Foundations of Christian Leadership, Mentor's Guide, MG07

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F O U N D A T I O N S O F C H R I S T I A N L E A D E R S H I P

the young, hip, and contemporary generation, whereas those who are older can easily be seen as “those who have had their day,” those who should move aside and let the next generation “take over.” How are we in our Christian communities to answer the uncritical baptism of all things young as good, vital, and dynamic?

Your Day is Past and Gone

Perhaps no greater sign of the confused thinking of our day is more evident than in the phenomena of the nursing home in modern American society. Like clockwork, nearly without notice or statement, when family members reach a certain age, when they can no longer be conveniently cared for in the home, we place our elderly in nursing homes for the duration of their lives and care. Make no mistake; millions in such care need the kind of daily, even hourly attention that adequate care homes provide, and thousands upon thousands of families who would be ill-equipped to care for their aging parents and grandparents have found these homes to be a blessing from God. This fact is to be cherished by all, and this discussion excludes these situations altogether. What is being addressed, however, is the idea that with the elderly and elders in general, unless they are extraordinary, they are easily discarded, isolated, and ignored. With the entire biblical ethic of leadership development rooted and biased in a dependence on elders, what are some of the issues that we as 21 st century disciples must struggle with in order to overcome these harmful tendencies to ignore and overlook the asset of the elders in our midst?

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The Christian Leader as Elder ( Presbyteroi )

Segment 1: Definition and Overview

Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis

The term translated elder in our NT is the Greek term presbyteros , meaning “overseer” or “elder.” The Greek words for leadership in the NT, presbyteros and episkopos , are virtually synonymous. The NT concept of elder evolved from its OT usage, seen in the tribal system of Israel, the practices of the Jewish synagogue, the positions in the Sanhedrin, and finally to the NT Church. The NT provides clear records of the calling of elders, who were either appointed by the apostles or their

Summary of Segment 1