Why Shared Leadership is Essential for Healthy Churches
Churches are fascinating creatures.
Churches exist solely through the atoning death and triumphant resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. They are created to display Jesus’ glory in the world, build His Kingdom, establish His presence, see the spiritually dead raised to life, disciple and grow Christians into spiritual maturity, deal with sin, and put the Gospel of Salvation on display for all to see in the regualr preaching of God’s Word, the washing of the Baptismal event, and the spiritual nourishment of the Communion Table.
The Church is truly a magnificent and multifaceted creature. The question is, who is making sure all of this is getting done? In come the Elders and the Deacons.
Why is Right Leadership Important?
People suffer without godly leadership. Proverbs 29:18 instructs us that when there is no "revelation" from God, people perish, meaning that when people go without or neglect the Word of God, they perish. Or, consider the wise words of J. Oswald Sanders, “If those who hold influence over others fail to lead toward the spiritual uplands, then surely the path to the lowlands will be well worn.”
When churches struggle, one of the first places they often fail to look is at their leadership structure. Too many churches are not asking the important question of, "Are we even pursuing leadership the right way?"
The priority of godly and biblical leadership in the Church is one of the most pressing and enduring topics covered throughout the Bible. We see it with Adam, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Saul, David, Solomon, Peter, Paul, Timothy, Titus, John, Jude, James, and others. God is deeply invested in how His people are led and by whom His people are led.
When was the last time you asked yourself about how your church is led? Is it biblical? Is it helpful? Is it working? Are those in leadership qualified according to Scripture? These are essential questions…
The Priority of Plural Elder Leadership.
There is no singular verse or passage in the New Testament that says, “The Church must adopt __________ style of spiritual leadership.” It would be dishonest to claim otherwise. But it would be just as dishonest to say that the New Testament presents no model for leadership, for surely, it does.
The overwhelming picture of spiritual leadership presented to the Church throughout the New Testament is the shared leadership of New Testament Elders, men called to the office of spiritual shepherding through teaching and oversight.
Three titles are used interchangeably for this office through the 27 books of the New Testament:
Elder, used 65 times (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22-23; 16:4; 21:18; 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22-23; 16:4; 21:18; 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17, 19; Titus 1:5; 1 Peter 5:1; James 5:14).
Overseer, used 5 times. (Acts 20:28; Philippians 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:2-7 and Titus 1:7-9: 1 Peter 2:25)
Pastor, used 1 time (Eph. 4:11-13).
For a more in-depth look at the nature of these titles, read here.
The Benefits of Shared Leadership
Good Elders guard the sacred deposit of God's Word for the Church.
Elders keep the Church true to her 2,000+ year history.
Good Elders maintain God’s purpose and mission for His Church and guard against mission drift.
Elders maintain spiritual strength in numbers when godly shepherds lead together.
Humility and spiritual protection are provided for the Church’s leaders and members.
Elders provide the gift of shared biblical wisdom.
Plural Elder leadership allows for strengths to shine while weaknesses are accounted for. No man can lead alone.
Boldness and strength are given to the church through qualified Elders.
As shepherds, Elders provide spiritual protection for the flock of God. They give truth and combat error.
Godly Elders prioritize God’s purposes for His Church.
Plural Elder leadership reminds the church of God’s true wisdom, which is located in no one man. The New Testament office of “Senior Pastor” exists solely for the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5), every other pastor is an assistant.
When churches stray from the clear leadership priorities of the New Testament, they must inevitably settle for worldly pragmatism. Such straying usually results in a single pastor model of some sort: the heavy-handed Senior Pastor, the pastor-as-CEO model with Deacons functioning as quasi-elders, or worse, a church becoming top-heavy with numerous committees that get very little done for the Kingdom of God.
If you or your church is considering a move to Plural Elder Leadership, check out these resources…
I would also be happy to talk with you about how our Church transitioned from a Senior Pastor model to the shared model of Elder leadership.
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