One In Jesus

In the last 20 years or so, the “Good Shepherd” passages in Eze 34 and John 10 have been highly influential in our thinking regarding what an elder/shepherd/overseer should do. Some find here evidence that pastoral duties (shepherding) are the exclusive duties of elders, who should spend no time on administration (defined as anything not shepherding) at all.

This is, of course, absurd. The scriptures plainly charge the elders with teaching and refuting false doctrine. And management or administration is not only part of the job of a First Century village elder or overseer, but essential to good shepherding. As Lynn Anderson points out in his They Smell Like Sheep, one reason so many elderships fail to shepherd as they should is their failure to organize and administer as they should.

My life has been blessed by having been personally counseled by Lynn on some of these very issues. My fellow elders and I have twice set up conferences with Lynn to help us sort through some issues, and in the more recent conference, Lynn particularly warned us against abdicating congregational administration and leaving the church without leadership. Shepherding cannot be reduced merely to comforting and counseling. In the ancient world, shepherds led the sheep.

(Many churches have tried having the elders do nothing but shepherding, and the experiment has generally failed. I’ve discussed this with elders who tried and really wanted entire out of administration. But hired staff members and 30-year old deacons are no substitute for the wisdom of decades in the same congregation.) Continue reading →

So how does a too-busy eldership include the congregation in decision making? Well, it depends on the size of the church and the decision being made.

We know from Acts 15 (doctrinal decision) and 1 Cor 5 (decision to withdraw fellowship) that these kinds of decisions were made with congregational participation by both small and large churches. The Jerusalem church likely had more than 20,000 members! And I sure wish the scriptures told us how the apostles managed such a huge congregation, but the scriptures are silent on process.

Let me suggest some approaches (and I’ve participated in all of these at one time or another) — Continue reading →

At last we get to the pastoral part of an elder’s job description. First, a few boundaries —

Power under submission

There is no reason to insist that all elders take on pastoral duties — unless you also insist that all elders teach and all elders participate in administrative decisions.

There is simply no scriptural warrant for putting our understanding of “shepherd” above the equally biblical terms “elder,” “overseer,” “leader,” and “ruler.”

(1 Tim. 5:17 ESV) Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

BDAG defines the Greek word translated “rule” as “to exercise a position of leadership, rule, direct, be at the head (of).” Liddell-Scott gives “to be set over, be the chief power.” Continue reading →

But doesn’t the Bible say that elders should be shepherds rather than administrators?

No, it most certainly does not. In fact, administration is listed as a gift of the Spirit in 1 Cor 12, and leadership is a gift of the Spirit in Rom 12.

Ancient kings were referred to as shepherds of the people — and they also had very real administrative duties. The two are not inconsistent in biblical thought.

Consider such passages as —

(Heb. 13:17 ESV) 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

(1 Thess. 5:12 ESV)  We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,

“Are over you in the Lord and admonish you” and “obey … and submit” clearly imply very real positional authority (even if you prefer to translate “obey” as “lead”). Continue reading →