WHAT IS AN ELDER?

What is an elder and why does Wildwood Church have so many of them? Why do you call yourself an elder instead of Lead Pastor? Why are some elders paid and some are not? Is there a difference between an elder and a pastor? I get these and questions like them from genuinely curious people regularly so I thought I would take this edition of the Chronicle to answer some of them. I hope it helps you understand the leadership structure Jesus put into place through His apostles almost 2000 years ago; and by coming to greater understanding, that you also relish in the love Jesus has for you that He would establish what we call “biblical eldership.” Its benefits extend far beyond the church building and even becomes a model of faithful leadership in the home. There is much to be thankful for in biblical eldership – security, accountability, encouragement, and more. First let’s begin with the church leadership office prescribed in the New Testament – a plurality of elders.  

ONE LEADERSHIP OFFICE, MANY TITLES

One thing you will find if you scroll through various churches’ websites is a variety of titles for their leaders. You might find titles like pastor, bishop, overseer, trustee, deacon, elder, and others. Not only will you find varying titles, but you will also find varying forms of leadership, or polity. I have been part of churches led by a single pastor, a pastoral staff, a senior pastor and a body of deacons, a select group of pastors and a body of trustees, and now Wildwood, which is led by a plurality of elders. While I affirm that church polity is an open-handed issue in which we can agree to disagree, I think the Bible lays out a pretty basic leadership structure that works well when it’s followed faithfully. That model consists of several biblically-qualified men, equal in authority and responsibility, but with differing gifts, talents, callings, and availability. 

Let’s begin by exploring what the New Testament says about church leaders. There are two offices of the church prescribed in the New Testament, that of elder and that of deacon. The term deacon literally means “servant.” Wildwood has several folks who lead ministry teams whose primary role is service to the church – hospitality, building, grounds, and others. We call these servants, “ministry team directors” and they do amazing work! I think it’s right to think of them as fulfilling the role of deacons, even if they do not bear that title officially. 

The other office is primarily a leadership office; it is the office of elder. For this article, I want to focus primarily on this office. As I stated above, there are several titles associated with church leaders, many of them are straight out of the bible. However, they all point to the one office of elder.   

ELDERS AND OVERSEERS

Take, for instance, the following pairs of scripture from the New Testament: Acts 20:17 & Acts 20:28; Titus 1:5 & Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1 & 1 Peter 5:2; Hebrews 13:7 & Hebrews 13:17. What do you notice? In the first pair, we read the titles “elders” and “overseers” used to describe the same group of men. In Titus, we see the same thing as Paul prescribes church leadership. Thus, this concept is not only http://marionjensen.com/2005/12 descriptive (here’s what did happen), but also infamously prescriptive (here’s what should happen). Notice two things about these descriptive and prescriptive passages. First, the different titles for the same group of men, elders and overseers. Second, it was a group of men. In both scripture pairs, the reference is to multiple elders in each church, a plurality of elders. 

Looking next to the pair in 1 Peter 5, what I would characterize as the flagship passage on an elder’s job, Peter used the term “elders” to refer not only to the local church leaders, but also to himself. Peter was an apostle, and if there was supposed to be a rank structure, Peter would have been at the top. Instead, he related to them as peers. Peter exhorted his “fellow elders” to exercise oversight (overseer) and to shepherd the flock of God. So we see two tasks for the same group of men here, overseeing and shepherding.  

By the way, did you know you won’t find the title “Pastor” in the New Testament? Pastor is Latin for the word shepherd. While there are lots of instances of the verb “shepherd,” there is only one reference of the noun “shepherd” in the context of church leadership. Some translations render that reference “pastor – teachers” but the word is “shepherd – teachers.” Ephesians 4:11 is the one and only place you will find the term shepherd, or pastor, in noun form. Every other reference to titles for the office of church leadership is elder, overseer, or leader.     

