stephen R Harrison

These lessons are excerpts from my book The Biblical Elder: A 12-Week Journey in Biblical Eldership. Buy that book HERE

—————————–

The office of the elder is vital to the local church.  Choose the wrong men for the office, and it can have devastating effects on the church’s mission and ministry.  Hopefully, the right men are selected to oversee and shepherd your church through investigating their biblical character and qualifications.  Even then, if the right men function in the wrong way or neglect the responsibilities outlined in Scripture, you could still have a recipe for disaster.  

These lessons are designed to help you understand the biblical necessity, foundation, and responsibilities of eldership in the local church.  Whether you seek to become an elder one day or simply desire to gain a better understanding of eldership as a church member, this study will help you strengthen, support, and appreciate the leadership structure designed by God in the church. 

If you are pursuing the potential call of eldership in your life, be encouraged as you are seeking a high calling in the church of Jesus Christ.  Scripture says, “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task” (1 Timothy 3:1).  Over the next twelve weeks, you will be paired with a current elder of the church and walk side by side discovering the biblical texts, qualifications, responsibilities, and need for called and competent elders in the local church.  

While the lessons will be completed in about twelve days (or suggested one per week = 12 weeks), one cannot be fully trained and examined in less than three months to become an elder in the local church. I highly suggest taking at least a year-long look at the character, spiritual walk, family dynamics, and calling of a candidate.  I also recommend discipling one-on-one with a candidate and a current elder. Throughout these lessons, the current elder will be watching over your life closely, and asking you important questions to help determine if God is beginning the call of eldership in your life.  The process of becoming an elder could take up to three, six, nine, twelve months or longer beyond these lessons.  Upon completion of these lessons, the elder mentor will determine if you are ready to proceed further as a potential elder candidate based upon your interaction during the training, the desire to become an elder, prayer, and confirmation by the Holy Spirit and His Word.

An elder of a local church has a weighty task as they oversee the spiritual health and guard the doctrine of the local church.  They prayerfully determine the church’s mission from Scripture and implement a vision to activate it.  Elders are more than leaders of short-term projects, chairmen of committees, and volunteers of church initiatives.  Elders are not simply board members either.  They oversee the eternal souls of Jesus’ church.  Hebrews 13:17 says, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”  

These lessons are designed to be interactive as you open your Bible and study the Scriptures, pray with one another, and discuss the lesson topics.  As you work through each lesson with an elder, you will grow in biblical manhood and become a better church member.  Perhaps God will confirm a call in your life to be an elder as well. 

Our elders ask that you take this mentorship seriously and sign a commitment* to finish the twelve-week training process.  At the end of each lesson, you will pray with your mentor and ask the Lord to reveal how you both can support the elder ministry of your local church.  During the week, we ask that you take time to review the lesson and pray.  Ask the Lord how He would have you apply each lesson.  Perhaps you can pray for the elders more regularly. Maybe you can support the leadership efforts of the elders in a greater way as you discover the seriousness of their calling.  It could be that God will call you to continue the eldership process beyond these lessons.  

Again, no promises are made for anyone completing this workbook to become an elder in the local church.  Becoming an elder is a weighty responsibility.  These lessons are designed to explore calling, character, and competency through a lengthy and intentional process.

Elders should not take another man through these lessons without the unanimous approval of the entire elder body.  We recommend observing and talking through a potential elder candidate with the entire elder body for a minimum of six months before unanimously agreeing they should enter the elder workbook training process.  Only then should they be approached about this process.  

The last thing an elder needs to do is act alone.  The elder body should not find out you are training an elder three months after the fact.  While this workbook is designed to take a potential elder through a discovery process one-on-one, elders are agreed upon and installed unanimously by the entire elder body.  Ask the entire elder body to pray about a potential candidate you wish to take through this workbook.  When you are given permission, proceed slowly and openly share your progress with the other elders.  Never promise eldership alone.  Work together as a team to discover, train, and install new elders who will fit well in your current team of elders.  Your church’s future depends upon it.

To be clear, the office of the elder in the local church is exclusively for men throughout the Scriptures.  While there are some differing opinions on this matter in other churches, this local body will only identify, train, and ordain male elders.

*Supporting documents available upon request 

Preliminary Discussion Questions

• What challenges will you face in finishing this workbook over the twelve-week training process?
• What are your reasons for being involved in this elder workbook?
• Do you have any desire to become an elder someday? Why?
• What elder-like qualities do you believe you currently possess?
• What elder-like qualities do you believe are lacking or need improvement?
• What do you believe are the most important qualifications and responsibilities of church elders?