By Gary Fait
“Congratulations! You”re the new chairman of the elders.” The first time someone said that to me, it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. I felt honored. I felt special.
Later, after ending my term as chairman and then spending several years as a “regular” elder, I heard it again: “Congratulations! You”re the new chairman of the elders.” This time I felt a chill go down my spine. I felt a tinge of panic. The chairman is the man who gets the complaints. He”s the one who finds anonymous notes in his mailbox. He”s the one who spends hours on the phone trying to soothe injured feelings. He”s the one who must tactfully field unworkable suggestions from well-meaning members.
In my congregation, we rotate the chairmanship on a yearly basis. Each elder serves a year as chairman of the elders before turning the duties over to the next elder in the alphabetical list. We all get a turn at being the chairman.
But over the years, and after several “turns” as chairman, I”ve developed a list of things to help me keep the job in perspective. Here is my list of what the chairman of the elders is not:
1. I”m not the head of the church. I”m not even the head of my congregation. The head of the church (or any part of it) is Christ alone. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). Paul added, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22, 23). If Christ is the head of the church and everything in it, then the chairman of the elders cannot be the head of the church.
2. I”m not the boss of the elders. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.” This “authority” that elders exercise is not the same authority that Jesus has in the church. Elders have an authority that is derived from and is subordinate to Christ. And the elders of the New Testament function as a group, not as individuals.
In our culture, it is natural for a group to select a leader, a president or chairman. But there is a danger in placing one of the group in a higher leadership position. In fact, church history has examples of this.
By the second century, the elders of many congregations began to select one of their number to be the “bishop.” He was elevated above the other elders as the superior leader in each congregation. Before long, these special bishops began to rule over multiple congregations. When the bishops from various cities began to meet to discuss common problems and concerns, it was natural for them to select one of their number to be their leader. As a result, the church soon had “monarchal” bishops (archbishops). It took less than 100 years to reach that point, and eventually the archbishops selected their own leader who ultimately became the pope.
I”m not suggesting there is a trend in the Restoration Movement that could result in archbishops and popes. I only point out we have no freedom to change the structure of church leadership as it is prescribed in the New Testament.
3. I don”t have any authority. This item is similar to No. 2, but I keep it separate to remind me that I can”t make decisions for the eldership in my congregation. I don”t have any more authority than any other elder. In fact, I submit that no single elder has any more authority than any other member of the congregation. The only authority granted by Christ is to the group of elders, and none is given to individual elders.
Yes, it is convenient and maybe even necessary to have a chairman of the elders. In my congregation, we use our chairman to lead our elders” and congregational meetings. His responsibility is to prevent the disorder that God dislikes in the church (1 Corinthians 14:33). His job is to speak to the congregation or the public for the elders when the elders direct him to speak. There are also telephone calls to be made on behalf of the elders. There are letters to be written. There are documents to be signed. But the chairman has no authority to lead or speak without the direction of the remaining elders.
4. I”m not the head rule-maker. I think chairmen are asked at least once each week to establish rules or policies. Sometimes we don”t even realize it when it happens. And it is tempting to make immediate decisions and solve problems on the fly. Why wait until the next elders” meeting? Why take the time to make a telephone poll of the other elders when you are certain they will agree with your decision? The answer, of course, is the same as No. 3 in my list. No single elder, chairman or not, has the Christ-given authority to make any decision reserved for the elders.
Besides, didn”t Peter tell the elders they should not be “lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3)? The biggest challenge facing elders is to avoid being the rule-makers. Elders must manage the congregation (1 Timothy 3:5; 5:17) and they must teach and encourage (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9). They must also be prepared to refute or rebuke when doctrine is being questioned. But elders must also be prepared to give the congregation freedom to make its own decisions when the truth and guidance of the Scriptures is not threatened. My guiding principle on rule-making is to avoid rule-making altogether as long as peace and order is maintained in the congregation.
What the chairman of the elders is: Jesus gave his disciples a principle that also describes what a chairman of the elders should be: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave””just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).
In my congregation the chairman of the elders is not the head of the elders. He doesn”t rule the elders. He is not superior to any other elder. Instead, he is the servant of the elders. For a year at a time, he serves by performing additional functions within the congregation to help maintain order and efficiency.
Yes, sometimes he must deal with the things that are dull or unpleasant. But did I mention how the chairman in my congregation gets to publicly honor the high school and college graduates? Did I mention how he gets to present Christmas gifts to the minister and his family? Did I mention the number of times he gets a friendly hug or handshake and a thank-you for being a servant? Did I mention Matthew 25:21? “His master replied, “˜Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master”s happiness!””
Gary Fait has been an elder at Calvary Christian Church in Swartz Creek, Michigan, for 18 years.
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