LEADERS

The final scripture pair, Hebrews 13:7 & 17, is where see the title “leaders” used. These verses help set the tone of the role of elders. Elders are to lead the church, primarily through the teaching of the Word of God. Furthermore, elders are charged with “keeping watch over your souls as those who will give account.” Give account to whom? Peter says it will be to Jesus, the Chief Shepherd when He reappears. (1 Pt. 5:4) That said, Hebrews 13:17 exhorts the church to “let them do it with joy and not with groaning.” The church is called to encourage, submit, and follow the example of godly elders, and to imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13:7, 17) 

As you can see, the Bible teaches that elders are shepherds who are overseers of the flock of God and leaders who teach the Word of God, who are called to set an example for others to imitate, and watch over the souls of the people in their church. There is no distinction biblically between an elder, an overseer, a leader, and shepherd (pastor). Before we expound more on what elders do, let’s explore what elders are required to be.

QUALIFICATIONS OF ELDERS

To understand what kind of man ought to be entrusted with the title “elder” (or overseer, pastor, leader) we turn to 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:1-9. Space does not allow for me to expound completely on the biblical qualifications. I want to focus on the overarching principle that this office is not primarily for the most savvy businessmen, the most successful military leaders, or the most creative innovators. Instead, an elder must be most faithful. He must demonstrate faithfulness in his family, in his community, and in the church. He must demonstrate these qualities, not hope for these qualities. In other words, we are called to appoint elders who have already proven faithfulness. 

These men must be self-controlled and above reproach, to name a couple specific qualifications. They must lovingly lead their wives and disciple their children. We do not call a savvy businessman into the office of elder in hopes that he will rise to the occasion of faithful leadership. Rather, we are to take a hard look at a man’s home life, faith life, his ethics, his integrity, his reputation, and his ability to teach sound doctrine. When the church sees that he has already proven to be qualified, then we walk through the process of nomination by the congregation, vetting by the elders, and finally we present him for a congregational vote. If his business savvy, military experience, or innovation helps the church be more effective, wonderful! But we are never to pursue these attributes in the absence of biblical qualifications. 

Have you noticed I’ve repeatedly used the masculine pronoun, “he”? That is because the Bible expressly restricts the office of elder to men. Not only do we find this in both lists of qualifications, but in the passage that directly precedes elder qualifications, 1 Timothy 2, we see an outright prohibition of women exercising authority over men in the church. 

In 1 Timothy 2:12 Paul prohibits women from exercising authority over a man. The context is in the church, not the marketplace. There’s no biblical reason a man must refrain from working for a woman or submitting to a female leader (employers, supervisor, governing authority, police officer, military commander, etc). Rather, Paul is addressing the role of men and women in the church. In the church, women are not to exercise authority over men. This is not a culturally popular opinion today and it probably wasn’t in Paul’s day either. Perhaps that is why he appealed to creation, not culture, to justify this prohibition. It does not matter what culture thinks; what matters is God’s design. God designed men to lead the church. He also designed men to lead in the home, which is a fruit of biblical eldership, but space does not allow me to expound upon that. Suffice it to say, there is a reason one of the qualifications to lead the church is proven leadership in the home. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF ELDERS

Now, you might take offense to the concept that elders exercise authority in the church. You might wonder where that authority comes from and what it looks like when it’s exercised faithfully. Those are excellent clarifying questions because I have heard countless stories of elders abusing their authority or neglecting it; both have disastrous consequences. Now that I’ve addressed what elders are supposed to be I want to use the rest of the article to explore what elders are supposed to do. How should elders exercise authority in the church?   

To discern the task of shepherding the flock of God, the local church, we need to look to Peter’s encounter with the post-resurrection Jesus on the beach in John 21:15-17. In that passage, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. After Peter replied in the affirmative each time, Jesus told Peter to “Feed my lambs…tend my sheep…Feed my sheep.” Jesus essentially told Peter to shepherd His flock. It would not be long before Peter was shepherding a massive church; 3000 people came to Christ in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost just weeks after this encounter. 

LEADERSHIP CRISIS: HOW TO FEED THE SHEEP?

