September 28, 2008
A Man with Faithful Eyes
Chuck Sackett explores how one congregation evaluated elder candidates with past marital and sexual failures through biblical study, careful process, repentance, and demonstrated faithfulness.
Eldership
Eldership offers biblically grounded resources for elders and churches seeking faithful, healthy spiritual oversight. Explore articles on the qualifications and responsibilities of elders, shepherding and pastoral care, governance and decision-making, accountability, and leading with humility and courage. You’ll also find guidance for elder selection and training, teamwork among elders and staff, handling conflict, and caring for the congregation through change. Whether you serve as an elder, are preparing to become one, or want to strengthen your church’s leadership structure, these resources aim to support wise, Christ-centered shepherding.
September 24, 2008
A Simple Survey by, for, and About Elders
Mark A. Taylor invites readers to complete a survey about elders in their congregations ahead of his workshop at the Indianapolis Congress of Elders.
August 24, 2008
Elders, Leadership, and Women
Steve Edgington explains how Anaheim First Christian Church studied Scripture, rethought leadership, and invited women into meaningful servant-leadership while navigating questions about elders and ministry.
August 15, 2008
Interview with Dale Newberry
Dale Newberry discusses church elders, shepherding, staff leadership, prayer, and the careful process Ten Mile Christian Church uses to identify and develop qualified elders.
August 10, 2008
Where the Administrative Buck Stops
LeRoy Lawson explains how elders and senior ministers can work together by understanding whether a church board is policy-focused or operational—and whether its minister is a leader or follower.
What Is an Elder”s Most Important Job?
By Arron Chambers Who is an elder supposed to be? The Bible makes it clear Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God”s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall
June 22, 2008
Lord, Help, I Am Hearing Voices!
Terry O'Casey reflects on elders, their wives, and the difference between controlling influence and godly counsel that helps church leaders serve with wisdom.
June 18, 2008
Interview with John Chace
John Chace reflects on how elders and staff share vision, shepherding, strategic planning, and support through growth, building expansion, and long-term ministry in South Florida.
June 18, 2008
Shepherding: A Bigger Task Than Most Are Accomplishing
Mark A. Taylor considers how elders can fulfill their shepherding responsibility by equipping small group and adult Sunday school leaders to care for church members.
June 15, 2008
Elders: The Church”s Lead Caregivers
Knofel Staton explores the New Testament language for church elders and argues that elders should serve as shepherd-like lead caregivers who look over people in order to look after them.
May 18, 2008
New Church, New Elders: One Church”s Process
John E. Wasem outlines Suncrest Christian Church’s careful process for developing elders through prayer, teaching, nomination, confirmation, orientation, and ongoing congregational reaffirmation.
March 2, 2008
I Want to Be Like Them
LeRoy Lawson reflects on the elders who sustained his ministry. He describes the best traits of church elders—humble love, prayerful wisdom, steady encouragement, and a “grandfather” heart that leads by love.
March 2, 2008
They Never Stopped Teaching Me
C. Robert Wetzel reflects on decades of ministry shaped by faithful church elders—through ordination, encouragement, and hard-won lessons in faith, humility, and love that continued teaching him long after he left home.
February 27, 2008
We Can Agree on Some Things About Elders
A reflection on elders who quietly shepherd, encourage their preacher, and serve without pretense. Even amid differing conclusions, the church still needs humble leaders who protect and support the local flock.
January 27, 2008
Size Matters: The Changing Role of Elder
As Oaklandon Christian Church grew, its elders had to shift from managing day-to-day decisions to policy, vision, and oversight. Doug Priest explains how church size reshapes leadership and why spiritual responsibility must remain central.
January 6, 2008
Introducing . . . The Year of the Elder
Christian Standard introduces “The Year of the Elder,” a yearlong series exploring the role of elders in the 21st-century Western church and inviting readers to join the discussion through letters, submissions, and sharing the series.
January 2, 2008
Interview with Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson discusses the calling of elders as shepherds who build trust and care for a flock. He addresses policy, authority, qualifications, women and age, and practical ways elders and staff can lead together.
September 30, 2007
Preaching, Prayer, and Conflict
If we want to avoid conflict, our first question should be, “What does God want us to do?” Seeking God’s guidance begins in prayer. Involving the entire congregation in praying for God’s guidance makes conflict less likely.
September 30, 2007
Conflict: Apt Words, Adequate Intervention
Lessons from Walnut Grove Christian Church on preventing and addressing congregational conflict—reducing anxiety through peer learning, valuing “apt words,” and intervening quickly with a Matthew 18 framework.
August 5, 2007
The Top Ten Questions for Potential Elders
A practical guide to choosing elders rooted in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Matt Proctor offers ten questions to help congregations identify leaders with character, wisdom, and credibility—while applying biblical standards with grace.
