Posts Tagged ‘elders’
Is a church without elders not following the Scriptures?
Question: There are three churches of Christ in my town. I have attended all three. There is one, smaller than the other churches, that has had no elders or deacons for about 15 years. My wife likes to go there. However, when I ask about the need for elders and deacons, I hear from some…
Read MoreIs your definition of tekna consistent?
Question: In light of the position you take with regard to Elders and the number of children they should have, I would like to know your thoughts with regard to the following scriptures. We are in the process of studying deacons and elders at the congregation I attend, and I am trying to further prepare for…
Read MoreYou seem to have two articles giving two different positions on whether an elder’s unfaithful child makes him disqualified. Which is it?
Question: I’ve been restudying the issue of elder’s children who fall away. The La Vista website has an article “The Elder and His Children” by Brett Hogland that concludes that an elder whose children leave the Lord would still be qualified to serve, and another article, “Does an elder need to step down if one…
Read MoreWould a preacher or elder be allowed who had children involved in sexual sins?
Question: Hello, I have been reading some of your web-based information, and I have a few questions; If a youth pastor in the church of Christ (don’t worry, not yours) that has serious secrets in their family such as a gay son who is now out of the house, and a daughter who has had…
Read MoreShould a man who committed the same sin many times and is still fighting against it be in a leadership position?
Question: Should a man who committed the same sin many times and is still fighting against it be in a leadership position? Answer: Preachers are involved in helping people out of their sins. Elders are involved in keeping people faithful to the gospel. Given that Jesus said, “And why do you look at the speck…
Read MoreIf a congregation retains an elder who is a widower, should we leave?
Question: We’re conducting a class in which we’re going over the basics of Christianity and just last night, we started discussing the qualifications of elders and deacons. I almost fell out of my seat when our minister stated it’s OK for an elder to keep on serving after his wife dies or passes on. Both…
Read MoreAll the Members Do Not Have the Same Function
by Bryan Matthew Dockens King David was told by the Almighty, “Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for…
Read MoreShould a woman be on the committee to select elders?
Question: Hi, I attend the church of Christ in a small town. We are looking at appointing elders in our congregation. There is what I feel a potential problem, since we are so small, most of the men who have been elected as potential elders leave very little left to be on a selection committee. …
Read MoreCould you explain Hebrews 13:17?
Question: Hebrews 13:17 states “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” There are two schools of thought that I’ve heard regarding this verse. …
Read MoreThe Elder-Businessman Model
by Jefferson David Tant via Biblical Insights, Vol. 11, No. 6, June 2011 We know the Bible is clear about appointing elders to shepherd the flock (Acts 14:23). We know Paul left Titus in Crete with the charge to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:7). This is a clear indication of God’s plan for the…
Read MoreWere Elders Limited to the Age of Miracles? (Sermon)
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/WereEldersLimitedToTheAgeOfMiracles.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 20:17-35 I. Some times I wonder where ideas about the Scriptures come from. A. The passages are clear, but it seems that some want a certain outcome, so they seek whatever means they can find to arrive at that result. B. I was asked if elders were only for the…
Read MoreWere elders limited to the age of miracles?
Question: Were elders limited to the age of miracles? Was the church only supposed to have elders while the miraculous gifts were present? I have someone here who is claiming this and he bases it on Acts 20:28, Ephesians 4:11, and I Timothy 4:14. Answer: Stated to End? In order to make this claim, one…
Read MoreIs it right for a church to raise money for a preacher school or to have leaders instead of elders?
Question: I have a concern over a recent request from a brethren who is a church leader of the congregation where I was baptized years before. He was asking me to help financially support the church planting mission being undertaken by the missionary training academy established by the congregation over the years. The academy has…
Read MoreDo you have to submit to an unqualified elder?
Question: Should members of the church be submissive to the elders even though the elders do not meet the qualifications? There are five elders and four of them are not qualified due to the following: widower, children not faithful, etc. Answer: When someone says they don’t want to be submissive, the implication is that they…
Read MoreDo the elders keep secrets from the church?
Question: Do the elders keep secrets from the church? Matthew 18:15-17 seems to be full disclosure. My thoughts are to disclose the sin, but the absolute details are not necessary. Answer: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have…
Read MoreOnce a man’s children grow up, he is no longer qualified to be an elder
Question: I should have known before I started reading “The Elder and His Children” that in the end, you, as most other preachers and teachers do, say that an elder does not have to have children at home and rule them well. I believe this to be false teaching, for how will anyone know children…
Read MoreAre elders responsible for the employment of preachers?
Question: I enjoyed and appreciated your article on the work of the evangelist. I find it quite different from many by what you might consider institutional churches of Christ. I am concerned about the final paragraph on the selection of the minister. As I understand first-century history, many preachers were involved in the establishing, building up,…
Read MoreHow do I deal with an arrogant leader?
Question: I have a “leader” in our church who always explains that he is not arrogant because he does not hold himself in a higher value than others; however, his actions say otherwise. He will take any chance he gets to show off his biblical knowledge, he will constantly tell people they are wrong, he…
Read MoreThe Elder and His Children
by Brett Hogland God Almighty, in His infinite wisdom, “gave some to be…pastors…for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Thus the Holy Spirit, in His revelation of the mind or will of God through the apostles (I Corinthians 2:10-13; John 16:13-15), sets forth…
Read MoreHusband of One Wife
by Carl A. Allen Sometime in 1974 or 1975, while living in Colorado, I was invited to attend a gathering of brethren who believe in the “no Bible Class” arrangement. We met at a prominent restaurant for a noon meal. When I arrived, I noticed the table was filled with two seats empty, one in…
Read MoreWhere Do Elders Come From?
by Paul Earnhart The scarcity of functioning elders (bishops, pastors) in local churches has led some Christians to conclude that they are a rare breed with rare qualities. Otherwise, they reason, why would they be so difficult to come by? Contrary to this rather discouraging view, elders do not have to be imported from outer…
Read MoreA Thought on Business Meetings and Elderships
by Bill Jackson In any situation involving men laboring together, some decisions are going to have to be made and some course of action must be decided upon by someone if any good product is obtained. In the congregations of God, the thousand-and-one details wherein the work of the congregations goes forward must be decided…
Read MoreWhat did Jesus expect of Peter when he said to feed his sheep?
