A Church Without Elders
CHURCH ARTICLE
Keith Sharp | Mountain Home, Arkansas
The Lord’s plan is for each local church to have its own elders (overseers/shepherds) to rule and to shepherd the local flock (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5). Thus, a congregation that has men qualified to do this work but refuses to appoint them rebels against the Lord. It is just as sinful to refuse to do what the Lord requires as it is to do what He forbids (James 4:17).
But a congregation may not have a plurality of men qualified to serve as overseers. It is also wrong to select and appoint unqualified men (1 Timothy 3:2).
Thus, a congregation may be forced to exist without shepherds. Such a church can still successfully do the work of the Lord. No elders are ever mentioned in the congregation in Antioch, though “prophets and teachers” are mentioned (Acts 13:1), yet that church sent out Barnabas and Saul on Paul’s first journey to the Gentiles (Acts 13:1-3) and received them when they returned (Acts 14:26-27).
Elders of the church have two primary functions in the local congregation of which they are members: (1) ruling the church (1 Timothy 5:17), ie., overseeing (1 Peter 5:1-2), making decisions the members are obligated to follow (Hebrews 13:17), and (2) shepherding the flock (Acts 20:28; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-2).
In the absence of elders to perform these essential functions, others in the local church must do them. How is this done?
Rule
One Man Pastor
In many Protestant denominations, the “pastor” (singular) rules the local church. Actually, the term translated “pastors” (Ephesians 4:11) means “a shepherd, herdsman” (Mounce. 1249), and is the noun form of the verb translated “to shepherd” (New King James Version) or “feed” (King James Version) in Acts 20:28. Of course this is work given to the elders (Acts 20:17), and there must be a plurality of elders if the church is to have elders (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1).
Evangelistic Oversight
There was formerly a sizable group of brethren who believed an evangelist was to start a congregation then oversee that church until it had elders. Also, there are many untaught brethren who have brought over from their denominational background the one man pastor concept. The Scriptures do not assign any decision-making authority at all in the congregation to the preacher/evangelist. The evangelist is not even an office in the local church (cf. Philippians 1:1), but preachers have fellowship with the church or churches that assist them in their work and with which they work (Philippians 4:15-16). The preacher’s role is preaching and teaching the Word (2 Timothy 4:1-5), and his opinions carry no more weight than those of any other man in the congregation.
Leaders
There are those who advocate that in a church that has no men qualified to be elders, more spiritually mature men not qualified to be elders should serve as “leaders” and, as a group, should make decisions for the congregation. The word “leaders” is in the New International Version in Acts 15:22; Hebrews 13:7, 17, 24; in the English Standard Version in the passages in Hebrews 13, and in Hebrews 13:17, 24 in the New American Standard Bible.
“Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas” were “leaders among the brothers” (Acts 15:22, NIV). But this was in the church in Jerusalem, where there were both apostles and elders (Acts 15:2, 4, 6, 22-23). That hardly leaves room for mature men who were unqualified to be elders to make decisions for the church. But Judas and Silas (verse 22), not elders or apostles, were indeed leaders in the church; they were prophets (Acts 15:33). Their leadership role was in proclaiming by inspiration the word of God, not in making decisions for the congregation (ie. Acts 11:27-28).
The overwhelming evidence and the universal conviction of Christians from the very beginning is that the Hebrew letter was written to Jewish Christians in Palestine not very long before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (cf Hebrews 10:24-34). There had been apostles among the Hebrews from the very beginning (Acts 2:41-42) and elders from very early (Acts 11:29-30). Why would the author write the Hebrew disciples as a whole and command them to remember men who were not qualified to be either apostles or elders, to follow their faith, and to obey them? (Hebrews 13:7, 17)
Thus, the evidence is overwhelming that the term “leaders” is a comprehensive term for those who occupied the offices the Lord Jesus Christ gave His church as a gift when He ascended back on high: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11). Apostles rule the universal church (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29-30), pastors and teachers rule the local church (elders; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4), prophets led by their word (Acts 11:27-28), and evangelists lead by preaching the word (2 Timothy 4:1-5). This position harmonizes with the use of the word “leaders” in all four passages in which it is found.
Consensus
Several years ago a brother contended:
the (male) leaders call the multitude together, discuss the problems, propose solutions, ask the multitude to make choices, get congregational consensus, and apply the resolution. That's the pattern (Trefethen. 24)
Of course, this gives women an equal role with men of the congregation in rule, whereas God has given the leadership role in the church to men (1 Timothy 2:11-12). This also nullifies the rule of elders in a church with elders (1 Timothy 5:17).
Proper Rule
Decision-making authority in a congregation without elders is vested in all the men of the congregation (1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:11-12). The younger should submit to the older (1 Peter 5:5), but that doesn’t imply the more mature as a separate group make the decisions. Women may not rule over (help make decisions for) men (1 Timothy 2:12). No one should seek or be allowed preeminence (3 John 9-10). All members of the church, including women, have rights to have their opinions and needs considered, be kept informed, and have their approval sought (Acts 6:1-5). Whether a congregation has elders or not, all should strive for unity and peace (Ephesians 4:1-3), seek to please others in matters of opinion, and determine not to cause others to stumble (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).
Shepherd
Every member of the congregation is to do what he/she has the ability and right to do to help edify the congregation (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:14-27). We have the responsibility to watch out and care for each other spiritually (Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:19-20). The shepherds of the flock have a special obligation toward the sheep (Acts 20:28-31; 1 Peter 5:1-3), for which we will be judged on the last, great day (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:4). However, every member of the local church has the responsibility to care for every other member (Galatians 6:2).
Conclusion
I had a friend who, due to diabetes, had both legs amputated below the knees. He was handicapped, but he refused to be crippled. He learned to walk with prostheses and even waited on the Lord’s table.
If the congregation of which you are a member has no elders, it is handicapped, but not crippled. You can overcome the handicap by following the divine plan for rule in the local church and by each member demonstrating love and concern for all others.
Works Cited
Bible,
English Standard Version
New American Standard Bible
New International Version
New King James Version
Mounce, William D., Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.
Trefethen, Vance E., Confusion or Consensus?
18.01.01 | GROW magazine
