Can A Plurality Of Elders Work?

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

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

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by Chan

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.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Chan View Post
I think this plurality is the only correct model for the Church, with the bishop (pastor) as the overseeing elder.

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

[ManOfWord]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

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.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

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?

[ManOfWord]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Isn't that head Christ?

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.

[Michael The Disciple]

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.

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

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

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