Question: Our Lord Jesus in John 21 tells the apostle Peter to feed His sheep three times. What role was Peter being told to assume? Is it that of an elder? Which sheep was our Lord talking about? Is it the other apostles and disciples or the church that was going to be established at Jerusalem?…
Read MoreShould I let a congregation know that the preacher’s son is homosexual?
Question: I know of a preacher in a Church of Christ, whose son is living a homosexual lifestyle. No one in the church knows this. (By the way, I do not belong to this church, I live in a different state.) I am aware that the preacher and his family want to continue keeping this a…
Read MoreHow do you know when a passage is talking about older men in a congregation or the elders of a congregation?
Question: I was wondering with Elder being mentioned in 1 or 2 or 3rd John and refers to a woman. I just remember reading it (II John 1; III John 1). I remember someone mentioning it to me a long time ago and the question I have now is how do you tell two elders…
Read MoreCan a man still be an elder if his faithful children have died before him?
Question: I understand that to be qualified as an elder a man must be the husband of one wife. If the wife dies that man is no longer qualified. The elder must also have believing or faithful children. If the children should die having been faithful their entire lives would that elder then be disqualified?…
Read MoreMust elders have the consent of the congregation in order to serve?
Question: Curious what you would have to comment on related to this topic of elderships and having the consent of the Lord’s body to serve as elders. Flavil Yeakley in his book Church Leadership and Organization makes this assertion: “One thing that has confused some people about the authoritarian style of leadership is that Acts 20:28…
Read MoreCan a church be scriptural without elders?
Question: I’m having a problem reconciling attending a church without elders. The Bible doesn’t lay out an alternate plan for church leadership. What does a church do in lieu of leaders? Can a church be scriptural without them? Who is responsible for the growth and protection of new members if there are no elders? Answer:…
Read MoreDoes a preacher’s wife have to attend the same church as her husband?
Question: Is it wrong for a wife of a preacher (who is not a pastor and does not have his own church) to attend a different church, even though they both believe in the same faith (Jesus the Christ)? I don’t believe it’s dividing kingdoms because that means believing in two different faiths and that’s…
Read MoreShould a person leave a church that doesn’t have elders or deacons?
Question: How long should a person attend a church that does not have any elders or deacons? What are some of the problems associated with a church not having any elders or deacons? Answer: The follow-on question is: Are there no elders because none one currently attending is qualified, or are there no elders because the…
Read MoreMajority Versus Elder Rule
by James R. Cope in The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 5, March 1952. To Bible students and faithful Christians majority vote and rule in the church of Christ are as foreign to the Bible’s teaching on church government as Russia is foreign to a democracy. The majority vote always means an open division in the body…
Read MoreMajorities and Manners
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 4, February 1952. All civilized countries recognize the necessity of government. Different forms of government hold sway in various lands but all admit the necessity of some final tribunal and ultimate authority. Chaos and confusion prevail where no rule obtains. Whether we study the civil,…
Read MoreAny advice for a new elder?
Question: I have a brother in Christ who’s been an elder for a short time. There are two older elders who have been in the church for many years and he feels like a junior elder and they are senior elders. The church recognizes it at times because it’s being mentioned. He is discouraged because,…
Read MorePastors and Preachers
by James R. Cope via The Preceptor, Vol. 1, No. 3, Jan. 1952. The word “pastors” occurs only one time in our English version of the New Testament. More often the original is rendered “shepherd” or “shepherds.” By implication, the pastoral work is identified with the office of bishops or elders. Since this office is…
Read MoreBut You Don’t Have Elders
by Karl Diestelkamp via Think on These Things, January-February-March, 2011, Volume 42, Number 1 No telling how many times brethren, who are working hard to worship God in truth and purity and to preach the gospel and to work in every scriptural way, have heard these words from brethren who move into their area. Wouldn’t every…
Read MoreDo you have other material on an elder’s children being faithful?
Question: I just read your article on faithful children per Titus 1:6 and I must say I appreciate the way you handled it. I am in my first full-time work after graduating from preaching school and this question has come up. As if by providence we began our study of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus…
Read MoreHow tight of a reign should elders have over a preacher?
Question: I am a minister in the Lord’s church and want to get your understanding of what authority elders have over the minister. I guess I am interested in how detailed can they be in managing the preacher? I am told I must do a weekly report and email it to the elders and I…
Read MoreHow do you deal with sin in the church when the elders disagree?
Question: I am writing this on behalf of several individuals involved in this particular situation. We are having a very difficult time deciding how to deal with these problems and would appreciate your thoughts on the matter. A member of our congregation is living in an adulterous marriage. He was approached by two elders and…
Read MoreDoes divorce disqualify a man from being an elder?
Question: Does divorce disqualify a man from being an elder? Is adultery covenant-breaking? Answer: Adultery does break the covenant or “law” between a man and a woman. “Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?…
Read MoreIsn’t the reason denominations want married preachers is because they confuse the office of an elder with that of the preacher?
Question: I wanted to make a comment about requiring preachers to be married. I have taken note that the denominations do not generally adhere to scriptural church leadership, and instead of a plurality of elders, they have a board of deacons and one ‘elder’ or ‘pastor,’ who also serves as the preacher. In other words, they…
Read More