A thing of concern is that elders are not allowed to step down from their positions. The only time an elder can step down is when his wife passes away. What if the elder and his family relocate to a different area or country, or when that elder goes to preach the gospel in a new area and a church is established there? The great commission in Matthew 28 does not exclude elders from going to win souls for the Lord. So, can an elder step down from his eldership and fulfill the great commission? Not to totally dissolve the eldership in a particular congregation, if there are more than two elders there. Can one elder do this if he wishes to win souls for the Lord?<\/p>\n\t
“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily<\/strong>, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness<\/em>” (I Peter 5:1-2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Elders serve because they want to serve God and His people. They are not forced to serve. I’ve known elders whose jobs required them to move. They cannot be long-distance servants to a congregation, so they step down and become assets to the people of God in their new location. Sometimes, they become elders again in the new location.<\/p>\n
If an elder wants to work as a preacher in a different location, that is his decision.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: A thing of concern is that elders are not allowed to step down from their positions. The only time an elder can step down is when his wife passes away. What if the elder and his family relocate to a different area or country, or when that elder goes to preach the gospel in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[123],"class_list":["post-68637","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-elders"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9229,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-an-elder-need-to-step-down-if-one-of-his-children-falls-away\/","url_meta":{"origin":68637,"position":0},"title":"Does an elder need to step down if one of his children falls away?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 2, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question pertains to elders and having believing children. If when they, believing children of an elder, leave home and happen to fall away from the church should the elder step down? Or does this fall under the example aspect and he should step down because of that? Another\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19244,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-when-one-of-a-congregations-two-elders-moves\/","url_meta":{"origin":68637,"position":1},"title":"What happens when one of a congregation’s two elders moves?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: When one elder relocates to another district and there is no one to replace him, who leads the church? Is it the remaining one elder? Please explain to me with clear scripture references because we have this problem at our congregation. Answer: A congregation with only one man qualified\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34903,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/you-seem-to-have-two-articles-giving-two-different-positions-on-whether-an-elders-unfaithful-child-makes-him-disqualified-which-is-it\/","url_meta":{"origin":68637,"position":2},"title":"You seem to have two articles giving two different positions on whether an elder’s unfaithful child makes him disqualified. Which is it?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17635,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/any-advice-for-a-new-elder\/","url_meta":{"origin":68637,"position":3},"title":"Any advice for a new elder?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 28, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38627,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-do-when-the-elders-are-not-listening-to-the-congregation\/","url_meta":{"origin":68637,"position":4},"title":"What do you do when the elders are not listening to the congregation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I'm a member of the church of Christ. I just read the article \"Majority vs Elder Rule\". Our congregation is currently going through something that. I, myself, personally have never experienced it. We have elders who are not really being the leaders they should be, and in this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31598,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-should-an-elder-do-if-no-other-elders-left-in-the-congregation\/","url_meta":{"origin":68637,"position":5},"title":"What should an elder do if no other elders left in the congregation?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"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. 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