Theology Thursday: How Should Elders Lead?

Welcome to Theology Thursday! Theology is the study of God, his relation to the world, and our relation to him. I hope these newsletters help enhance your faith and deepen your love for God and his people, the church.

Today's question:
Today is the second in a series of three TT's looking at a biblical understanding of eldership. Now: How should elders lead?

Pastor Brady's thoughts:
There are a number of ways to communicate the specific things elders do or should do for the local church, and different churches and Christian traditions emphasize various aspects of these tasks differently. There are a number of books and other resources that more thoroughly examine the role of elders, but as means of summary, here are the five responsibilities of elders at MCC:
 
Exemplifying DISCIPLESHIP
Elders should first and foremost be living a faithful Christian life as disciples of Christ. Before they can expect or should attempt to lead the church/other Christians in the way of Jesus, their own personal spiritual lives must reflect the devotion and commitment our savior calls his followers to when he says “Come, follow me.”

Indications of faithful discipleship include spending time in the presence of God and growing in faith through prayer and Bible study, active participation in the church body through regular attendance at worship service gatherings and events, and embracing the eight components of committed membership at MCC: belonging to the church family, welcoming others in, gathering for worship and fellowship, caring for fellow family members, serving this church and the kingdom, honoring church leadership, witnessing for the faith, and giving financially.

Doctrinal accuracy and administrative acumen are indispensable for elders, but they are not enough to preserve and promote the health of the church. Trust must shape life, and the truth must be taught and modeled to others. The character and discipleship of a church’s elders generally represents a glass ceiling on the character and discipleship of the congregation. If its elders are growing in faith, the church will grow (deep and wide) too.

MCC elders should strive to be the finest examples of the type of leadership approach modeled by Jesus: humble, sacrificial, courageous, obedient, servant-leadership.

Making DISCIPLES 
The primary role of elders at MCC (and, we believe, the primary role of church elders as established and envisioned by the Apostle Paul and the New Testament Christians) is not institutional decision making and financial management, though those things are important. The primary role of elders at MCC is to shepherd the flock and make disciples.

Mentoring growing Christians, visiting the sick in the hospital and at home, leading life groups, teaching in the kids ministry, going on missions trips, hanging out at youth group - the expectation for elders is not just service in general (though mowing the grass, cooking food, carrying chairs, etc. are all big deals!), but serving in ways that directly contribute to the discipleship process for the flock under their care.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus is ultimately the head of the church. Pastors and elders are Jesus’s under-shepherds, charged with leading in his name and for his glory.

Providing DIRECTION
Here’s where that other stuff comes in: MCC elders serve our church by providing direction in the areas of financial stewardship and integrity; oversight for staff and personnel; collaborative insight into our mission, vision, values and how our preaching, teaching, curriculum, programs, events, and activities contribute to them; decisions regarding the building and property; enforcing existing policy and facilitating necessary policy changes; and anything else relevant to the ministry of the church.

Generally, the staff and ministry team leaders make most of the day-to-day decisions, and the elders speak into larger and longer-term issues and the things that may affect the health and effectiveness of MCC’s mission. However, there’s plenty of overlap here (both directions), and what exactly is and isn’t an elder-level matter has always been something of a gray area and varies depending on the makeup of each generation of staff and elder group.

Under normal circumstances, elders should promote the recruiting and training of qualified staff and ministry team leaders and then empower them to serve as autonomously as possible within the parameters of their role and budget. Active involvement: yes. Micromanaging: no, unless determined to be necessary due to poor performance or other worrying circumstances.  

Championing DOCTRINE
One of MCC’s core values is theological thoroughness. As such, part of the responsibility of elders is to help church members know what they believe and why. This is partly accomplished by encouraging personal Bible study (reading the Bible and reading about the Bible!), participating in life groups, and other edifying activities. It’s also partly accomplished by faithfully guarding what is taught from the pulpit and classroom podiums, what is promoted through the recommendation of resources, and what is maintained as a matter of essential beliefs.

With the understanding that false teaching on significant doctrinal matters could have grave spiritual consequences for the flock, elders must be diligent to ensure that MCC holds steadfast to the truths presented in its statement of faith.

This does not mean, of course, that there isn’t room for disagreement, or that every theological dispute should result in official leadership action or a break in fellowship. Such situations will only rarely be the case, and only in the most serious of deviations from orthodox teaching. But, if truth matters, then misunderstandings of the truth (or outright distortions of it) must be addressed with loving firmness.

In our independent Christian church corner of God’s kingdom, local church elders are jointly tasked and burdened with being the final say in matters of theological question. As it says in our statement of faith: For purposes of Minier Christian Church's faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our elders are the final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.
 
Offering DISCIPLINE
“Discipline” is inseparable from "discipleship.” In fact, they share the same root word: disciple. An often unwelcome but necessary aspect of the responsibility of church elders is to offer accountability and discipline for members who are living in sin and/or exhibiting a pattern of behavior that is disruptive and divisive for the church body.

For more on this, ask the office for a copy of our document entitled "Church Discipline at MCC."

In general, elders provide “oversight” for the whole church: its people, its mission, its teaching, its spiritual health, its unity, its stewardship, its…everything.
 
TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN!
- Pastor Brady

Have a question for Theology Thursday? Send an email to office@minierchristian.org and we'll respond, or we'll include in a future Theology Thursday Buffet.