This explosion of the church was recorded in Acts 2, which concluded with, “and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” This rapid growth must have been exhilarating, but it also brought complications and hurt feelings. By the beginning of Acts 6 we read of the first church leadership crisis: the Greek widows were not getting equal treatment in the distribution of food. 

In Acts 6:1-4 the apostles gathered the whole church together and had them select seven godly men to ensure the needs of all the widows was met fairly. They said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables…we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” I want to connect the dots and make sure we don’t lose sight of the obvious. In this passage, Peter, who was specifically commissioned to feed Jesus’ sheep had a choice to make: feed them with bread or feed them with the Word. He and the apostles could have literally fed them, but instead they indicated the essential task of elders was prayer and ministry of the Word. They’d feed them the Word and entrust others to feed them the bread.  

Thus, Peter interpreted that the best way for the leaders to love Jesus and His sheep was to pray and teach the bible. This they would “devote” themselves to. It was not an add-on, or a luxury, or something to be squeezed in. This was what Peter believed was his primary task as a shepherd of the flock of God.  Years later, Peter commissioned the elders to embrace this same role in his first letter.    

HANDING OFF THE BATON

In 1 Peter 5:2 Peter told his fellow elders to “shepherd the flock” by exercising oversight and setting an example. He urged them to do it eagerly, not for shameful gain. I don’t think it’s hard to imagine what Peter expected of the elders. We simply need to look at what he expected of himself as a shepherd – feed the sheep the Word of God, prayerfully. 

In Acts 20:28-32 another apostle commissioned a group of elders with a similar exhortation. There the Apostle Paul told the elders to “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” Paul expressed his concern that false teachers would come in and some would even rise from within, teaching “twisted things.” Thus, Paul said, “I commend you to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up.” 

In other words, fight false teaching with sound doctrine. False teaching will destroy, but sound doctrine will build up. It is the elders’ task to ensure a steady diet of sound doctrine. This will generally keep false teachers away because predators usually look for soft targets. 

REBUKE THOSE WHO CONTRADICT SOUND DOCTRINE

This is not fail-safe, though, and sometimes the moment calls for elders to do more than simply teach truth. Sometimes they must not only teach sound doctrine but refute those who teach what is false, Paul said in Titus 1:9. One of the qualifications of elders from Titus 1 is the ability to “give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it.” We must be able to teach and have the courage to confront; including when those we confront are our fellow elders. 

Paul said in 1 Timothy 5:19-20 that while they should not be quick to admit an allegation against an elder, once they corroborate an accusation and there is no repentance, they should publicly rebuke the elder so “the rest may stand in fear.” Elders must have courage to stand on the truth and lovingly, but decisively, correct sin and error.  

Returning to 1 Timothy 3, we see the only qualification that distinguishes an elder from a deacon is the ability to teach. A man who does not have the ability and willingness to teach sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it, should not be an elder. They may have a heart to serve the church, but serving in this role is inappropriate.

PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION

One might think, “Well, I can’t preach like Pastor Brian or the other pastors on staff, so I cannot become an elder.” On the contrary. Even among our staff pastors there are various giftings, abilities, and passions. In the same way, men called to be lay elders have a variety of giftings, passions, and abilities. 

The primary task of teaching sound doctrine remains, but how, when, and where an elder teaches varies. Not only that, but Paul encouraged the young Timothy to “let them see your progress.” (1 Timothy 4:15) I tell our elders and potential elders that what matters is not perfection, but progress. If perfection were the standard, I would not be qualified either. Maturity, wisdom, humility, and some ability to teach sound doctrine are required, but the Lord is gracious and allows for elders to grow.   

DIFFERENT ROLES, EQUAL AUTHORITY

Speaking of the other pastors and elders, this seems like the right spot to express our conviction that all elders are equal in authority and responsibility even though we have different roles in the church. The vocational elders, or paid pastors, are assigned a specific role – ie. Lead Pastor, Worship & Executive Pastor, Discipleship Pastor, and Mission’s Pastor, etc. Lay elders have different roles as well, like the Chairman and Vice Chairman. However, all of us are equals; there is no hierarchy among our elders. We respect one another and defer to one another in certain things as it regards our specific roles, but we are all peers. 

