Can A Plurality Of Elders Work?
 

And when they had ordained them elders in every church ,and had prayed with fasting,they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.ACTS 14:23
Can a Plurality Of Elders function as leadership in a local church or it something that can't function in the church today?

I say absolutely not if they are trying to be equals in power. There must be an ultimate authority and head. I am not against a multitude of counsel however. Of course, I am also seeing this from the ugly end of some elders who usurped power...

Thank you Bro.Jelkins.Could a Bishop and then a plurality of Elders under him work as to shoulder the load of ministry in a local assembly?

I personally know of a few men who have tried this. Their vision was to be equals and make decision together. It didn't work and jeopardized their relationships, not to mention the grief it caused the church. The only solution was for one of them to rise to the position of Sr. Pastor and the others to leave. It sounds good and idyllic, but it doesn't work.

Thank you MOW I have wondered about this?
But how did an Apostle in the early church sets Elders in every church ,when today Apostles setting men in churches is unheard of?

It will work if every board member was selfless. It doesn't work because many are selfish.

"Elders in every church" can also mean "an elder in every church."

Yes the reference verse is TITUS 1:5.

I think there was still a head elder. Human nature dictates that there can only be one head to a body.

A Bishop or Pastor with a ministry team seems like a good idea.
A Bishop should learn how to delegate authority to others ,because one man can't do everything himself.

Some men are fearful of "training" others because they may not appear to be able to meet everyone's needs themselves and the others may even do some things better than them.

I don't Pastor currently but if I did and had qualified help I would use them, and help those that are called to be nurtured.I wouldn't want to do everything myself.

the ultimate authority is Jesus Christ. Your reasoning is why many elderships fail. Men still think they are the head of the church.

Problem with Bishop ruling over Elders is a Bishop and Elder are the same thing. Who says that the one Pastor system is working? Most Churches do not understand the foundations of the New Testament Faith. Most Churches dont believe in perfection and therefore do not teach it.

Are the Saints in todays Churches being made perfect in Christ? Plurality of Elders at least IS scriptural where one Pastor Churches are not. Someone post a New Testament scripture that mentions one man being the Pastor of an assembley.

I knew another view would be presented by someone.

It can and does work. The solution that you mentioned ("for one of them to rise to the position of Sr. Pastor and the others to leave") is completely contrary to the Bible. I doubt that it is a very healthy assembly if this kind of power struggle is going on - no wonder it didn't work.

Pride goes before destruction...

Just a sheperd are you apart of a Eldership church if so please explain how it works?

We are working toward that. I know of several Apostolic churches that are elder led and they work as well or better than any solo pastor church that I have been to.

Thank you Brother, I trust all is well with you and yours.

Im waiting for that New Testament scripture where one man was the Pastor of a local assembly. Come on guys it should be easy since Eldership is so wrong!

No....

everything the apostles did was not as good an idea as the one we are using today. Of course they turned their world upside down but that was a complete fluke and if they had done it the way we are doing it now then they would have fared much better.

(TIC Of course... but this appears to be the take of some folks)

You will have to wait for the BRAND New Testament.

It is being written as we speak... :)

The "model" for the early church was the Jewish synagogue. Remember, for the first 30yrs or so, the early Christians still attended the synagogue and were primarily "messianic Jews." The synagogue was lead by a Rabbi and not a committee of elders. Plurality of leaders, yes, but the Rabbi was their leader, at least from what I have read.

The majority of what I have seen of the visits to the Synagogue were evangelistic in nature.

They were asked to not return and preach Jesus but they went right back and did the same thing again.

Actually early on the Messianics were driven from the Synagogue and ELDERS were ordained in every Church.

21: And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
22: Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
23: And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. Acts 14:21-23

Had they stayed in the Synagogue their faith in Yeshua would have been torn to shreds as is happening even now with Messianics who are trying it.

Funny that we find not one scripture where A PASTOR was ordained for every Church.

Somebody has to lead. It's always been that way, always will be. I agree with MOW's posts.

I don't see what you are saying borne out in the NT scripture that tells us how the church operated.

I think this plurality is the only correct model for the Church, with the bishop (pastor) as the overseeing elder.

Sounds the same as nearly all groups practice. One Pastor several Elders.

There has been scripture demonstrated for anointing multiple elders... where is the concept of one overseeing bishop found?

I understand what you're saying. However, all one has to do is to look at God's created order of things. Everything and all groups have a leader/head. regardless of whether we can make an argument from scriptural silence, all we have to do il look how things happened in scripture. There were alway singular leaders over armies, kingdoms, powers of darkness etc.

Plurality really sounds good, but RARELY works. It may work in a few isolated instances, but it is not the norm in scripture, history, nature or reality.

Isn't that head Christ?

The Greek word for bishop (episkopos) essentially means an overseeing elder; it's inherent in the title.

1. an overseer
2. a man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian or superintendent
3. the superintendent, elder, or overseer of a Christian church

Ultimately, yes. But God has made creation in an order and that order always includes a flesh and blood leader/visionary or whatever title one cares to use. Visionary leadership rarely takes place in a committee.

Benevolent "dictatorship" works best when that leader girds himself with a towel for those whom he leads and girds himself with a sword for the enemy. There is mutual respect in that type of a situation and also accountability.

99 per cent of Apostolic Churches are set up with One Pastor and then under them perhaps an Elder or two.

Not one scripture has been presented to support this set up. It is said that Elderships do not work. What is the criteria for it to work? I say it should produce the result intended by Christ.

That result is that Saints grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ. It is that we all come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

It is that every man be presented perfect in Christ. This is the purpose of the ministry. And on this basis I say the system used at present is a dismal failure.

Most Churches proclaim to their people they cannot even BE perfect. This is their fruit.

The result of ANY leadership style should be those intended by Christ. When people get more hung up on the method than the results/fruit, they become unfocused.

I find that a Sr. Pastor with a leadership team works best. It allows for a visionary pastor, if we believe the Lord uses him, and the input of a team who buys into the vision as being from the Lord. This team is not a group of "yes" people, but respected peers who all desire the same thing and that is to see people saved and matured and serving. All input is respected and everyone is pulling in the same direction.

BTW, no one can be perfect. We are to be perfected. Perfecting is a process while perfect is a point. None of us will be perfect until we get to the other side.

This proves my point. First off the method of leadership IS GIVEN in the New Testament. Acts 14 tells Elders were ordained in every Church. No scripture says A PASTOR was ordained for a Church. So todays Ministers have a vision not equal to that of the early Church starting right here.

But then the Ministers of today as stated earlier deny the very purpose OF THE MINISTRY!

Does the head of the Church require his people to be perfect?

Be ye therefore perfect EVEN AS your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. Matt. 5:48

So yes the fruit of todays Assemblies is obvious. One cannot say the one man system works on the basis that it IS working.

sorry for the late entry (I still need to make money the old fashion way);

I think plurality is God's wisdom as a remedy for the role of men in the working of his purposes within the temporal realm of creation.

But for me, the issue goes beyond considering whether there is a scriptural setting for either the "buck-stops here" pastor or the "buck-stops-here" eldership.

IMO, the issue at the core/center, pertaining to this general topical consideration, is what specific aspects (boundaries) of the individual member (of the body of Christ) does this oversight pertain to (or have jurisdiction)?

If the realms being considered are strictly limited to the common/shared experience; provide a plurality of counsels and live in safety!

If the realms being consider involve the individual's relationship with his own master; either model has violated a God-ordained boundary.