Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Appointment ofElders

people, “Here is a new pastor elder to care for you and your fami ly.” So formal installation is an official starting point. Furthermore, the formal installation of an elder by the laying on of hands would communicate to the new elder the approval, blessing, prayers, rec ognition, and fellowship of the church. Regarding the laying on of hands, the New Testament provides few instructions (1 Tim. 5:22). It is not a prescribed practice such as bap tism or the Lord’s Supper, nor is it restricted to a particular person or group within the church (Acts 9212; 1323). So the precise significance of the laying on of hands in specific situations is difficult to determine. We do know that the imposition of hands, like fasting, was practiced by the first Christians because it was useful and a blessing to all. Be cause of the confusion and superstition surrounding the laying on of hands, many churches avoid its use entirely. This is tragic because the laying on of hands can be a meaningful, precious expression of bless ing, approval, and partnership.9 Christians are free, then, to use the laying on of hands if they desire, or to refrain from practicing it if it creates misunderstanding or division. Finally, all procedures concerning this important decision must be bathed in patient prayer. The church and its leaders must pray for spir itual insight, guidance, and unbiased judgment. They must desire God’s will and God’s choice, not their own. God said, of Israel “They have set up kings, but not by Me; They have appointed princes, but I did not know it” (Hos. 824a). May God not say the same of us. Sadly, too many churches expend the least amount of time and ef fort possible when selecting and examining prospective elders or dea cons. A friend told me that in his church the pastor invites all the mem bers to assemble in the church basement once a year, after a Sunday evening service, to select and elect deacons. After everyone gathers in front of a blackboard, the chairman of the deacons asks for nomina tions to the diaconate. Several names are suggested and quickly voted on. The new deacons are then installed, and the pastor closes the meet ing in prayer. The entire process takes half an hour. There is no consid eration of scriptural qualifications, no prayer, and no time to fully ex amine the nominated deacons. For many, it is a simple matter of, “We PRAYER

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