As the Lead Pastor, it is primarily my responsibility to inspire, guide, and teach the congregation but that does not mean I decide where we go or what we do. I submit myself to my fellow elders, and they all do the same. I am typically first to initiate discussion about vision and direction, but it is the elders collectively who prayerfully discern the Lord’s will and make decisions. Not only do we submit to one another regarding important decisions, but we hold one another accountable in the faith. We frequently ask hard questions about sin, about our relationships with Jesus and our families, and we are committed to transparency and accountability.  

I think this point is important because the bible is clear not only on the qualifications and responsibilities of elders, but also on how the congregation ought to relate to elders. Knowing that your elders are equals and that we submit to one another ought to give you some peace of mind in this regard. 

SUBMIT TO YOUR LEADERS?

Hebrews 13:17 says that Christians are to submit to their leaders as “those who must give an account for your souls.” We don’t like the word submit all that much in our culture. It carries with it a notion of subjection and domination. While this certainly happens in churches, it should not happen. Where it does, the congregation has a responsibility to reject it. But the exception proves the rule. 

Congregations being dominated by elders have the responsibility to remove them and set godly, faithful elders over them. These should be men willing to listen to the concerns of the congregation and respond with humility, not arrogance. While my track record is far from perfect, I can point to numerous occasions in which a member of our congregation has lovingly corrected me. This is a good reminder that your shepherds are also Jesus’ sheep! Congregations with faithful elders, those who are qualified according to 1 Timothy 3 and who tremble at the teaching of 1 Peter 5:1-4, should joyfully follow rather than resist them. Joyfully?  

The author of Hebrews exhorts the church to “let them [keep watch over your souls] with joy and not with groaning.” (Heb. 13:17) You may not know this, but only about 10% of pastors stay in ministry long enough to retire. Most men who enter ministry either die early, fail morally, or burn out and quit. How do we account for that? And why are so few men willing to remain in the position of lay elder for more than a few years? First, we’re sinful like everyone else and have our own junk to deal with. That’s a very real contributing factor to elder burn-out. But additionally, rather than seeking to be a blessing to their shepherds, some in the church presume upon their elders rather than fervently pray for them. 

THAT WOULD BE OF NO ADVANTAGE TO YOU

The author of Hebrews points out, “that would be of no advantage to you.” It’s no advantage to the church when elders “groan” under the weight of ministry. The weight of accountability to Jesus for your souls ought to be heavy enough on every elder’s mind and heart. When Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, reappears, elders will answer directly to Him for how we shepherded His sheep. For those who do so faithfully, there will be an “unfading crown of glory,” Peter says! (1 Peter 5:4) But for those who do not, well, I’m sure you can read between the lines. What a weight! What good is it to you to add to the weight of leadership when doing so causes elders to burn out and give up? 

To shepherd you is a great blessing to me, Wildwood! I sincerely mean that, and I believe I can say the same thing for all the elders. I hope you agree with me that faithful elders are also a blessing to you! If so, brother and sister, I invite you to joyfully “submit to your leaders,” to “remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God” and to “consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith.” I believe this is what would most help us do it “with joy.” (Hebrews 13:7, 17)   

I thank you for taking the time to read to the end. This may not be the most exciting article, but I pray it is among the most informative and helpful I’ve written. I pray that as you process what you’ve read you come away with a few reflections. First, I pray you are more convinced about the titles, qualifications, and responsibilities of elders and why we do what we do here. Second, I hope you feel cherished, protected, and encouraged by how seriously we take our role as elders. Finally, I hope that you give Jesus glory, honor, and praise that He would not only leave you with the Holy Spirit but would also call men to the sacred task of shepherding you and giving account for your soul. 

Oh, and I hope you feel a bit more connected to our elders and you desire to help us shepherd you with joy. Amen?! 

By His grace and for His glory! 

Pastor Brian