Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

CHAPTER 3 Male Leadership

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? ” Psalms 11:3

people today: the concept of elders who provide pastoral care, a plurality of pastors, and the idea of so-called “lay” or nonclerical pastor elders. Yet nothing is more objectionable in the minds of con temporary people than the biblical concept of an all-male eldership. A biblical eldership, however, must be an all-male eldership. In the minds of most contemporary people, excluding women from church eldership is sexist, discriminatory, and one more example of male dominance. But this need not be the case. No one who truly loves people, who is sensitive to God’s Word, and who is aware of the pain ful dehumanization that women have suffered (and still suffer) world wide would want to discriminate against women. Women have suf fered enough under cruel and irresponsible males, and they have every right to demand justice and change. Discrimination against women is a grievous sin and a dishonor to God in whose image women are cre ated. Yet in our zeal to right the wrongs committed against women, we must not forget that God designed male-female distinctions in order for the sexes to beautifully complement each other and to exercise different functions in society. To deny those distinctions is as destruc tive and dishonorable as it is to discriminate against women. We need to be perfectly clear about the biblical teaching regarding women and men as fully equal in personhood, dignity, and value, but distinct in gender roles. These differences are something to be enjoyed, explored more fully, and developed throughout life—not eradicated or T here is much about biblical eldership that offends church-going

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