7 Tips for a Practical Theology for Eldership
1: Make the Biblical Standard Your Goal
There are many ways in which churches communicate their values. Some ways are through official mission and vision statements. Often, true values and goals come across in what is preached and taught, as well as what is omitted. Preaching a series of topical sermons on ecclesiology or expository preaching through Acts 20 or 1 Peter 5 would give a good opportunity to include clear teaching on the church’s goals and beliefs on the matter of church governance. Make an effort to include the goal of plural leadership as part of your church’s formal messaging. This does not mean you need to make plural eldership a test of fellowship. I would not. I do not. Remember that saying that something is not a test of fellowship does not make it unimportant. We recognize that,
“there are individual Christians in all the sects, immersed believers in Jesus Christ who are a part of the body of Christ, the church universal. The hope of restorationism is that all of these Christians will see the importance of banding together within one true visible church structure, thus enhancing spiritual growth (sanctification), brotherly fellowship, and Christian witness to the world. In this sense a restoration movement is a unity movement, seeking to unite all those who belong to the invisible body of Christ in a properly restored visible body.”[1]
2: Have a Method for Installation
An old cliché informs us that anything that is worth doing is worth doing well. Having a plan and methodology will help to ensure an orderly process that will leave the church stronger. Ambiguity and perceived haphazardness will decrease congregational confidence in the process and the result. Ron Clark’s book, Emerging Elders, has a plan for developing and integrating new elders.[2] A clear plan that includes development, congregational participation, formal recognition, and integration with existing elders is ideal. A ministry called Effective Elders coaches churches wishing to develop elderships. I am not here endorsing a specific model. The New Testament does not clearly establish an entire procedure. In light of Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5, it seems that a large degree of responsibility would fall on the church planter (in New Testament terms, an “evangelist”).
3. Remember Biblical Qualifications
The eldership is not for anyone. It is not a prize for the best Christians. It is not the top rung of an ecclesiastical corporate ladder. The New Testament includes two extensive lists of requirements or qualifications for the elder-shepherd-overseer. Other needed traits can be found in Acts 20:28-31 and 1 Peter 5:1-4. Additionally, Ezekiel 33 and 34 should be required reading for church leaders for understanding their duties and corresponding qualifications. The responsibilities of the watchman apply the overseer. The warnings to the bad spiritual shepherds of Israel should be heeded by all church leaders. The amount of space dedicated to the issue of good leadership surely implies a degree of significance. Some qualifications have to do with doctrinal clarity and the ability to effectively teach. There are other qualifications regarding reputations. There are qualifications regarding morality and ethics. There are qualifications about Christian love. There are also important requirements regarding the elder’s relationship with his family members. Finally, the New Testament limits eldership to men.[3]
4. Prioritize Biblical Leadership
Biblical leadership is not management. The church is not a corporation nor a country. Servant-leadership, supervision, shepherding, and exemplifying, and equipping are key biblical concepts for Christian leadership. Ambitious individuals may seek out the elder position. Those who seek fame or power are drawn to the office of elder. Popular individuals who do not display the proper attitudes, lifestyles, or doctrine may be nominated by well-meaning and prominent church members. Too many churches are tempted to follow trends and fads instead of the biblical models. Many churches have their eyes on methods to get more people in the doors. Being biblical or faithful to Christ takes a back seat. Many Bible figures, on the other hand, do not have good numbers. Noah preached with no converts outside his immediate family joining him on the ark. Jeremiah’s ministry would have been a spectacular failure in the sight of some books on church strategies. Jesus did not capitalize on the many visitors after the feeding of the 5,000. His next speech drove away all but His disciples (see John 5-6). He would have been counselled to work on visitor retention. They would have been encouraging Israel to reject Samuel and have kings instead (1 Samuel 8:10-22).
5. Foster Growth of Leaders
The shepherds need to be able to grow in Christ. 1 Timothy 4:16 and Acts 20:28 show that the elder-overseer-shepherds need to watch themselves and their doctrine.[4] They need to be able to refute new challenges to the flock. Continuing education and other opportunities for spiritual growth are needed. Elders need time with peers not focused on administrative tasks. Times of fellowship and mutual growth remain important throughout life. Also, make sure that the elders have time to care for their families. I was recently invited to give a workshop on church leadership. As part of my introduction, I mentioned, in passing, that ministers need to care for their families. One of the ministers asked if he could share a brief testimony about how a lack of family time had nearly destroyed the faith of his children. We paused the study as, one by one, almost everyone present shared 1) how they had been hurt by their parents’ lack of time due to ministerial responsibilities, or 2) how their children had been hurt similarly. I suspect that this anecdotal evidence would be easily replicated in many contexts.
