By Pastor Stephen Hess –
One of the distinctives of Presbyterianism is that our churches are governed by elders. In fact, the word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word which simply means “elder.” The New Testament teaches that churches are to be governed by godly leaders who are gifted, called, and qualified to lead God’s people. These “elders” are also described in the Bible as spiritual shepherds of God’s flock. As the Apostle Peter says, “So I exhort the elders among you…shepherd the flock of God that is among you” (1 Pet. 5:1-2).
Over the past year, our elders have been studying what the Bible teaches about eldership. We learned that an elder has four key roles in the life of the church. First, elders know the sheep. Just as Jesus said that he knows his sheep (Jn. 10:27), elders are called to know the sheep under their care. They do this by overseeing the membership of the congregation and building relationships with the sheep.
Second, elders feed the sheep. When Jesus spoke to Peter after his resurrection, he instructed him three times to “feed my sheep” (Jn. 21:15-17). Church leaders have a responsibility to feed the flock by providing a healthy, well-balanced spiritual diet of teaching through the ministry of the Word. This role also requires elders to oversee the personal discipleship of the congregation.
Third, elders lead the sheep. Another name for elders in the New Testament is “overseers,” which indicates that elders are called to oversee the decision-making for the congregation. This includes setting the vision, mission, purpose, and policies of the church. It also includes elders leading by example in their personal lives and their families.
Fourth, elders protect the sheep. The Apostle Paul warned the elders in Ephesus to carefully watch the flock because fierce wolves would infiltrate the church (Acts 20:28-30). Therefore, elders are called to protect the flock by warning the sheep of dangers, pursuing straying sheep, and exercising church discipline to protect the purity of God’s church.
As you can see from this Biblical picture, church elders are much more than just a board of directors for a congregation; they are spiritual shepherds who are entrusted with leading God’s flock. As our Session studied these truths, we have felt strongly that this vision of shepherd leadership is what God is calling us to live into as we move into the future.
However, in order to live into this vision, we feel that some of our leadership structures will need to change. Therefore, at our annual meeting on January 26th, we will be voting on several changes to our bylaws that we feel will help us live into this vision. In order to stay informed about these changes, here’s what you need to know:
- On Sunday January 5th, Pastor Stephen will be preaching a sermon on Biblical eldership where he will explore these themes more in depth and explain what the elders have been studying over the past year.
- Also on January 5th, we will be distributing an information packet to the congregation outlining the proposed changes to our bylaws and explaining the rationale for each change (this will also be included in the 2019 annual report).
- Immediately following worship on January 5th and January 12th we will have Q&A sessions in the fellowship hall where you can learn more and ask questions about these proposed changes.
Our hope and prayer is that these changes will not only strengthen our leadership but also our whole congregation as we strive to be faithful to what Scripture teaches about church leadership. Our goal is to keep you informed every step of the way. If you have questions about this in the next several weeks, please take the opportunity to attend one of the Q&A sessions. And as always, please keep your elders in prayer—this is one of the greatest ways you can bless your leaders!