ELDERS OF THE CHURCH (2)

THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH (?) # 2

In this installment, in our series on the eldership, I want to address the topic of authority. The traditional view of the eldership in many churches of Christ is that they have absolute authority. They can hire and fire preachers and staff at will. They can use the contributions as they see fit. They can initiate plans and programs also at will. They can virtually rule and control every aspect of the life of the local congregation. They can do this without any accountability. They are in their position for life and cannot be removed. The church would have to rise in rebellion to remove them, and that often leads to a split. I have seen congregations where over half the church left showing no support for the eldership and yet the eldership in place remained in power thumbing their noses at those that left.
I want to ask this question. Is it true that elderships have such power? Do they hold absolute power without accountability? I have heard for years, "Power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts". Something to consider.

Could it be that this power view of the eldership is what has caused a major decline in many churches of Christ? Could it be that this power view is a major factor in the role of the gospel preacher being abused and dishonored? Could it be that this power view of the eldership is the main reason good and qualified men are not going into the ministry, and many other good and qualified men are leaving the ministry? Could it be that this power view of the eldership is the main reason good men do not desire to be elders?

Where did we get this power view of the eldership? Is it taught in the New Testament? Could it be it was devised over a period of time and that, without checks and balances, it became something foreign to both the letter and the spirit of the New Testament?

Here are dangers I see in the power view of the eldership.

(1) Men in power replace themselves with men just like themselves. This perpetuates the status quo and leaves no room for a fresh approach to anything.

(2) Any doctrine that the power brokers deem unseemly is condemned, and all connected with it are marked and condemned. This is done whether there is any validity to the ideas or not. This power view of the eldership destroys creative thinking and leaves no room for academic freedom whatsoever.

(3) There are many dangers associated with placing such great power into the hands of a few men with no system of checks or balances and no real accountability.

(4) All should know that we as Christians are all subject to the lordship of Christ. No man or group of men has any right to usurp that principle. Elders are but mere men and subject to all the sins that all face. Their wisdom is not without flaws. No elder is inspired by God and thus has no special knowledge. No elder has any right to invent, modify, or violate the clear teachings of the Bible.
 
(5) The work of the gospel preacher is a noble work. It is an authorized work clearly taught in the New Testament. It is a work in and of itself with great duties and great responsibilities before Almighty God. It is a work independent of the eldership. I say independent because many congregations have no eldership, and yet they may have an evangelist/gospel preacher. Certainly there is a great partnership with the evangelist/gospel preacher and we shall discuss that in great detail at a latter date. No eldership has a right to redefine the work of the evangelist/gospel preacher in such a way as to diminish the power, the good, and the duties of the evangelist/gospel preacher. In turn, the evangelist/gospel preacher has a duty to recognize and support the true mission of the eldership.

(6) There is a danger that the power system of the eldership will lead to men in such an office pandering to the body in order to keep power. They control all the church funds and thus can dole them out to this and that program or individual in such a way as to keep a sufficient number of the congregation happy and thus supportive of the power system of the eldership.
  
(6) By having absolute power to hire and fire all staff including the evangelist/gospel preacher they control the total teaching agenda of the church. They do this with absolute power and no accountability. The church then can be fed a diet of bland preaching, a diet of warped teaching too far to one extreme or another, and or a diet of preaching that is just contrary to the Word of God. This system has a danger of turning the church into a cult and programing the minds of all the body to believe one way or another without any understanding of their own.

(7) By having absolute power over the church treasury the power system can use the money given by the church as if it were their own. The power brokers pick and choose what support to give to this, and that and again with no accountability whatsoever.

(8) The power system approach to the eldership violates the Word of God, violates a sacred relationship with the congregation, violates the noble work of the evangelist/gospel preach and leads to a weaken state for the church and the loss of effectiveness in evangelism. I would dare to say that nearly all the problems and troubles the church faces today is directly connected to the power system approach to the eldership, practiced in way too many congregations.

There are two passages of scripture I wish for all to consider regarding this topic. Both of these New Testament passages speak explicitly on this issue.

First, the Apostle Peter declares, " I’m speaking to the elders among you. I was a witness of Christ’s sufferings. And I will also share in the glory that is going to come. I’m making my appeal to you as one who is an elder together with you. 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock, the believers who are under your care. Serve as their leaders. Don’t serve them because you have to. Instead, do it because you want to. That’s what God wants you to do. Don’t do it because you want to get more and more money. Do it because you want to serve.

 3 Don’t act as if you were a ruler over those who are under your care. Instead, be examples to the flock. 4 The Chief Shepherd will come again. Then you will receive the crown of glory. It is a crown that will never fade away." ( I Pet. 5:1-4). I have quoted this to many elders over the years, and they just looked at me and shrugged their shoulders as if it has no meaning to them or that they are not guilty of violating this prohibition in any form. However, I feel it is often a scripture that is greatly ignored.

I would stress from this above passage the idea of being a servant as an elder, and the idea of NOT ruling over the church as a RULER with total power. Elders are foremost and above all; Shepherds and that entails love, care, feeding, protection, and giving their lives for the welfare of the body. It involves a mutual partnership of love and service.

Another passage of some significant importance to this theme is in 3 John 1:9: "I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not." The warning here is that no man and that means no eldership should seek to have the preeminence and rule the body in such an dishonorable manner as is suggested in this passage.

I have much more to say on this great topic. This concludes our second installment on the eldership. We shall discuss several more issues and talk also of the many wonderful and positive aspects of this most noble work and how such can bless the Kingdom. We need to examine the qualifications of the men who hold this position, what their real work involves, and what their duties are to God and the church. Also, the duties of the church and the evangelist/gospel preacher toward the eldership. The duties of the eldership towards the evangelist/gospel preacher. Finally, we shall examine ideas on how to move the eldership from a power driven model to one of the shepherds. God bless all.
God bless all men who serve as elders and who have a true desire to serve and help the Kingdom.

*Allen Ashlock, 2014