6. Don’t Hurry It, But Don’t Be Lazy
Strike a good balance between a rushed job and nonchalance. Strive for consistency and steady progress toward the goal. Paul allowed time for congregational development under temporary conditions. In Acts 14 he appoints elders on the return trip. Paul leaves Titus in Crete to finish appointing elders in every church. In each case, there is a time for converts to show stability and growth, and to have a track record of the ideas in Paul’s requirement lists. Paul says, “He must not be a recent convert…” (1 Tim. 3:6a). Strauch is correctly firm, “a plurality of unqualified elders is of no benefit to the local church…. The local church must in all earnestness insist on biblically qualified elders, even if such men take years to develop.”[5]
7. Read More on Eldership
Keep reading, studying, and reflecting on the biblical theology of church governance. In addition to studying the Bible, below are some good sources to read. Some resources listed may have ideas with which I disagree. Remember, I hold fast to and promote sound doctrine, but do not make church governance by a plurality of elders a test of fellowship. We can learn from brothers with whom we strongly disagree.
- J.W. McGarvey, Treatise on Eldership.
- Lynn Anderson, They Smell Like Sheep.
- Alexander Strauss, Biblical Eldership.
- Benjamin L. Merkle, 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons.
- Ron Clark, Emerging Elders.
- Effective Elders. www.e2elders.org
- 9Marks. www.9marks.org
I wanted to conclude this post with a video clip from the Gospel Coalition with a round table dialogue between Francis Chan, Mark Driscoll, and Joshua Harris. Unfortunately, the Gospel Coalition has removed the video. I have reached out to them inquiring about access with no response as of this writing.
In the video, should you ever find it, Driscoll and Harris question Chan for about ten minutes on his decision to leave his megachurch in the hands of an eldership (of which he would continue to be a part) and start smaller churches not so focused on him as a celebrity pastor. Mark Driscoll introduces the topic unexpectedly interjecting, “Everybody thinks you’re cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. You’ve got a good church going on and you hit the eject button and now you’re an international man of Fu Manchu mystery. What is going on? What are you thinking? And what’s going to happen to your church?”[6] Significantly, Chan talks about how he always knew something was wrong with the way church was being done, but had not had the courage to make the needed changes to get closer to what Jesus intended. We all fall into the same patterns. We receive models and methods from our church tradition and implement those in our context. Significant change is hard and takes courage. So, instead of the video, I’ll end this series with two verses immediately before a popular memory verse. Following God’s pattern may not bring worldly success, but it will bring the kind of success that matters!
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:7-8)
[1] Jack Cottrell, The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today (Joplin, Mo: College Press Pub, 2002), 605-606, Kindle.
[2] Ron Clark, Emerging Elders: Developing Shepherds in God’s Image (Abilene, Tex.: Leafwood Publishers, 2008) 185-190.
[3] The issue is contentious. Christian scholars disagree on women’s roles in the church, but the case for complementarianism is compelling. This post cannot deal with the topic adequately. Instead, I will include some resources that may be helpful. “The Counsel on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood,” https://cbmw.org; Gender Roles & the Bible: Creation, the Fall, & Redemption; A Critique of Feminist Biblical Interpretation (Joplin, Mo: College Press, 1994); Robert Saucy and Judith TenElshof, eds., Women and Men in Ministry: A Complementary Perspective (Chicago: Moody Press, 2014); Mike Winger, “Women in Ministry,” biblethinker.org, Bible Thinker, n.d., https://biblethinker.org/women-in-ministry/.
[4] John MacArthur, Acts 13-28, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1997), chapter 17, section “Be Right with God.”
[5] Strauch, Biblical Eldership, 83.
[6] “Driscoll to Chan: ‘Everybody Thinks You’re Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!,’” The Gospel Coalition Blogs (blog), August 30, 2010, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/driscoll-to-chan-everybody-thinks-youre-cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs/. Accessed February 12, 2024.You can still find the now broken link there as well.
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