(For example, in one place he says, "Let us not fast as the Jews do, who fast on Mondays and Thursdays. The best functioning boards on which I have served had five to seven members. Some churches institute a system for how many elders they will have, whether by setting an exact number of elders or by determining a ratio of elders to members. . In Clement's letter around A.D. 95 he urged "the Christians who were in revolt against the leaders to end their disturbance and to be in subjection to the elders. (3) Elder and pastor are not the same thing in the NT. preaching on Sunday mornings, another for overseeing small groups, The power comes down from God through Christ mediated to the elders and verified by the priesthood of believers. [12], Early church history also verifies this concept. The only authority deacons have is that which the elder body grants to the deacon body. The words presbyter and bishop are used interchangeably. This is not universal in Baptist circles, however, and there are many Baptist churches which are elder-led. Smith is quoting the commentator Lightfoot from the Philippians Commentary. (Matthew 7:21). Thus, when the Lord says, "to the angel of the church at _______, write" we have apocalyptic symbolism and imagery occurring. another for evangelism and outreach, and so forth. [2] Alan Schreck, The Essential Catholic Catechism: A Readable, Comprehensive Catechism, 160. 14Recall that "elder" = "bishop" and that each town had but one church. It is a "noble task" (1Tim. No one is "head" [senior] pastor or elder in a hierarchal or superior sense. They will be less idiosyncratic, less dependent on one person,1 more accountable. God prescribed a system of government whereby the leaders lead from within the local church by the plurality of elders who govern the body of Christ that collectively forms the priesthood of believers. The elders have a general responsibility to care for and protect the church (see Acts 20:28-31). How these men were selected also varied. 60), On the Strategic Value of Missions Work in Global Cities, with Scott Logsdon and Will Sutton (Missions Talk, Ep. Mark Dever is the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D. C., and the President of 9Marks. It is necessary to give a small glimpse of this issue as it relates to the biblical basis of a church. [37]Edmund Burke once stated, "The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse. Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). Is there really any difference unless the church has a team of elders-pastors who keep one another in check and balance? By continuing to use the 9M website, you consent to the use of cookies. It is recognized that some elders would be gifted as teachers and would especially exercise this gift (1 Tim 5:17). 5But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses." Thus, it is likely that he appointed only elders. also Matt 12:35; 15:11; 18:17; Luke 10:7; John 2:25. 2) Rule over the church ( 1 Timothy 5:17 ). [6] Robert L. Saucy, The Church in God's Program, 150. How Often Should a Church's Leadership Meetings Be Held? Ephesians 4:12-16 - Here we are given the purpose and function of these Offices. It seems that any church that does not embrace this truth has either grown confused as to what Scripture says, or the current leader may have possibly become jealous of the "senior pastor role," and thus he is not willing to submit to Scripture. It appears to begin with that this fellowship did not have any strong leadership as the congregation seemingly led in a manner of "congregational consensus. The basic argument for this position is theological and historical, rather than biblical. "[29] The word Pastor (poimenoj-poimenos-pastor) is only used once in the entire New Testament (Eph. Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. Yet all must act together and rule over the affairs of the church equally.How do some denominations and churches justify having no elders or simply calling the pastor "the" elder? It seems that Clement may have used the term Bishop and Elder as synonyms at times,[27] although his counter-part, Ignatius, seemed to divide the leadership into bishops, elders, and deacons. What Qualifies Someone to be A Church Elder? - Bible Study Tools [1] There does seem to be a legitimate debate concerning the issue of the exact manner by which the plurality of elders functioned within the early church. The scripture dictates no maximum number for elders or deacons. in whom they had believed (Acts 14:23). Why would any church not desire to have a team of such leadership? A large portion of Scripture in the New Testament speaks to the issue of each church having more than one pastor or elder. However, as the church progressed after the death of the apostles the biblical doctrine of the eldership became distorted. Again, such an argument has very little substance. But Peter and Paul remind us that the churches we pastor are not our own. [For example,] Every church in which leadership is referred to in Asia Minor either under Paul and his associates or under Peter's ministry has a plurality of leadership . 12 Some denominations have a bishop over several churches and an elder at an individual church. The so-called Sinners Prayer that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. It is a shame that certain Christians show more concern for the national structure of government than they do for church government. Generally, only the elders know the names of the men suggested or the number of those suggesting a particular name. The short (and hopefully not trite) answer is - church leadership meetings should happen as often as needed, but never more often than necessary. Such churches that are pure democracies[19] or thoroughly congregational often fall into the committee quagmire. . The Bible never identifies a specific number of elders to lead each local congregation. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. In other words, they would be mature men who could sniff out heresy and steer the church in the direction it needs to go. If biblically based, each church must have a plurality of elders, and if the church has deacons then the deacons serve underneath the authority of the local elder-pastors.Ancient Church History and Scripture Confirm the Doctrine of Plurality. Ignorance can only mildly describe the level of intelligence that says one man can effectively lead the whole family of the faith. Most relevant Most Relevant is selected, so some comments may have been filtered out. I am presently undecided on this issue (that is, whether two or three churches are envisioned). Such mini-churches are actually very biblical. Note 1 Tim 3:2 ("able to teach" [, didaktikos]). (Although this is clearly his desire, he refrains from absolute certitude.) This means that a church is not to have There is much confusion about what this means. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. Paul had spent only about three weeks with the Thessalonians. Suffice it to say here that deacons were assumed to be part of the leadership of the church at Ephesus. How long should an elder serve? - Biblical Eldership Resources Third, further evidence that "bishop" is generic in 1 Tim 3:2 is found in the overall context. [22], The church must reject all patterns of church government that violate the teachings of the New Testament if spiritual health is to ever be restored to the local church and to the community of faith at large. . (Keep in mind that the NT had no chapter or verse divisions originally. Follow. In the Presbyterian churches that have chosen not to have deacons, "the function of this ordered ministry shall be the responsibility of the ruling elders and the session" (G-2.0202). 9It is most likely that only elders are in view. It seems more likely, however, that seven were selected not as a requirement, but because the apostles determined that this number would be sufficient to meet the need. Such committees, or deacon boards, are often led by people who are immature and lacking in biblical, theological, and spiritual maturity that is required to make godly leadership decisions. Then, in v. 28 he addresses them as "overseers" (or bishops). The third significant passage is 1 Tim 3:8-13. [8] Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An urgent call to restore biblical church leadership, 11. All other options will lead to disastrous consequences in the church and community of faith. ). They recognized, I think, that the best form of government was a benevolent dictatorship, and the worst was a malevolent dictatorship. (1 Peter 5:1-4). they"). "[6] The plurality of elders leading the congregation rightfully means the authority and leadership is divided among the several which resembles the pattern set forth in the Old Testament Jewish community from which this system drew its roots. How Many Deacons Should A Church Have - CHURCHGISTS.COM How many elders should a church have? [42] Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership, 129-130. Overseers set an example not only as individuals but as a team. Titus 1:5-9). In his discussions of baptism, he argues that cold water is better than warm, etc.--all arguments that have nothing whatever to do with the biblical revelation). All our Elders are involved in 3 specific ways . 4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. Christ said in Luke 6:40, "A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher." Hosea 4:9 (NIV) says, "And it will be: Like people, like priests." Our leaders set the spiritual ceiling in our churches, as they essentially reproduce themselves. farewell exhortation (Acts 20:17-18), Paul commanded Titus to That was humility! In this model the deacon board basically controls the pastor. workload, and providing accountability. 23When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. How many elders should each congregation have? : 9Marks If we can get back to this model, I think that churches will be stronger in many ways. He commissioned Titus to make sure that all the churches in Crete had elders (Titus 1:5). Strauch writes, "By definition, the elder structure of government Worship - July 16, 2023. Some may not heed this due to spiritual confusion, but in such a case the current leadership, even if one man, must teach the people that the church is biblically required to have more than one pastor. However, it is uncertain whether the term "elder . (Each one of us is responsible to know the scriptures and to examine the evidence for our beliefs.) As was noted, by the time of Acts 11:29-30, there is no mention of this specific group; rather, we read of a group of elders. When there were both Jewish and Gentile believers present, the Bible uses both terms (elder and overseers) to signify the leadership function. Elders are shepherds. God even gave Adam a helper so that he and his wife could rule the animal kingdom, and then collectively they would lead the children the two of them would eventually produce. The New Testament records evidence of pastoral oversight by a council of elders in nearly all the first churches. One need not work in ministry long to realize that the "one man at the helm" mentality will ruin a church. The task of guiding the fellowship rests within the eldership. Elders and deacons are not the same office. The church ought to have two or more elders with co-equal authority leading the church. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. So strong is it that Knight, after carefully evaluating the evidence, can argue: An analysis of the data seems, therefore, to indicate the existence of oversight by a plurality of church leaders throughout the NT church in virtually every known area and acknowledged or commended by virtually every NT writer who writes about church leadership. Such a concept does not rule out gifted leaders among that plural body of elders, but it does most certainly rule out any such idea of "one man at the helm" who is the so-called "CEO" of the church or "senior pastor." Ironic is it not? 1 One of the measures of how mature a church is is what happens to it when the pastor leaves. . Lastly, all through the New Testament the pastoral office contains more than one man at the helm. If any of the original seven did remain, they would probably have been elders or secondary apostles of the churchesnot deacons. 7. Essential Qualities of Elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7) | Bible.org Second, we do not see a diversity of forms of government in the New Testament church, but a unified and consistent pattern in which every church had elders governing it and keeping watch over it (Acts 20:28; Heb. These pastors guided the people collectively. 