Who Are Elders In The Church?

On Sunday, 5 November 2023, we will be appointing an elder to increase our eldership team to three.  Therefore, I thought this an opportunity to write and explain what biblical eldership is. As you may know, churches have different leadership arrangements. Some are led by Deacons, others by Pastors, Elders, Bishops, Vicars and so on. There are some denominations that are congregation led too. Essentially, elders are overseers of the church. They provide spiritual leadership and direction for a local church. 

For some people, the word 'elder' has the connotation of age and experience. Growing up, I use to think that an elder must be of a certain age. Biblical eldership is not about seniority in age. Though an elder must be an adult and matured Christian, they are not appointed elders on the basis of their age. The qualification for eldership in the bible is based on character, calling, commitment and competence. 

Some churches have a complementarian theology that sees men and women as equal in worth (both image bearers), but different in their God given roles. These churches only appoint men as elders. Others have an egalitarian viewpoint which sees men and women as equal, with no distinction in roles or worth. They appoint women as elders. The debate about which viewpoint is right is centuries old, still ongoing and unresolved. It may never be resolved, so churches more or less have to accept the issue on the basis of "let every man be fully persuaded..." (Rom. 14:5). An important point to note is that there are God fearing, faithful, Spirit filled leaders on each side of the debate. So, I don't believe it's a heaven or hell issue, or something to fall out over. By the way, this article is not aiming to appraise types of church leadership, it is simply to explain what we believe biblical church eldership is. For clarity, the historic and current theological conviction of our church is of male eldership only.

Our church is an elder led church. For us, this means the appointment of godly men, filled with the Holy Spirit to lead, teach, protect and grow the church, under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with the Word of God. We believe this is the biblical model set in book of Acts. In Acts 2:42, we read that the church was "devoted to the apostles' teaching..." The apostles appointed by Jesus led the early church. They were filled with the Spirit, they cared for the people, set the direction for what the church believed and taught. They appointed leaders, resolved conflicts, protected the church from external influences and delegated responsibilities to others (Acts 6). When churches were planted in the bible days, elders were appointed (Acts 14:23). When sharp disputes and debate arose in the early church, 'the apostles and elders' met to consider (Acts 15:6) and rule or judge on the issue (Acts 15:19). So, the biblical model for church leadership is for elders who lead, guide, direct and instruct the church on spiritual matters.

The New Testament is also clear on the ownership of the church. Jesus could not be clearer when He said "I will build 'My' church..." (Matt. 16:18). The Church belongs to Him. So, every elder appointed is under His authority. The authority the elders have is therefore delegated authority. Elders must therefore operate under the direction of the Holy Spirit and in line with the written word of God (The Bible). Elders are not there to exert their will on others, neither are they in post 'to be told' by the congregation. The primary influence is that which Jesus exerts through His Holy Spirit and the written code (The Bible). 

The qualification for eldership is also clear in scripture. Paul calls them "overseer" (1 Tim. 3:2). The first set of qualifications deals with the "who" questions. Who are they, what are they like? The elder must be "above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable...not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." (1 Tim. 3:2-3,NIV). All about character. Leaders tend to fail when they place more value and importance on competence, not character. God is interested first in who we are, before what we can do. Don't forget that God is the one who enables us to do all we do, but our character has to do with our commitment and willingness to submit to His leadership. Elders can only lead the church, if and when they are led by God. 

The qualification then extends to ability and experience. They must be able to "teach" (1 Tim. 3:2), there must be evidence that they manage and lead their home well. "If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church" (1 Tim. 3:5). Christian experience, growth and maturity also counts. "He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil." (1 Tim. 7). It's not only in the church community that an elder must be regarded. They must also have a "good reputation" externally, particularly in the immediate local community. (1 Tim. 3:7).

The primary responsibility of elders essentially includes: 

1. Leading the church in accordance with the word of God. This first and foremost means leading by example, being a model that others can confidently follow. Setting a compelling vision for the growth and development of the church. It also includes faithful, Christ exalting, God glorifying, gospel based preaching and teaching.  Creating an environment conducive for worship and the move of the Spirit. Identifying, discipling and raising leaders (at all levels) for the furtherance of the vision and mission of the church, pastoral oversight and care for the members of the church. Not all elders are gifted preachers, but they must be able to teach. They may have different personalities, and may exhibit one aspect of leadership more than another. However, within the team, they must have the essential leadership qualities.
    
2. Regular and frequent prayers. According to James 5:14 and Acts 6:1-4, elders must be men given to prayers and the word of God. This is an area where those of us who are elders need to continually challenge ourselves. A praying church often has praying elders. If you are an elder, how will you rate the fervency of your prayer life and that of the church you lead? Essentially, the less we pray, the more we are invariably saying we've got things sorted or we know how we will. The more we pray, the more we relinquish control, asking for God's help. Prayer is a function of our dependence on God. Our strategies and great ideas cannot replace the power and the presence of God. Only persistence in prayer brings God's glory in its fullness. Elders, let's be praying men!
    
3. Oversight:  This comes directly from the meaning of the word elder, ("overseer") in the bible. Elders must have the overarching understanding of the mission, ministries and how the vision of the church is implemented. They must be aware of anything that may constitute a hinderance to the mission and vision of the church and prayerfully deal with them. Sometimes this may be attitudes and behaviours. There are several examples in Acts 5, 6, 8, 15 and so on, where elders brought godly discipline and pastoral judgments. This oversight also means they are accountable, first to God (Heb. 13:17), to one another, and to the church at large. There are also legal accountabilites to Trustees and legal bodies like the Charity Commission. 

Elders don't exist in a vacuum. They are supported by godly leaders, workers, staff and members in the Church. The people who steward, lead and work with children and youth, help lead worship, set up and pack down, deal with our audio visual needs and all the members of the church are great support for the elders. There is simply no way the elders can function without the support of everyone. Elders exist because members exist. There is a recent trend where membership of churches is becoming fluid. People don't commit to a church, they hop from one church to another, sometimes because they see something they don't like. There are many who just come to be "fed" spiritually, but don't feel the need to contribute, or feel they don't have anything to contribute. This is not the church Jesus designed. The bible says we all have gifts that will serve "the common good" of the church (1 Cor. 12:7). We belong to each other and should serve each other (Rom 12:4-8). As the elders are in the church for you, so are you in the church for them. Let's all serve faithfully, submitting to the leadership of the elders as they also submit to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.