Ask Your Preacher
A Church Without Elders
Monday, October 28, 2019I am considering joining a particular church, but for some reason, it doesn't have elders. I understand that elders are being determined, but I have had contact with this place for about a year, and nothing has happened. I like the church and the people, but I'm not sure what to think about no one being "in charge." What does the Bible say about this?
Sincerely,
Looking For Leadership
Dear Looking For Leadership,
Elders are God’s intended leadership for a congregation, but many congregations are too young or small to have men who meet the qualifications of 1 Tim 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. This happened in the first century churches as well. Paul and Barnabas went around helping set up elders in congregations that had already been in existence for several years - which implies that those congregations had been functioning without elders (Acts 14:23). Paul told Titus to help appoint elders in the congregations throughout the island of Crete (Tit 1:5), also implying that they didn’t have elders.
Prior to that, a congregation would have been led by the men of the congregation because, in other verses, we see that the leadership of the church was their responsibility (1 Tim 2:12, 1 Cor 14:34). That leadership would have been bound to follow the Bible just as much as an eldership. Every congregation is “commended to the Lord and His Word” (Acts 20:32). An eldership has the benefit of being a smaller group that is able to make faster, more decisive, and wiser decisions… but a congregation can hobble along without one for a time. If a congregation doesn’t have an eldership because it is unable to find qualified men to serve in that capacity, then you can feel comfortable worshipping with them. If they simply have decided they want a different leadership structure than the one God has designed (like a board of trustees, a counsel, headquarters back in Salt Lake City, etc.), that is an entirely different matter. SB