The Role of an Elder

by Bill Eubanks

Leadership is of crucial importance in any organi-zation. Leaders establish the culture of an organization, modeling the specific values and commitments that define it. Leaders cast and sustain vision, inspiring others to embrace it.

Elders are the spiritual leadership of the local church.

The Importance of the Role of Eldership

When Paul was giving his final instructions to the elders of the church in Ephesus, he instructed them to “shepherd the church of God”. He also offered them three points of truth that should motivate any of us to take that calling of eldership seriously. First, he reminded them that the church is the possession of God – “the church of God” (Acts 20:28). The church is God’s treasure; it is His people, His bride. Second, he reminded them of the purchase price on that church – “which He purchased with His own blood” (v. 28). The church is blood-bought! What could be more sobering than that? Third, he reminded them of his own pattern of shepherding – “night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears” (v.31). These words are compelling to any elder who wants to be faithful, who lives to please God.

When Peter was exhorting the elders to “shepherd the flock of God,” he reminded them of two things that should sober a careless elder: “the sufferings of Christ” for that flock, and the truth that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:1, 4) That Christ suffered so much for the church and that we will be rewarded for our shepherding ministry, are two great motivations for our work.

When the author of Hebrews instructed the recipients of his letter to “obey your leaders [i.e., elders] and submit to them,” he added a phrase that should grip our hearts about the gravity of our work: “… as those who will give an account” (Heb. 13:17).

So we are called to shepherd a blood-bought treasure of God; a work for which He will require an account of us and reward us.

These exhortations reflect the gravity of our calling as elders. They should provoke all of us who are elders to examine anew our understanding of and commitment to the work of eldership.

The Nature of the Role of Eldership

“It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” (1 Tim. 3:1)

An overseer (or “elder”) should desire to do a specific work. I believe that work can be best understood in three categories.

1. Lead by Example

• “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder…  shepherd the flock of God among you, … nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:1-3)

• “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1 Tim. 4:12)

• “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Phil. 3:17)

Leadership in the church demands an exemplary life. People must first see the pattern of redemptive life and witness in us before they follow our verbal instruction about it. You cannot lead where you are not going.

Leading by example has implications for our personal life, our family life, and the task of the organization.

A. Personal Life

1. Do you walk with integrity before God and others?

2. Do you consistently manifest the fruit of the Spirit?

3. Do you demonstrate compassion and mercy for the downcast?

4. Do you model servanthood?

5. Are you an example of humility?

6. Are you an example of sincere, regular contrition for sin?

7. Do you revere the Word of God?

8. Do you exemplify the right value of “spiritual friendships”?

9. Do you consistently treat all people with the dignity governed by the imago dei?

10. Are you a good example with your finances? Do you model the resistance of materialism?

11. Are you a good example with your tongue? With your temper?

12. Are you an example to others of how to walk through life’s adversities with a confident trust in Him, a steadfast joy, and an enduring hope? Or is your joy easily lost?

B. Family Life

1. Do you lead your family in an exemplary way?

2. Is your marriage a good example of what you would want to reproduce in others? Do you model a consistent honoring of your wife?

3. Are you leading your children along the path to spiritual virtue and impact? Do you teach them the Scripture? Are you deliberate and intentional about nurturing them in the faith?

4. Is your home a context of ministry and outreach to others?

2. Task of the Organization

Leaders must lead in the task of the organization. In our case, that means the Great Commission – evangelism & discipleship. If we are not leading by example in this primary task of our organization, then how are we really leaders?

1. Are you faithful to witness? Do you pray for, and look for, opportunities to speak the gospel?

2. Are you committed to the work of discipling others? Are you meeting with men to establish them in God’s revealed truth and in the disciplines of prayer, Scripture, fellowship, witness, family life, and service?

2. Oversight/Administration (1 Timothy 3; Php. 1:1)

To categorically distinguish “oversight” from “shepherding” is not entirely appropriate. These two New Testament terms are very related. The former (“oversight”) encompasses the latter (“shepherding”), meaning that “oversight” includes both oversight of the collective organization with its ministry structure (this is the administrative task) and oversight of the individuals therein (shepherding). However, for convenience, I am going to distinguish them in this paper and limit “oversight” to the “macro” task. In this capacity of “overseers,” we manage the ministry structure and relational dynamic of the flock. This is the administrative task of the elder board. What ministries will we have? Who will lead them? How can we help them to lead those ministries better? How can we manage the church’s finances to further those ministries?

• “The elders who rule (or ‘direct the affairs of the church’, NIV) well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.” (1 Tim. 5:17)

• “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Heb. 13:17)

3. Shepherd the Flock

The elders are commanded to “shepherd the flock of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28; cf 1 Peter 5:2). This is the clear emphasis in the Scripture. The imperatives in passages that describe our work are to “shepherd.” Our role of leading by example is stated adverbially. Our role as overseeing the ministry structure is inferred from the noun, “overseer.” But the action verb, the commanded priority, is to shepherd.

What is involved in shepherding sheep? The Lord’s example must become our pattern. His example is found in Ezekiel 34.

 “For thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.  As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day…. I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture… I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,’ declares the Lord God. ‘I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.’” (34:11-16)

The Lord’s example offers us several insights into the nature of shepherding:

1. We must “seek out” the sheep (v.11). It is not enough to wait for them to come to us. We must show initiative toward them. Specifically the Lord seeks out the lost and scattered, in order to bring them back. We must seek out those who have left us and are lost.

2. And clearly this seeking is with the resolve to “care for my sheep” (v. 12). Caring for the flock simply means meeting their needs. Are they “broken”? Then we must “bind them up”. Are they “sick” (or weak)? Then we must “strengthen” them.

3. We must feed the flock, and feed them in a good and rich pasture (vv. 13-15). Clearly this is the feeding of God’s Word. We must be diligent to serve a veritable banquet of God’s precious food for the nourishment of their souls. We do this through preaching, teaching, discipleship, counseling, and in informal (spontaneous) venues.

   • This is why both lists of qualifications address the elder’s ability to impart truth. He must be “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2) and “hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching so that he will be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).

   • In the thirteen (13) chapters of the three pastoral epistles, forms of the various Greek words for preach, teach, Word, truth, and Scripture occur 62 times. This is illustrative of the emphasis on this part of our work. If the early church was “devoted” to the apostles’ teaching, surely those that prepare and teach it must commit much of their schedule to it.

   • For some of us (1 Tim. 5:17), this must be a tremendous priority (Acts 6:2-4).

4. We must “lead them to rest” (v. 15). We must help them to trust God genuinely in the course of life. When the sheep struggle with anxieties, fears, adversities, and conflicts, we must help them to find the shalom, the peace, of God. We must “deliver them from where they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day,” and bring them back to the Prince of Peace.