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

I. Models and Analogies for Eldership

Video Segment 2 Outline

A. The elder is an overseer (i.e., one who presides over the affairs of the community), Acts 20.28.

Let everyone reverence the deacons as an appointment of Jesus Christ; and the bishop as of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of the Father; and the presbyters as the Sanhedrin of God and assembly of the apostles. Apart from these there is no church. ~ Ignatius ( c. 105, E), 1.67., Ibid., p. 158.

The elder is an overseer, one charged with the responsibility to oversee the various affairs of the Church for its well being, edification, and overall benefit.

1. This oversight involves critical assessment of the state of its members .

2. This oversight means that elders must be informed about the various dimensions of the church’s life and ministry.

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3. The oversight is continuous ; it is compared to being on guard or paying careful attention.

B. The elder is a father , 1 Tim 5.17.

The elder is a person of significance, prominence, and maturity in the Christian assembly, and therefore is to lead and provide instruction, protection, and insight like a father.

1. As one who exercises authority, this must not be understood as a lording over the members, but in terms of parental care and oversight .

2. The elders exercised authority in the way a responsible parent would care for the needs of his household: with care for their needs, with deep affection, and an unlimited willingness to sacrifice for them (cf. praying for the sick, James 5.14).