As in all areas of life and practice, our desire should be to conform what we do as a local church to the Word of God. This is no less true with regards to how the church is led and governed. Over the last few years, I have a growing conviction that current leadership structure needs to be changed in several key ways to align with the teachings of scripture.
But first we have to ask: What is the biblical model for leadership in the local church? The New Testament does not spell out all the details on this topic, but many of those details are very clear.
Who is supposed to lead the church? Church leaders are giving various titles in the New Testament. For example, leaders are called elders, overseers or bishops, pastors or shepherds, and deacons.
It must be noted at the outset that the terms elder (Greek: presbyteros) and overseer are used interchangeably. There are at least three texts that clearly demonstrate this usage (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7; 1 Peter 5:1-2). Upon returning from his third missionary journey, Paul’s ship harbored at Miletus for a few days. Knowing that he might not return to the region again, Paul decided to contact the leaders of the church at Ephesus. Luke informs us that Paul “sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him” (Acts 20:17, emphasis added). After the elders arrive, Paul gives them a sort of “farewell speech.” He exhorts them, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God” (20:28, emphasis added). Thus, in verse 17 Paul summons the “elders,” but in verse 28 we read that the Holy Spirit made them “overseers.” This usage demonstrates that the biblical writer did not make a distinction between the two terms.
1 These points adapted in part from 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons by Benjamin Merkle
Perhaps the most convincing passage that demonstrates that the terms elder and overseer are interchangeable is Titus 1:5-7. In verse 5, Paul writes to Titus, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (emphasis added). When Paul gives the qualifications in verse 7, however, he replaces “elder” with “overseer.” He continues, “For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be . . . “ (emphasis added).
A similar usage is found in 1 Peter 5:1-2. In fact, this passage is unique because it uses the three most common terms for the church leader all in one passage: overseer, elder and pastor (the verbal form). Peter, as a fellow elder, exhorts the elders of the churches by saying: “I exhort the elders (presbyteros) among you, as a fellow elder . . . shepherd (poimēn) the flock of God that is among you, serving as overseers (episkopeō) (emphasis added).
A second factor that supports the view that the terms refer to the same office is that Paul never mentions the qualifications for elders. He lists the qualifications for overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:7-9. If the offices are distinct, it would seem like the New Testament would put forth a separate list of qualifications for each office.
Although the title “pastor” is used in our modern church context, it is used only one time in the New Testament as a reference to a church leader. In Ephesians 4:11, we are old, “He [Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” The term pastor is coupled with the term teacher, which together denote one order of ministry. In other words, the Greek Construction favors interpreting this phrase as one office: the pastor/teacher. There is not one office of pastor and a separate office of teacher.
What, then, is the relationship between the office of pastor and that of the elder/overseer? Does “pastor” represent a separate and distinct office from that of the “elder” or “overseer”? There are at least two reasons to take these terms as representing the same office. First, elders/overseers are given the same tasks as pastors: shepherding and teaching. In Acts 20?17 we read that from Miletus Paul “sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him” (emphasis added). After these elders come, Paul instructs them, “to shepherd [or ‘pastor’] the church of God” (Acts 20:28, my translation). A similar passage is found in 1 Peter 5:1-
In verse 1 Peter exhorts the “elders” of the churches. Then, in verse 2, he admonishes them to “shepherd the flock of God that is amount you.” According to these texts, the primary calling of an elder is to shepherd, or pastor, God’s people.
Both elders/overseers and pastors are also given the task of teaching. In Ephesians 4:11, the term pastor is linked with the term teacher, indicating that the primary method a pastor shepherds his flock is through teaching them God’s Word. Teaching is also the primary role of the elder/overseer. In 1 Timothy 3:2, a distinct qualification of the overseer is that he must be “able to teach.” Later Paul tells Timothy that the elders who rule well should be considered worthy of double honor, “especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17). In a similar manner, Paul instructs Titus that an overseer must hold firm to the trustworthy Word he has been taught, ‘so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9). Thus, because pastors and
elders/overseers have the same function (i.e., shepherding and teaching), the two terms should be viewed as referring to the same office.
Second, as we mentioned earlier, the term pastor is found only once in the New Testament as a designation of a church leader. If this office is separate from the elder/overseer, what are the qualifications needed for those who hold this office?
Paul gives us the qualifications for the elder/overseer but never for the pastor. Perhaps the reason for this omission is because in giving the qualifications for the elder/overseer, he is giving the qualifications for those who also can be called “pastor”.
The concept of shared leadership is a common theme in the Bible. In the Old Testament, leadership was shared by the elders of Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus chose twelve apostles to lead the church. In addition, the early church appointed seven men to assist the apostles by caring for the church’s widows (Acts 6:1-6). This pattern of plurality was continued with the establishment of the Christian eldership.
The first mention of Christian elders appears in Acts 11:30, which tells us the church in Antioch sent Barnabas and Paul to the leaders in Jerusalem with money to aid in the famine relief. Later, in Acts 15, the elders are referenced along with the apostles in the context of the Jerusalem Council. Similar to the apostles, the elders formed a collective body of leadership.
On Paul’s first missionary journey he and Barnabas preached the gospel in Asia Minor, especially in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. On their return trip, Luke records that they “appointed elders for them in every church”. (Acts 14:23). In this verse we are specially told that a plurality of elders was appointed in every church. Although the church was recently established, Paul and Barnabas believed it
was important for each church to possess more than one spiritual leader. Even though Luke mentions Barnabas and Paul appointing “elders” only in Acts 14:23, it is likely that this was Paul’s customary procedure.
At the end of his third missionary journey, Paul summoned “the elders of the church to come to him” (Acts 20:17). Together, these elders were exhorted “shepherd the church of God” (Acts 20:28 NASB). The church in Ephesus is referred to in the singular (it is not the churches of Ephesus), indicating there was only one body of believers in Ephesus that was governed by a plurality of leaders (though it is the church consisted of a number of house groups).
Luke’s record in Acts fits well with Paul’s own account that each church was led by a plurality of elders. He writes to young Timothy, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5;17). When Paul writes to the church at Philippi, he specifically greets the “overseers and deacons” (Phil. 1:1). Although the term for elder is not used in this context, we have already demonstrated that the terms for elder and overseer referred to the same group of people. Later, Paul directed Titus to “appoint elders in every town” (Titus 1:5). At the end of his ministry, Paul still believed in necessity of establishing a body of elders in the local church.
The practice of having a plurality of elders is consistently found in the other writings of the New Testament as well. James, the Lord’s brother, raises the question, “Is anyone among you sick?” His answer is, “Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). Again, we should note the sick person is to call for the “elders” (plural) of the “church” (singular). Finally, the apostle Peter exhorts the “elders” among the believers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 5:1).
In almost every reference in the New Testament, the term for “elders” is found in the plural. There are a few exceptions, however. In 1 Timothy 5:19 Paul states, “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.” In this verse the singular form is used, not because the church in Ephesus
had only one elder, but because the context refers to accusations brought up against an individual elder. Verse 17 clearly mentions that there was a plurality of elders in the Ephesian church. The other two occurrences of the singular form in the later two epistles of John where John describes himself as “the elder” ( 2 John 1; 3 John 1). In this case, the singular must be used because title is used as a personal designation (cf. 1 Peter 5:1, where Peter calls himself a “fellow elder”).
