Elder led (Why we're different part 4)

In the Bible we have different positions in church leadership as spelled out in 1 Timothy and Titus. There are clearly two offices, one of Elder, and one of Deacon. The elders are the overseers of the church. They are the ones that set direction, feed and care for the flock. They are the ones that provide the sermons, the caring and discipline and discipleship of the flock. They are held accountable by each other, and there are some pretty stringent qualifications to be called overseer. Deacons are a position which are there specifically to serve the body so that the Elders can concentrate on the overall health and wellness of the body. This would include hospital visits, home visits, various ministries which deal with the physical and emotional needs of the flock. Deacon qualifications are likewise stringent as they represent the church in many types of ministries. Why Elder led? There are two main types of church 'governance' which are used today. You have Elder led, and congregational led churches. Elder led churches seem to be what is portrayed in the bible in both the Old Testament and New Testament by our understanding. There are both positives and negatives to both types, but we feel that the governance of the church according to scripture is by the Elders.

Congregation-run churches tend to drag out the process of direction and vision of the church, and constantly challenges scripture due to the wide variety of theology and belief, including that of the tares and goats. Our churches are not made up of sheep alone, and in congregation-run churches, there can be a tendency for church bodies to be led astray by the goats and wolves amongst the flock. In an Elder-led church, if the process is done correctly (being diligent in following the qualifications of the position as laid out in scripture), there is a much less likely chance of that occurring.

HCRBC is also led by a team of preaching pastors. In the beginning stages of our church plant, I (Chris) will be the lead teaching/preaching pastor, while we have two temporary elders (Dr. Frankie Rainey and Oz Lorentzen) who will be in the preaching rotation until such time that our church body can fill those temporary positions with members of HCRBC. The purpose of this is because in the qualifications of Eldership, elders must be able to preach and teach. There is no reason to have only one pastor doing all or the vast majority of the preaching. This also side-steps another problem which is a lack of leadership when the lead pastor leaves. Anyone who has spent anytime in a church has seen the devastation which inevitably comes when a lead pastor leaves. This is because many in the church came because they liked the pastor, not because they like the church body. With a team of preaching pastors, no one man becomes the face of the church (the position rightly held by Christ alone), and so when one pastor leaves, there is still a continuity of leadership provided by 2-3 others that the church is already comfortable with, thereby avoiding much of the consternation a church group must go through when a strong pastor leaves.

Questions or comments? Please leave a comment here, or send a private email to hillcountryreformed@gmail.com, or call us at 403-932-0519.