8That each church to which Peter is writing had multiple elders is likely from vv. The early church established by the apostles followed the plurality concept. Should all pastors be elders? - Education in faith At the end of the day, this question is just another way of asking whether or not we are going to allow the Scriptures to be the sole authority in the life of the church. 13In fact, many today see three churches addressed: 2 John has one in view; 3 John seems to have Gaius' church and Diotrephes' church in view. . by Matt Slick | Apr 1, 2023 | Questions, The Occult. 11:14). . [41] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, 912. number James 5:14; 1 More important than the names of church is the number of them. [31] But such a distinction that gradually developed has no support from the New Testament. Could they have become unbalanced? Strauch adds: . In every one of these texts the plain implication is that each church had several elders. There are a few problems with this view, however. Otherwise, why would Paul mention the qualifications of a group that were not whom Titus should appoint? 18). [28] Clement, "The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians" in Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Apostolic Fathers, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus, Vol. So Paul directly charges these Ephesian elders to act as shepherds or "pastors." Some examples: Didache (c. AD 100-150)--gives several regulations about baptism and fasting, much of which is pure legalism. Again the plural form proves the church had a plurality of leaders. A plurality of elders can help to carry the burden of pastoral ministry; they can bring a rich variety of experience to bear on the issues and problems every pastor faces; they can hold the pastor accountable in a context of shared ministry; they can save the pastor from a multitude of errors in judgment before it ever becomes apparent in a congregational meeting. The early church met in homes during the week. "appoint elders in every city" (Titus 1:5), and Peter spoke of the 2This is actually quite similar to the "checks and balances" in the U.S. Constitution. In a [19] I am not suggesting here that America's government system as a democratic republic (America is not a pure democracy) is in error. . It is significant that in every place of the New Testament where the term presbuteros is used it is plural . This church had two or more coequal pastors. Acts 14:23. Pastors were, in NT times, restricted to a certain locale geographically. 4:11). A biblically based church will recognize the need for a plurality of elders among the body. Sabbath School group leader, Bible Workers leader, Young Adult leader, Pathfinder Leader, Visitation Leader, Bible Study Group leader, Mission Team leader, etc. Before electing anyone to the Church Board, including Elders, they need to be cleared by treasury (evidence of returning both tithe and local church budget offerings) and clerk (member of local congregation at least 12 months and no ministry restrictions because of church discipline or criminal sexual conviction). Who selects the elders and deacons? It does not define who should lead in the ceremony, how many should participate, or whether there should even be a formal appointment ceremony. Thus, any passage that deals with bishop is equally applicable to elders. 28One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. The New Testament recognizes no distinction between them. This was not an elder/pastor and the deacons, rather it was a body of elders who collectively led the congregation and deacons. He told me once that having the elders run the show gave him a greater measure of freedom, for it allowed him more time to work on his messages. Well the elders are those people in the church that oversee, govern, and guideour heart, spirit, and soul. What do pastors themselves need in order to preach on hell? 5 Guiding Principles for Church Elders | Crossway Articles Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 1. . Some pastors are detail men; others are big picture men. When evil opposition arises the team will be able to stand together on Scripture and handle the evil schemes that the forces of hell throw at the bride of Christ. The consistent New Testament pattern is a plurality of elders "in every church" (Acts 14:23) and "in every town" (Titus 1:5). Again, as already noted, "one man leadership is characteristic of cults, not the church". Such is not the case. Both the Old and New Testaments repeatedly employ the metaphor of "shepherding" to describe the spiritual leadership of God's people. 7The early church had but one church in each city or town. .11. 4The normal understanding of the difference in function of the two groups is this: elders are primarily concerned with the spiritual welfare of the congregation, while deacons are primarily concerned with the physical welfare of the congregation. In sum, the argument for a single leader of each church is especially persuasive to Roman Catholics because it did occur throughout church history. It occurs 114 times and is translated . So the Bible clearly teaches that New Testament churches are to be led by elders. By having several leaders, the church is more able to take on the personality of Christ rather than the idiosyncracies of any one man. It seems that churches of the Protestant river have been dabbling and bathing in the Church of Rome's river of thought. . The very fact that the sentence in v. 7 begins with a "for" shows a connection: bishops are elders. . This fits well with the probable authorship of these letters (namely, John the apostle). Allegorical interpretation and eschatology: Origen and his school in particular promoted a view of scripture which was quite fanciful. Meanwhile there are many who want the label but dont want to serve. - Newsletter - New! . The Bible sets forth the pattern of plurality for the leadership structure. Dr. Charles Ryrie agrees commenting that "If doctrinal defections come into a denomination, history teaches that it is difficult, if not impossible, for a local church to call the superstructure to account; and if the local church feels it necessary to leave the denomination it can do so often only at considerable cost and sometimes even the loss of all their property. the concept of "first among equals." 