Elders
Jesus is Lord of the church.
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." Ephesians 1:22,23
"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." Colossians 1:18
The main priority as an elder, is to ensure that the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted at Efree and that glory be given to his name. 'so that in everything he might have the supremacy'.
Jesus is the Chief Shepherd as elders we are to look after His sheep.
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14,15
Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and cares for his sheep. This is a high priority for Jesus that his people i.e. his sheep are looked after and cared for. Three times Jesus says to Peter in John 21:15-17, "Feed my lambs, 'Take care of my sheep', 'Feed my sheep.'
"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble." 1 Peter 5:1-5
The Lord Jesus Christ entrusts the elders of this church to care for His sheep. We are serving the Lord when we do this. An elder must have a servant heart and be willing and eager to serve. The elders at Efree meet every Monday from 4.30pm to 6pm. However, there are times when considerable amounts of time, energy and commitment are required for this. We constantly pray for the needs of the flock - especially for those who are sick or needing surgery. As elders and pastors, a great deal of time is spent on visitation. It is the job of the elders to protect, provide supervision, give spiritual direction and at times discipline the flock. As elders we are not to abuse the flock as this would be heavy shepherding and unbiblical. Elders need to be an example to the the flock and lead by example - not by force!
"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Acts 20:28-31
As elders, we have the responsibility to teach the biblical truth faithfully each week. To ensure that the congregation is shepherded well and being fed biblical truth so they can mature. It is vital in our culture today to guard the flock against false teachings and harmful influences.
Appointing of elders.
As the church spread from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), we see the biblical approach to appoint elders in the church. With the growth of the church and the advancement of the Kingdom, more elders are required.
"Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust." Acts 14:23
"The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." Titus 1:5
Currently there are 9 elders in the church (3 pastors who are paid and 6 voluntary). Following the biblical principle, we are looking to appoint more elders to the elder board this year.
Elders qualifications.
"Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self- controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap." 1 Timothy 3:1-7
"An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Titus 1:6-9
'a noble task'. The task comes with a heavy responsibility as the flock belongs to God. The position of elder is not a popularity contest. It is often a thankless task. Elders should be chosen for their exemplary Christian character and how they live that out everyday - both before the church and among outsiders.
'above reproach'. The elder must be blameless and there should be no serious charge of any wrongful behavior which can be held against him. In other words, his reputation should be untarnished. There should be nothing in his character which could bring reproach on the Lord Jesus Christ and be a bad witness for the church.
'faithful to his wife'. The elder can be single but if he is married, there must be evidence of a faithful Christlike marriage. No sexual immorality including pornography should be there. The elders marriage should be an example to the flock and to those outside the church.
'temperate and self controlled'. Temperate means of sober mind, vigilant, clear-headed and well balanced (Constable). Self controlled literally means in control of oneself.
'respectable, hospitable'. The elders behavior is worthy of respect. In partnership with his wife, his home should be one that demonstrates hospitality both to believers and unbelievers alike.
'able to teach'. This is key quality. All of the elders here at Efree are able to teach and instruct from the word of God. Not only are they able to teach but are all active in teaching in different ministry settings.
'not given to drunkenness'. This refers to alcohol but would also include other addictions such as drugs or gambling. This is a terrible witness and in direct opposition to being temperate.
'not violent but gentle'. The elder does not use physical violence on another and is not given to fighting. The work of an elder requires much patience and gentleness.
'not quarrelsome.' The elder must not be constantly arguing over every matter.
'not a lover of money'. The elders life is not governed by the love of money. "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24
'He must manage his family well', 'a man whose children believe (Titus 1:6)'. The elders children must be believers while in the home. This is evidence that the teachings of Christ are consistently being taught and lived out. The witness of the home environment is a powerful testimony to the church and to neighbors. "(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)" 1 Timothy 3:5.
'not a recent convert'. Someone who is young in the faith should not be given the role of an elder. It is a position that brings great responsibility and requires a great deal of spiritual maturity.
'good reputation with outsiders'. The qualifications that define an elder must be recognizable to those outside the church. This shows a consistency in witness.
'not overbearing'. An elder should not be "... obstinate in his own opinion, arrogant, refusing to listen to others ..." Lock, The Pastoral Epistles
'not quick tempered'. The elder needs to have a long fuse! He needs to be patient and forbearing.
'not pursuing dishonest gain'. The elder must be a man of honesty and integrity. There must be no corruption in him.
'love what is good'. The elder must be marked by the following verse, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good." Romans 12;9
The qualifications for elders demand a life of holiness, effort and self-discipline. In short, it requires from an elder a life devoted to serving God.
All though these are qualities for elders, they are also qualities that believers in general should strive towards.