There are also other terms used to describe the plurality of leaders in the church. Paul urges the Corinthians to “be subject” to the household of Stephanas “and to every fellow worker and laborer” (1 cor. 16: 15-16). In his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, Paul exhorts the believers “to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you” (1 Thess. 5:12). Although the term for “elders” is not used, it is clear that those whom Paul is referring to were the spiritual leaders of the congregation performing elder-like functions, Finally, the author of Hebrews also indicates that the church to which he writes was led by a plurality of shepherds. In Hebrews 13:7, the author states, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” He then exhorts the congregation, writing “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Heb. 13:17). In the closing of his letter, he adds, “Greet all your leaders and all the saints” (Heb. 13:24). In each case, the author refers to a plurality of leaders.
The New Testament evidence indicates that every church had a plurality of elders. There is no example in the New Testament of one elder or pastor leading a congregation as the sole or primary leader. There was a plurality of elders at the churches in Jerusalem (Acts 11:30), Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra, Iconium, and Derbe (Acts 14:23), Ephesus (Acts 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17); Philippi (Phil. 1:1), and possibly the church(es) to which Hebrews was written (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24).
How many elders should each congregation have? The Bible never identifies a specific number of elders that should lead each local congregation. Up to this point we argued that a plurality, at least two elders, was the pattern of the earliest congregations. Apart from having a plurality, we are left to use godly wisdom and
common sense in the selection for elders. There are a number of important factors to remember.
First, it is important that every elder has a strong desire to serve in that capacity. Paul informs us that it is a noble task if someone aspires to the office of elder (1 Tim. 3:1). Likewise, Peter informs us that elders should shepherd God’s flock not from compulsion, but willingly (1 Peter 5:2). One should not agree to serve as an elder out of guilt, because he was nominated, or because he received the most votes. To be effective, an elder must love and enjoy the hard work of being a shepherd.
Second, we must remember that eldership is calling. Paul tells the elders of the Ephesian church, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28, emphasis added). Paul may have appointed and installed these men to their office, but ultimately it was God who raised them to serve in His church. Likewise, we read in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church that the ascended Christ “gave some to be … pastors and teachers” (Eph.
4:11 NKJV). Pastors, or Elders, are a gift from Christ to His church. Therefore, from one perspective a church should appoint as many elders as God gives to a local congregation. Third, an elder does not have to be a full-time or even a paid church position. An elder can have a “secular” job and still be effective in shepherding people in the congregation, as long as he is diligent, faithful, and has a calling from God. Fourth, every candidate must meet the qualifications before he is eligible to serve as elder. How many elders is not as important as who the elders are.
This does not discount that there may be a lead elder in the church. 1 Timothy 5:17 seems to point to the idea of what we might call a Senior Pastor when it says: Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. There were those (perhaps Timothy) who put extra time and effort into the ministry. These men were particularly gifted in teaching and preaching and rose to the top, as it were, among their other elders. These men were often supported full time so they could put forth all their effort into equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. But there is no biblical evidence for “lone ranger” ministers in the New Testament.
Elders lead (1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:2)
Elders teach biblical truth (Titus 1:9a; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:2)
Elders shepherd (1 Peter 5:2; Eph 4:11)
Elders model Christ-like behavior (1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7)
Elders maintain doctrinal purity and combat false teaching (Titus 1:9b-11; Acts 20:29-31)
Elders lead the church discipline process (1 Thess 5:12-13
Elders oversee financial matters (Acts 11:29-30)
Elders pray for those who are sick (James 5:13-16)
This is the overarching, summarizing characteristic. You will find a similar (but not identical) list in First Timothy. Being above reproach is the first requirement in both lists and Titus repeats it. The other items on the list explain what above reproach means. If we peruse the two lists, as well as First Peter, we find 17 qualities of an elder who is above reproach.
Husband devoted to wife (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:2) one-woman man.
This is a major qualification in light of the marriage picturing Christ and the church (Eph. 5:22 ff.). The pastors in the church lead by example. They exhibit Christ‘s love
4 Adapted from http://www.tsf-church.com/stuff/Resources/Print/EldershipPacket.pdf . See also See Getz, Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church, p. 157-158, 161
for His church—His bride by their love, devotedness and exclusive faithfulness to their wife. This does not disqualify a single man from being an elder...Jesus was single and Paul was single but it is the exception. Here is the rule: do not look and do not touch unless she is your wife—then look and touch often!
Children in submission (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:4-5) not perfect.
Equally important is the pastor leading his family. 1 Timothy 3:5 explains that if a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church. The first flock for a pastor is his own family as Pastor Dad. If this flock is not in order, the larger flock will suffer. Paul instructs fathers not to provoke [their] children to anger, but [to] bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
Faithful Steward (Titus 1:7)
Here the term used is overseer (Greek episkopos). It is not another office, but a functional title of the elder. It is what he does. He is a steward, a manager of God‘s resources and Jesus‘ flock. He takes responsibility, but not ownership.
Humble - not arrogant (Titus 1:7)
A pastor must constantly demonstrate the gospel by admitting wrong and assuming responsibility and restoring relationships. Arrogance is only being concerned with oneself.
Gentle - not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
No man will be of any use in the kingdom that is quick-tempered and lashes out at others. The difference between how Jesus demonstrated anger is that He was angry at the abuse of others and the dishonoring of God. We get angry at how it affects us.
Moderate - not a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
This is not just overindulgence in alcohol but is idiomatic for any behavior that fuels addictive responses.
Peaceful - not violent (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
A pastor is prone to inflict violence through his words. He is to be a peacemaker.
Financial Integrity - not greedy for gain (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3; 1 Peter 5:3)
A pastor is to be upright in his financial dealings and not accused of pursuing money over the kingdom of God.
Hospitable (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)
A pastor‘s home is to be open for others to enjoy. This is a difficult qualification as a pastor‘s life is stressful enough not to have his home as his one refuge
Lover of Good (Titus 1:8)
A pastor genuinely loves what is good. He does not just think he should love it.
Self-controlled (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)
Self-control is a characterization of every area of a pastor‘s life. He is disciplined in his diet, time, mouth, exercise, relationships, sex, and money. He is consistently training in righteousness to be able to run the race set before him.
Upright (Titus 1:8)
He is upright in his relationships and in how he treats others.
Holy (Titus 1:8)
The opposite is unholy and that is not helpful when counseling others –Unholy Reverend. It is a life devoted wholeheartedly to Jesus, externally and internally.
Able to teach (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim 3:2)
All of the other qualifications are character qualities. This is the only ability-based requirement. He is to be able to teach sound doctrine, not just be able to communicate in an excellent manner. His teaching can be to one or two, to twenty, to a hundred or to a thousand. Most of the churches in Crete were house churches. The elders were to defend the faith once delivered to the saints against the numerous false teachers that arose.
Spiritually Mature (1 Tim 3:6)
Positions of authority without spiritual maturity lead to the trap of pride. When pride grows in a man sin abounds. 1 Timothy 3:6 says, “He must not be a recent convert, or
he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. A pastor must first be a convert.”
Respectable (1 Tim 3:7)
1 Timothy 3:7 says that an elder must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. That does not mean that all will like him or even appreciate him. It means that there is no criminal, moral or ethical offense against him.
Example to the Flock (1 Peter 5:3)
We need models in our life to emulate. Elders are examples of Biblical character such as sexuality, time management, marriage, parenting, worship, relationships and many others. A pastor should be someone your sons could pattern their life after and the kind of man your daughter should marry.
The elders in a church set the precedent for what faithful pastoral leadership is in that church. Therefore, elders must not only have character, which qualifies him to lead God‘s people, but also the competency to accomplish the duties Jesus his Senior Pastor has assigned him. The duties of the elders are many according to Scripture.
Elders, deacons, and members share the load.
