A Case for Elders and Church Membership

Godly Leadership

Leadership is primary and the principle requirement for church leaders is that they must skilled teachers of the Word of God who are above reproach.  Too many churches ignore the spiritual requirements for leaders and choose instead, those who would seem like strong natural leaders, those successful in business, who have money or wield influence.  But church leaders are above all to be Godly teachers, “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). 

A church should only have leaders who meet the scriptural guidelines.  According to the New Testament, elders are responsible for the primary leadership and oversight of a church.  

The function and role of an elder:

Elders lead the church (1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1-2), teach and preach the Word (1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9), protect the church from false teachers (Acts 20:17, 28-31), exhort and admonish the saints in sound doctrine (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:13-17; Titus 1:9), visit the sick and pray (James 5:14; Acts 20:35), and judge doctrinal issues (Acts 15:16).  In biblical terminology, elders shepherd, oversee, lead, and care for the local church.

When looking at 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 Paul shows the profile of the kind of people who should be leading a church.  When we put those lists together, we come up with a list of spiritual qualities that pastors and elders must possess. 

Elder Qualifications: From that platform of Godly example, elders teach the scripture and lead their people to Christ-likeness.   Are these extremely high standards?  Yet these are the qualifications scripture establishes.  Churches that ignore these guidelines set themselves against God’s design and forfeit His blessing.  To compromise on the area of leadership is “the most suicidal act a church can commit” (C.H. Spurgeon).

Paul tells Titus to appoint elders (plural).  In Acts, they appointed elders yet it was the Holy Spirit who made them overseers (Acts 20:28).  Peter exhorts the elders to “shepherd the flock of God” amongst them in his letter.  In all of these cases and many others, it is clear that a plurality of elders is in view.

Elders would be responsible to:

1. Care for the spiritual needs of the church family
2. Guard the purity of doctrine and life of the church
3. Direct the administration of the church ordinances
4. Discipline in accordance with the Word of God
5. Share the ministry of pastoral care
6. Approve all leadership positions
7. Teach and preach the Word

The Elders are responsible for the total operation of the church, including various organizations, physical properties, finances, and other temporal matters.  The Board of Elders functions only under the headship of Christ and the authority of the Word of God.   Our pastor, as one of the elders, would be the same level of authority and responsibility as the other elders but may be the main teacher for the church.

Deacons/Deaconesses

The Deacon’s role is one of administration and serving the flock.  The Deacons have responsibilities as delegated by the Elders in order to share with the Elders in their ministries.   (Also see Romans 16:1)

How can your church transition to a leadership of Elders/Overseers/Bishops?

Those who would be elders must desire to serve in this capacity.  First Timothy 3:1 says, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do”.   The starting point in identifying a potential elder is the desire in the heart of the individual. 

1 Peter 5:2 says, “Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God.”  

In other words, we are not to go out and recruit men to become elders.  One who is qualified to be an elder will be eager to give his life totally to the teaching of the Word of God and the leading of the flock of God, without any thought of gain at all.  He will desire the office, pursue being set apart, and devote himself to the Word of God.  No one will have to talk him into it; it is his heart’s passion.  Furthermore, he serves “voluntarily, according to the will of God”.  His service as an elder is a calling from God.  The desire to serve as an elder is in his heart because God put it there. 

If a man has the desire, feels he is called, and has all the qualifications, one thing is still necessary before he can be ordained as an elder.  The current elders must together seek God’s will and affirm that He is in the decision.  Acts 14:23 describes the process the apostles followed in selecting elders: “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”  Before they appointed any elders, they gave themselves over to prayer and fasting.  They viewed eldership with great seriousness as the very highest calling. 

Acts 20:28 affirms the Holy Spirit’s work in the selection of elders: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers“.  In response to His call, God plants in a man’s heart a passion for the ministry, and then confirms it by the leading of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the leadership through prayer and fasting. 

Every aspiring elder ought to be seeking God, praying, wanting to know God’s heart and mind, and affirming that call in their heart before stepping into ministry.  A man should not become an elder just because he has a vague notion that he would like to use his gifts and abilities to help the church.  He should be motivated by a burden that causes him to seek God earnestly. 

Acts 13:2 says that the instructions from the Holy Spirit to set apart Paul and Barnabas came “while they were ministering to the Lord [worshiping] and fasting.”  The call of God is not to be taken lightly, and the will of God is not to be sought superficially.  God’s will in the matter of the ordaining of church leaders will be expressed through the collective sense of God’s working among the leadership.  They must be sensitive to it.  The church is where the call is confirmed, not outside of the local church.

So elders are a group of specially called and ordained men with a great desire to lead and feed the flock of God.  They are initiated by the Holy Spirit, confirmed by prayer, and qualified through the consistent testimony of a pure life in the eyes of all. 

