What should an elder do if no other elders left in the congregation?
Question:
If you have three elders in the church and two elders resigned, what is the function of the elder who is left? He still has a continuing desire to shepherd the flock and the rest of the congregation has no grievance with him.
Answer:
A man can preach without holding the title and duties of a preacher. In the same way, a man can counsel and help his fellow Christians reach heaven without holding the title and duties of an elder.
Elders are always mentioned in the plural, so until another man becomes qualified to assume the duties of an elder, this man becomes a respected member of the congregation. He can work "behind the scenes" to benefit the Lord's people but does so without using the authority of a position in the church. It is a bit harder, but it is good practice in humility and persuasion. Too many elders approach their duties from an authoritarian view instead of a servant's view. Likely this is what the man was doing prior to his becoming an elder and it is what led the congregation to ask him to serve as one of their elders.
The first time I became an elder, I made a mistake that caused some in the congregation to lose confidence in me. I chose to step down to avoid strife in the church. What I found odd is that this caused people to be open with me about their own problems. I probably did more elder-work in the months that followed than in the year prior. Several years later, I was asked once again to serve as an elder and I've been in the position for about a decade now.
Title or not, if there is work that needs to be done and you're available, do the work.
