WHAT IS AN ELDER OF THE CHURCH?
WHY DO WE "APPOINT" ELDERS?
I DON'T KNOW THE ELDERS UP FOR APPOINTMENT, HOW CAN I VOTE ON THEM?"
HOW MANY ELDERS SHOULD WE HAVE
ISN’T THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PASTOR AND AN ELDER?
DON'T YOU HAVE TO BE "OLD" TO BE AN ELDER?
WHAT ARE THE SCRIPTURAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR BEING AN ELDER?
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR NOMINATION?
WHERE ARE THE DEACONS?

 

WHAT IS AN ELDER OF THE CHURCH?
Elders were spiritually mature persons who showed leadership qualities, and were appointed by the apostles to oversee and take care of the church.

The Heartland Board of Elders is comprised of three to seven men, including the senior pastor. Elders function primarily as discerners and shepherds, and as such serve as the conscience and guardians of the church.

 

In 1 Peter 5:2 Peter gives the elders a charge concerning shepherding: "Shepherd the flock of God among you." Literally, the Greek word rendered "flock" is little flock. This was Jesus' favorite description of the church. Therefore the church is cared for and led by shepherds. Shepherds lead and feed. 1 Peter 5:2 says elders are not rulers; they are shepherds. A shepherd guides the flock, but does not rule it like a king. A biblical elder is someone who cares for the flock of God. Shepherding is a proper care exercised over the flock. The flock needs to be cared for, protected, led in the right direction, and brought to a place where they can eat and drink. This is shepherding.

Acts 20:28 states, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

 

The elders evaluate everything taking place in the church according to three criteria:

• The church’s mission
• The church’s resources
• The church’s doctrinal statement

 

In most matters, the elders have final say concerning the overall direction of the church.

 

WHY DO WE "APPOINT" ELDERS?
In the first local church, the church at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), there were elders taking care of the government of the church (Acts 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22; 16:4; 21:18). Acts 14:23 says that eventually elders were appointed in every church, such as the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:17). Afterward, Paul ordered Titus to appoint elders in every city (Titus 1:5). In the New Testament, Elders were not voted in by their congregations, but were appointed by the apostles according to their maturity of life in Christ. They were charged by the apostles to care for the leadership and the shepherding in their churches.

 

I DON'T KNOW THE ELDERS UP FOR APPOINTMENT, HOW CAN I VOTE ON THEM?"
We expect that many people will not know the Elders personally in a church of our size. The purpose of the affirmation vote is to find out if anyone in the congregation has a reason why this person should NOT be an elder. If any member knows something about the candidate that would disqualify them from serving in this role, we want to know about it. If you have ANY objection or questions regarding these nominations, please feel free to confidentially share your thoughts with one of the Elders.

 

HOW MANY ELDERS SHOULD WE HAVE
In the New Testament, Paul appointed Timothy as pastor and elder of the church at Ephesus, and charged him with appointing others. The apostle Paul appointed one elder at first and others were added. Nowhere in scripture is the right number perfectly defined.

 

At Heartland, the Board of Elders initially shall consist of initially three (3) members, and no more than seven (7), one of which shall be the Senior Pastor. Total membership shall equal an odd number.

 

ISN’T THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PASTOR AND AN ELDER?
In the New Testament elders are also called overseers (Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:1; 1 Pet. 5:1-2). The Greek word translated "overseer" is "episkopos," (from "epi" meaning over and "skopos" meaning seer; hence, overseer). An overseer in a local church is an elder (Acts 20:17, 28).

 

In John 21, Jesus asked Simon Peter, "Do you really love me?" "Yes, Lord," said Peter." "Then take care of My sheep." The Greek word for "take care of" is the "poimen," the root of our English word, pastor.

 

The three titles refer to the same person: ELDER, denoting a person of maturity, OVERSEER, denoting the function of an elder, and PASTOR, an picture of how he should care for the flock. When an elder is carrying out his responsibility in the church, he is functioning as an overseer and a pastor/shepherd.

 

So what's the difference between a pastor and an elder? Nothing. The words are used interchangeably in the New Testament.

 

"To the elders [presbuteros] I say, be shepherds [poimen] of God's flock, serving as overseers [episkopos]." 1 Peter 5:1-2

 

"Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders [presbuteros] of the church. When they arrived he said to them, "Guard yourselves and all the flock of God which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [episkopos]. Be shepherds [poimen] of the church of God." Acts 20:17-18, 28

 

See also Titus 1:5-7, 1 Tim. 5:17

 

DON'T YOU HAVE TO BE "OLD" TO BE AN ELDER?
An elder doesn't mean physically old. The term relates to spiritual maturity. Timothy was the elder and chief pastor of the church at Ephesus. Paul gave young Timothy the role of elder and pastor of the church at Ephesus. He was charged with the responsibility to appoint other elders." Later on in 1 Timothy, Paul would write, "[Timothy, don't let anybody look down on you because you're are young.? How could he be an elder and yet a young man at the same time? It's referring to spiritual maturity, not physical maturity.

 

WHAT ARE THE SCRIPTURAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR BEING AN ELDER?
"Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 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 (NIV)

 

"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an elder is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless--not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 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 1:5-9 (NIV)

 

"To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as pastors, not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away."

1 Peter 5:1-4 (NIV)

 

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR NOMINATION?
The Senior Pastor and the current Elders shall appoint nominations. Additionally, any member in good standing may make a written recommendation for nomination to the Elders from the active membership. Applications for Nomination are available from the church office. The nominees must meet the scriptural qualifications of church leadership.

 

Newly Appointed Elders will be affirmed by the congregation at its annual business meeting to serve a term of three (3) years each. Terms shall be staggered so that a proportionate number of Elder's terms expire each year.

 

Members shall be limited to six consecutive years of service on the Board of Elders. After a lapse of one year, a member shall again be eligible to serve as an Elder. Any Elder whose three-year term is expiring and who is eligible for an additional term shall be allowed to stand for reappointment to a subsequent term.

 

WHERE ARE THE DEACONS?
The word "deacon" means "one who serves." The role is descriptive, not prescriptive. In the Book of Acts, we read that the early church appointed deacons to ease the workload of the apostles. 1 Timothy makes it clear the appointing deacons was common in the early church. At the same time, nowhere is the appointment of deacons commanded or required. Choosing deacons was simply something the early church did to meet a specific need.

 

The problem with the term "deacon" is that everybody who has grown up in church has a preconceived idea about what that role entails. Therefore to avoid confusion we have decided not to use this nomenclature.

 

We believe that the staff of the church, both full-time and volunteer, functions most like the role of Deacon found in the New Testament. Furthermore, in the same way that deacons served the needs of the first century church, we believe that all members of our church carry the responsibility of serving one another. At Heartland we say, "Every member is a minister."