit and Finance Committee and on the Malone University President’s Advisory Committee.

Dan committed his life to Jesus his sophomore year in college and was baptized a few years after graduation. Jennifer committed her life to Jesus at a Vacation Bible School as a child and was also baptized at a young age.

Meet Our Elder Team