Category Archives: Elders

On Bad Elders: Removing Lousy Elders, Toward a Solution, Part 2

Public rebuke of sin In 1 Tim 5:19 we are taught how to “rebuke” an elder — (1 Tim 5:19-20) Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who … Continue reading

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On Bad Elders: Removing Lousy Elders, Toward a Solution, Part 1

In the last post, I proposed three much-need reforms, one of which is coming up with a mechanism for getting rid of elders who shouldn’t be elders. The difficulty of judging an elder As problematic as it is to come … Continue reading

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On Bad Elders: Thinking Out Loud

One of the biggest challenges facing the Churches of Christ today is how to deal with lousy elders. Of course, many churches have excellent elderships, but there are far too many congregations being held back by weak, ineffective, or downright … Continue reading

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On Elder Accountability

I stumbled across an article by Dub Orr, a retired elder for the 11th and Willis Church of Christ, that I just have to share. But first, a little background. Whether the topic is church growth or church survival, in … Continue reading

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Advice for Two New Elders

Well, we ordained two new elders today—poor guys. I was supposed to join them for lunch today and offer some words of advice, but my old nemesis, kidney stones, intervened to keep that from happening. During those few hours when … Continue reading

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A Covenant to Serve (for new elders)

Some years ago, when I was first ordained as an elder, the elders asked me to read, sign, and keep a copy of this document. The years have proven the wisdom of asking new elders to do this. The Bible … Continue reading

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On the Training of Elders

We in the Churches of Christ are fond of saying that being an elder of a church is the most important job in the world. I think we may be right. Nothing more dramatically impacts the success of a congregation … Continue reading

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On Selecting Elders, part 2

In part 1, we considered the Titus 2 and 1 Timothy 3 qualification lists. Here we consider other teachings the Bible gives us about selecting elders. We begin in Ephesians 4– (Eph. 4:11-13) It was he who gave some to … Continue reading

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On Selecting Elders, part 1

Surely, one of the most fateful moments in a church’s history is when new elders are appointed. As new men are added to the mix, an eldership’s personality subtly, sometimes dramatically, changes. It’s essential that the changes be for the … Continue reading

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