Eldership
The position of Elder
The position (office) of elder (overseer) is the highest position in the local church (Cf 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). With this position comes great responsibility and authority (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 5:17). The temptation to misuse this office and take advantage of those being led was recognized by Peter and he challenged the elders of the church to instead lead through humility and service, just as Christ loved the Church (1 Peter 5:2). With great power comes great responsibility, so elders are held to high standards and they must be men of the highest character. In most, if not all cases in the New Testament, we see a plurality of elders in each local town or church (Acts 11:20, Philippians 1:1, James 5:14). This plurality of leadership is meant to provide each church with built-in accountability and decision-making that is made through reverence for Scripture, prayerful consideration, and practical shared wisdom.
Qualification of Elders
Elder qualifications are found in detail in the following Scriptures;
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife [note: Paul does not explicitly state or imply that an elder must be married - compare 1 Corinthians 7:32–35]. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him
(1 Timothy 3:1–4)
An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
(Titus 1:6–9)
In summary, local church elders should be men who manage their family and household well. They should be known for being honest, integrous, and blameless in their business, personal, and spiritual lives. Elders should be men of hospitality, humility, and able to teach God’s Word in public and private settings. In addition to these scriptural principles laid out by Paul, we think it is wise to appoint men who have shown a willingness to serve, lead, and exemplify a disciplined life prior to becoming official elders.
If possible, a church should always have more than one elder at any given time. There is not a prescribed number of elders for each church given in Scripture, but there aren’t any examples of churches with just one (singular) elder (Acts 11:20, Philippians 1:1, James 5:14). A church with multiple elders allows for delegation of ministry tasks, encouragement amongst elders and accountability. Practically on the other side of the equation, there should be a limit to how many elders are serving on the board or council at a given time in order to not over-complicate decision-making. An exact upper threshold is not defined, but each local church should seek to find a “sweet spot” based on their size, where elders are able to function in the manner by which Scripture outlines.
Appointment of Elders
Paul tells Timothy that the office of an elder in a local church context is something to be desired and for men to aspire to (1 Timothy 3:1). God ordained men since the days of creation to be the leaders of the home and of his spiritual house, the church. The desire to lead is generally a healthy one, but it can be misused, which is why Paul wrote a little later to his protege that appointing an elder should not happen too quickly (1 Timothy 5:22). There needs to be a process of discernment, wisdom, and testing before the church calls upon a man to lead in the office of elder. Prospective elders should be men who are known and nominated by people within the church. They are to have a level of character and integrity that is obvious to the members of the congregation (1 Timothy 3:2-7). After being nominated by those within the body, and completing a process of proving, elder candidates will be approved to serve on the elder board by a vote from the current elders. They will be appointed based on the needs of the church and according to the church’s by-laws.
Responsibilities of Elders
The following are the responsibilities of elders according to Scripture:
The position (office) of elder (overseer) is the highest position in the local church (Cf 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1). With this position comes great responsibility and authority (1 Thessalonians 5:12, 1 Timothy 5:17). The temptation to misuse this office and take advantage of those being led was recognized by Peter and he challenged the elders of the church to instead lead through humility and service, just as Christ loved the Church (1 Peter 5:2). With great power comes great responsibility, so elders are held to high standards and they must be men of the highest character. In most, if not all cases in the New Testament, we see a plurality of elders in each local town or church (Acts 11:20, Philippians 1:1, James 5:14). This plurality of leadership is meant to provide each church with built-in accountability and decision-making that is made through reverence for Scripture, prayerful consideration, and practical shared wisdom.
Qualification of Elders
Elder qualifications are found in detail in the following Scriptures;
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife [note: Paul does not explicitly state or imply that an elder must be married - compare 1 Corinthians 7:32–35]. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him
(1 Timothy 3:1–4)
An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.
(Titus 1:6–9)
In summary, local church elders should be men who manage their family and household well. They should be known for being honest, integrous, and blameless in their business, personal, and spiritual lives. Elders should be men of hospitality, humility, and able to teach God’s Word in public and private settings. In addition to these scriptural principles laid out by Paul, we think it is wise to appoint men who have shown a willingness to serve, lead, and exemplify a disciplined life prior to becoming official elders.
If possible, a church should always have more than one elder at any given time. There is not a prescribed number of elders for each church given in Scripture, but there aren’t any examples of churches with just one (singular) elder (Acts 11:20, Philippians 1:1, James 5:14). A church with multiple elders allows for delegation of ministry tasks, encouragement amongst elders and accountability. Practically on the other side of the equation, there should be a limit to how many elders are serving on the board or council at a given time in order to not over-complicate decision-making. An exact upper threshold is not defined, but each local church should seek to find a “sweet spot” based on their size, where elders are able to function in the manner by which Scripture outlines.
Appointment of Elders
Paul tells Timothy that the office of an elder in a local church context is something to be desired and for men to aspire to (1 Timothy 3:1). God ordained men since the days of creation to be the leaders of the home and of his spiritual house, the church. The desire to lead is generally a healthy one, but it can be misused, which is why Paul wrote a little later to his protege that appointing an elder should not happen too quickly (1 Timothy 5:22). There needs to be a process of discernment, wisdom, and testing before the church calls upon a man to lead in the office of elder. Prospective elders should be men who are known and nominated by people within the church. They are to have a level of character and integrity that is obvious to the members of the congregation (1 Timothy 3:2-7). After being nominated by those within the body, and completing a process of proving, elder candidates will be approved to serve on the elder board by a vote from the current elders. They will be appointed based on the needs of the church and according to the church’s by-laws.
Responsibilities of Elders
The following are the responsibilities of elders according to Scripture:
- To Lead
- To Shepherd
- To Teach
- To Equip