7. assumes that there will be elders (plural) available to pray for The emphasis in scripture on doing the work of the ministry in company with other believers: e.g., Paul never went on a missionary journey by himself (Barnabas, Silvanus, Sosthenes, Timothy, Luke were especially his traveling companions). He says: All the biblical data clearly indicates that the pastorate is a team effort. How many elders should each congregation have? Often times people confuse the two, and when this happens trouble generally results. By the time he had settled in Asia Minor as the last living apostle, it would be quite appropriate for him to take on a term of endearment and affection: "This letter is from the old man.". Question? What is the difference when a Protestant minister stands before the church and says: "God has told me that this church is to have this vision for our ministry" and when the Pope speaks with the "gift of infallibility"[2] declaring a statement of doctrine for the whole church that must be obediently followed? "Peter assumes that all these churches . How many elders should a church have? Paul even included his companions' names in the greetings to various churches. We greatly appreciate your consideration! (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. Further, even beyond the sin nature factor is the personality factor. They deceive us. In one stroke, the plural form utterly confounds later theories of church government.[35]. Pressure to Conform Bookmark September, Planning Your Church Calendar - Ministry Models, "I left the Seventh-day Adventist Church to find Jesus. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. He has a Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary, and is currently professor of New Testament Studies at his alma mater. I'm researching the subject of elders and deacons. In the book of Peter we find that he urged the plurality of elders among each individual church to oversee and shepherd the flock God had placed under their leadership. Should a Church Have Elders? : 9Marks Although the noun pastor (poimen) is not used of church officers elsewhere in the New Testament, the related verb which means "to act as a shepherd" or "to act as a pastor" (Gk. Offering counsel on a wide-range of questions from actual readers like you! It seems probable that it simply took the fellowship of Corinth some time to mature enough to where someone could serve in the office as an elder. 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, so they will not see the CARM is a nonprofit, non-denominational, multi-staffed Christian Apologetics Ministry that supports evangelism, radio outreach, and provides full-time support for several foreign missionaries. Is the god of this world Satan or Jesus in 2 Cor. 14:40); it should contribute to the peace and harmony of the congregation and be of such nature that it will edify the congregation (Romans 14:19). Some love music, others have gotten little from music (C. S. Lewis was one such man). He stands alone as the senior leader and Chief Pastor of God's family. PDF Handbook for Elders in The Presbyterian Church (U.s.a.) Notice the context in which behavior in the church occurs: 1 Tim 2:8-3:13. This is because the pastor is an elder. Philip ministering to the Ethiopian eunuch, Paul in prison ministering to Caesar's household, etc. 21After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." The ideal situation is always for there to be a mother and a father in the home to raise a child. Cf. Thus this governing is never done by one person but by a group of godly and devout men. (2) The leadership of the church from the earliest period always had elders, even if it did not have deacons. The Adventist Message to All the World in This Generation, 9. There are those who conclude that an elder is an elder for life. All of the biblical texts that relate to the New Testament church call for a plurality of elders. It is one issue if a church does not have anyone qualified for the role of elder. Such elders must be publicly examined by the church as to their qualifications (1 Tim 3:10).. . When a church is born, it typically has to determine whether or not it will have deacons. [17] Mal Couch, A Pastor's Manual on Doing Church, ed. And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. indicate that Paul's regular practice was to appoint elders to lead So these churches often establish a deacon board with only one elder (the sole pastor of the church). Infidels realize that numbers carry strength. But a church that follows in lock-step with the personality and foibles of one man will always be imbalanced. The church should have elders in the plural. Thus, multiple elders are linked to a single flock each time. Even apostle Peter called himself one of the elders of the church. Baptist Church", Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at. Edmund Burke, in a speech in 1771 called ". The few passages which might otherwise be interpreted certainly do not have to be so interpreted and, in fact, most likely should not be. Moses was sent by God to the elders of Israel while they were slaves in Egypt. Mal Couch, 35 and 43. The article is used this way in Greek very frequently. In apocalyptic literature there is a strong emphasis on angels. Do not admit a charge against an . For example, one may be primarily responsible for Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, 1. Jesus sent his disciples out two-by-two. Elders and deacons, who selects them and how many should there be? Luke 6:40]). Historically, Baptist churches do not recognize elder as a separate office from those of pastor or deacon; it is commonly considered a synonym of deacon or pastor. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Not one text anywhere in the entire New Testament teaches any church had only one senior pastor. Nowadays "mini-churches" are very popular. In his statement both the bishops, who are the coequal pastors, and the deacons are plural. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21), You must repent of your sins. Has Christianity become so shallow that the people do not realize the need for the plurality of elders?