Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Elders and the Congregation

that require the involvement and decision of the whole congregation. Jesus taught that the discipline of an unrepentant, sinning member (af ter individual efforts to correct the sin had failed) requires the collec tive wisdom, action, and discipline of the whole congregation (Matt. 18:17-20; 1 Cor. 524,1 1; 2 Cor. 226). Paul also instructs the whole church to examine prospective elders or deacons (1 Tim. 3210). When issues are brought to the congregation, the elders, as Spirit-placed shepherds, take the lead in guiding the congregation in orderly and prayerful de cision making. As the congregation looks to its elders for wise leader ship, the elders also look to the congregation—their brothers and sis ters—for wisdom, counsel, inspiration, creative ideas, help, and prayer. Elders who understand the sacred nature and dynamic energy of the Spirit-empowered congregation know the necessity of congregational participation in all major decisions. The goal of the elders and congregation should always be to speak and act as a united community. Both the leaders and the led should take the time and make the effort needed to work and pray together to achieve this oneness of mind. This means that elders must inoculate themselves against aloofness, secrecy, or independently seeking their own direction. Godly elders desire to involve every member of the body in the joy of living together as the family of God. This requires a great deal of free and open communication between the elders and congregation. The first Christian congregation provides us with some examples of a leadership council and congregation working together in decision making and problem solving. In Acts 6, when conflict broke out be tween the Hebrew and Hellenistic widows in the congregation over the fair distribution of funds, the Twelve (the leadership council) im mediately devised a plan for resolving the problem. They called the congregation together and presented their plan. The congregation ap proved the plan, which called for their participation in choosing seven men to take responsibility for the care of all the church widows. After the seven were chosen by the congregation, the apostles officime placed the seven men in charge of the poor by the laying on of hands and prayer (see chapter 14, page 282). In Acts 15, the congregation in Jerusalem was confronted with seri ous doctrinal controversy. The account shows that the whole church was involved in resolving the controversy but that the apostles and elders took the lead in all the proceedings (Acts 1524,6). The apostles

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