Prayer and Scripture study (Acts 6:4)
Ruling/leading the church (1 Timothy 5:17)
Managing the church (1 Timothy 3:4–5)
Caring for people in the church (1 Peter 5:2–5)
Giving account to God for the church (Hebrews 13:17)
Living exemplary lives (Hebrews 13:7)
Rightly using the authority God has given them (Acts 20:28)
Teaching the Bible correctly (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:2)
Preaching (1 Timothy 5:17)
Praying for the sick (James 5:13–15)
Teaching sound doctrine and refuting false teachings (Titus 1:9)
Working hard (1 Thessalonians 5:12)
Rightly using money and power (1 Peter 5:1–3)
Protecting the church from false teachers (Acts 20:17–31)
Disciplining unrepentant Christians (Matthew 18:15–17)
Currently, our system is what has been called the “Governance Model,” which seems to have been popular among some UB churches for a period of time. BCC adopted this leadership style in 2010. Most of the operating authority and ministry responsibility was placed upon the staff, especially the Senior Pastor. There was a great deal of autonomy and freedom for them to do as they pleased, as long as they remained in the boundaries laid out in the document entitled BCUB Guiding Principles. This document, in many ways, quite vague about the role of the Governing Board. It states on page 6:
AP1.2.2 The Work of the GB
The essential responsibilities of the GB are:
Linkage to the moral owners
Establish policy in the form of Guiding Principles
Achieving executive accountability by monitoring senior pastor performance
Empower and resource the senior pastor for success in achieving the annual Ministry Objectives
Join the senior pastor in planning for the future of the church
Fulfill fiduciary and all other legal responsibilities as required by State and Federal law
Develop leaders for future GB service
Develop current GB members for more effective service
Partner with the senior pastor in "Visioneering" which consists of:
Vision Catching - staying with God and each other until His vision becomes clear.
Vision Casting - insuring that all appropriate parties know and understand the vision.
Vision Keeping - insuring that the mission and vision drive all actions and decisions.
Self evaluation based on:
A clear understanding of the church's mission and the GB's relationship to the mission's achievement
A clear understanding of the GB's mission, its functions, roles and relationships
A clear delineation of GB objectives, goals and tactics as established in its Ministry Objectives for each year.
Insure Funding for the Vision.
Approve the annual budget and new financial items that arise during the year.
To appoint a Personnel Relations Commission as required by Discipline.
To provide for a Board of Trustees as required by Discipline.
The real problem I see here is that a board such as this is not found in scripture. Those who lead the church were not “administrators” but were spiritual leaders. They were elders. Our current system does not designate the leaders as spiritual leaders, but primarily administrators. As near as I can tell from the documents available to me, our current system outlines no qualifications to be on the governing board.5 I strongly believe that we need to prayerfully consider what it means for us to have a team of shepherds whose primary responsibility is to care for the spiritual lives of the flock.
Step 1: As a team, come to a solid understanding of a theology of biblical eldership
Everyone finish Elders by Jeramie Rinne
Step 2: Come to a consensus as elders as to the need to make this change
Discuss biblical eldership. Does what we do at BCC line up with what we see in scripture? If not, what needs to change?
What are the consequences of making no change at all?
Step 3: Making the change
What will this change look like? What will the final outcome be?
Come up with an org chart
Do we need to spend some more time teaching on biblical eldership?
Other questions
What are the roles/responsibilities of lay elders?
What are the roles/responsibilities of staff elders?
How many total elders do we need?
5 I’m checking with Jeff Poet to see if the document entitled Governing Board Member Affirmation and Selection Process was ever approved. The only version I have was not ever finalized.
How will elders be appointed? What does the scripture say? Is voting on elders the most scriptural thing to do?
What is the ongoing role of the Senior Pastor?
What sorts of decisions will be staff decisions (staff elders) vs. what the entire elder team needs to decide
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Step 4: Decide if we need deacons
How are they different from our trustees?
If we incorporate deacons, what will they be responsible for?
Will we still need trustees?
Step 5: Timetable
When will we make the transition?
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Step 6: Develop future Elder training process