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 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 representatives, or commissioned within the Christian community. The pastoral epistles lay out clear spiritual qualifications for elders, including being spiritually mature leaders able to preach and teach, charging them with the responsibility to guard and shepherd God’s flock. The NT provides us with key analogies of the Christian leader as elder or presbyter: the Christian elder is seen as an overseer , providing oversight of the various spiritual affairs of the community, as a father or parent who leads and heads the Church as the Lord’s household, as a colleague or teammember who contributes as a member to the council of elders as they give oversight to the congregation, and finally as a representative both of the Lord and the people of God to those who are outsiders. Urban churches desperately need to affirm the role of such leaders for their congregations, and discover practical, effective ways to identify and equip such leaders for the maturity of the believers in the city. attempt to protect the younger sisters in the body from predatory males seeking to exploit them sexually, over time turned into a near-Inquisition like inquiry into virtually every romance and dating match in the congregation. While some were deeply appalled at even the thought that the elders would go so far as to “mix” and “match” partners of potential dating couples in the church, many also welcomed this kind of “protection” for the beautiful yet vulnerable young women in the church. In your opinion, as elders contemplate what it means to provide protection and guardianship over the members of the church, what are the limits of elders’ leadership in the body? What areas, if any, should be “off limits” to the scope of the elders making decisions regarding the lives of the members? How does our submission to the elders relate to the amazing freedom that Christ won for us on Calvary, a freedom to be a slave of Christ and not to be enslaved by others (cf. Gal. 5.1)? Explain your answer.

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Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis