Vintage21 Church

Pastor Tyler · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 80 Location: Downtown Raleigh

The role of an Elder is something that is not easily entered into. Every Elder or future elder at Vintage21 has gone through or will go though extensive testing, training and life examination before he’s given the title of Elder. Listed here are the qualifications an Elder is required to have before he’s given the challenge of managing, caring for and laboring in the church: (To these things, he’s held accountable)

A. Must be above reproach (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim. 3:2)

B. Husband of one wife (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim. 3:2).

C. Household must be in order with children who believe (Titus 1 :6; 1 Tim. 3:4).

D. Not a new convert (1 Tim. 3:6).

E. Self controlled and temperate (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim. 3:2).

F. Honorable, hospitable, seeking good (Titus 1:7).

G. Have a good reputation ( 1 Tim. 3:7 ).

H. Not addicted to wine ( 1 Tim. 3:3 ).

I. Not greedy ( 1 Tim. 3:3 ).

J. Able to exhort (teach) sound doctrine ( Titus 1:9 ; 1 Tim. 3:2 ).

K. Able to refute false teaching ( Titus 1:9 ).

One of the Best explanations of how an Elder practices accountability comes from Alexander Strauch’s book titled, “Biblical Eldership”.

We come now to two, extremely significant reasons for and benefits of pastoral leadership by a council of qualified elders. First, the shared leadership structure of eldership provides necessary accountability protection from the particular sins that plague spiritual leaders. In turn, this protects the spiritual character of the local church and the testimony of the Lord's name. Second, the eldership structure provides peer relationships to help balance elders' weaknesses and correct their character, an essential component in the sanctification process of spiritual leaders.

Leadership Accountability: English historian Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Because of our biblical beliefs in the dreadful realities of sin, the curse, Satan, and human depravity, we should understand well why people in positions of power are easily corrupted. In fact, the better we understand the exceeding sinfulness and deceitfulness of sin, the stronger our commitment to accountability will be. The collective leadership of a biblical eldership provides a formal structure for genuine accountability.

Shared, brotherly leadership provides needed restraint concerning such sins as pride, greed, and "playing god." Earl D. Radmacher, chancellor of a Baptist seminary in America, writes, "Human leaders, even Christian ones, are sinners and they only accomplish God's will imperfectly. Multiple leaders, therefore, will serve as a 'check and balance' on each other and serve as a safeguard against the very human tendency to play God over other people."

It was never our Lord's will for one individual to control the local church. The concept of the pastor as the lonely, trained professional--the sacred person presiding over the church who can never really become a part of the congregation--is utterly unscriptural. Not only is this concept unscriptural, it is psychologically and spiritually unhealthy. Radmacher goes on to contrast the deficiencies of a church leadership that is placed primarily in the hands of one pastor to the wholesomeness of leadership when it is shared by multiple pastors:

Laymen . . . are indifferent because they are so busy. They have no time to bother with church matters. Church administration is left, therefore, largely in the hands of the pastor. This is bad for him, and it is bad also for the church. It makes it easier for the minister to build up in himself a dictatorial disposition and to nourish in his heart the love of autocratic power.

It is my conviction that God has provided a hedge against these powerful temptations by the concept of multiple elders. The check and balance that is provided by men of equal authority is most wholesome and helps to bring about the desired attitude expressed by Peter to the plurality of elders: ". . . shepherd the flock of God among you, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock (1 Peter 5:2,3)."

In addition to providing close accountability, genuine partnership, and peer relationships--the very things most imperial pastors shrink from at all costs--shared leadership provides the local church shepherd with accountability for his work. Church leaders (like all of us) can be lazy, forgetful, fearful, or too busy to fulfill their responsibilities. Thus they need colleagues in ministry to whom they are answerable for their work. Coaches know that athletes who train together push one another to greater achievement. When someone else is running alongside him or her, a runner will push a little harder and go a little faster. The same is true in the Lord's work. That is one reason why the Lord sent out His disciples in twos.

Peer Relationships: One of the deep joys of my life has been to share the pastoral leadership of a church with a team of dedicated pastor elders. As partners in the work of shepherding God's precious, blood-bought people, we have sharpened, balanced, comforted, protected, and strengthened one another through nearly every conceivable life situation. I do not hesitate to say that the relationship with my fellow elders has been the most important tool God has used, outside of my marriage relationship, for the spiritual development of my Christian character, leadership abilities, and teaching ministry. The eldership has played a major role in the sanctification process of my Christian life.

Shared leadership can provide a church leader with critically needed recognition of his faults and deficiencies and can help to offset them.. We all have blind spots, eccentricities, and deficiencies. We all have what C. S. Lewis called "a fatal flaw." We can see these fatal flaws so clearly in others but not in ourselves. These fatal flaws or blind spots distort our judgment. They deceive us. They can even destroy us. This is particularly true of multi-talented, charismatic leaders. Blind to their flaws and extreme views, some talented leaders have destroyed themselves because they had no peers who could confront and balance them and, in fact, wanted none.

When a single leader is atop a pyramidal structure of organization, the important balancing of one another's weaknesses and strengths normally does not occur. Note the strong language Robert Greenleaf, author of the book Servant Leadership, uses to convey his observations:

To be a lone chief atop a pyramid is abnormal and corrupting. None of us are perfect by ourselves, and all of us need the help and correcting influence of close colleagues. When someone is moved atop a pyramid, that person no longer has colleagues, only subordinates. Even the frankest and bravest of subordinates do not talk with their boss in the same way that they talk with colleagues who are equals, and normal communication patterns become warped.

I believe that traditional, single-church pastors would improve their character and ministry if they had genuine peers to whom they were regularly accountable and with whom they worked jointly.

On this level, the Vintage21 Elders are in life together. We hold one another accountable; we fight and labor hard to ensure the steps of faith and practice are lovingly followed in each other’s lives. If you have more questions about Elder accountability, we’d love to talk with you. E-mail pastors@vintage21.com to begin that conversation
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Pastor Tyler