If your church does not yet have an elder board, the current church board members should give themselves over to prayer and fasting for those men who desire to be elders, who feel called, and have all the qualifications.  The current board members should remain in their roles until these men have been ordained by the church as elders and overseers of the flock.  In the meantime, you should teach the church body about Biblical leadership (elders) and what it means to obey and submit to the Godly leaders at your church “for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account” (Heb 13:17).  As the members of your church learn about Biblical church government, it will smooth the transition to elder leadership as well as function to inform those who might aspire to be an elder of what it means and how our church will follow this Biblical method of church leadership.

Church Membership

Many churches desire to have “active members”.   Maybe a better term than an active member is a committed member.   Mark Dever in his book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church says that we are in an age seems to be an age of “commitment-phobia.”  This is a fear that in doing something good, we are missing out on something better.   People like to “keep their options open.”  But can you be a commitment-phobe and be a Christian too?  What could be more “options-closing” than following Jesus who told his disciples that anyone that would follow Him must “take up his cross” (Matthew 16:24).

How many people consider your church as their “church home”?   How many of those people are present at the typical Sunday morning worship service?  On average, how many people are in attendance?  So where are the rest of the people each week?  Are they all at home sick or on vacation?  Maybe some are, but so many of them?  And what is the spiritual state of those who haven’t attended church for months or even longer?

When reading the story of the early church recorded in the book of Acts, there is no evidence that any of them meant to have anyone other than believers as members.   When you read the letters of Paul, it seems clear that Paul too wrote as if the churches were composed entirely of believers; thus he addressed them as saints, those whom God has especially chosen.   The church is the body of Christ, the local collection of Christians committed to Christ and to each other.

When an individual is saved, he becomes a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13).  Because he is united to Christ and the other members of the body in this way, he is therefore qualified to become member of a local expression of that body.

To become a member of a church is to formally commit oneself to an identifiable, local body of believers, who have joined together for specific, divinely ordained purposes.  These purposes include receiving instruction from God’s Word (1 Tim 4:13; 2 Tim 4:2), serving and edifying one another through the proper use of spiritual gifts (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:4-31; 1 Pet 4:10-11), participating in the ordinances (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost (Matt 28:18-20).  In addition, when one becomes a member of a church, he submits himself to the care and the authority of the biblically qualified elders that God has placed in that assembly. 

The Basis for Church Membership

Although Scripture does not contain an explicit command to formally join a local church, the biblical foundation for church membership permeates the New Testament.   This biblical basis can be seen most clearly in (1) the example of the early church, (2) the existence of church government, (3) the exercise of church discipline, and (4) the exhortation to mutual edification.

1) The Example of the Early Church

In the early church, the idea of experiencing salvation without then belonging to a local church is foreign to the New Testament.   When individuals repented and believed in Christ, they were baptized and added to the church (Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5).   More than simply living out a private commitment to Christ, this meant joining together formally with other believers in a local assembly and devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42).   The epistles of the New Testament were written to churches.   In the case of the few written to individuals—such as Philemon, Timothy and Titus—these individuals were leaders in churches.

The New Testament epistles themselves demonstrate that the Lord assumed that believers would be committed to a local assembly.   There is also evidence in the New Testament that just as there was a list of widows eligible for financial support (1 Tim.  5:9), there may also have been a list of members that grew as people were saved (cf.  Acts 2:41, 47; 5:14; 16:5).   In fact, when a believer moved to another city, his church often wrote a letter of commendation to his new church (Acts 18:27;  Rom 16:1;  Col 4:10; cf.  2 Cor 3:1-2).

2) The Existence of Church Government

The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that a plurality of elders is to oversee each local body of believers.   The specific duties given to these elders presuppose a clearly defined group of church members who are under their care.   Among other things, these godly men are responsible to shepherd God’s people (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2), to labor diligently among them (1 Thess 5:12), to have charge over them (1 Thess 5:12; 1 Tim 5:17), and to keep watch over their souls (Heb 13:17).  Scripture teaches that the elders will give an account to God for the individuals allotted to their charge (Heb 13:17; 1 Pet 5:3).  Those responsibilities require that there be a distinguishable, mutually understood membership in the local church.   Elders can shepherd the people and give an account to God for their spiritual well-being only if they know who they are; they can provide oversight only if they know those for whom they are responsible; and they can fulfill their duty to shepherd the flock only if they know who is part of the flock and who is not.   The elders of a church are not responsible for the spiritual well-being of every individual who visits the church or who attends sporadically.   Rather, they are primarily responsible to shepherd those who have submitted themselves to the care and the authority of the elders, and this is done through church membership.   Conversely, Scripture teaches that believers are to submit to their elders.   Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders, and submit to them.”  The question for each believer is, “Who are your leaders?” The one who has refused to join a local church and entrust himself to the care and the authority of the elders has no leaders.   For that person, obedience to Hebrews 13:17 is impossible.   To put it simply, this verse implies that every believer knows to whom he must submit, which, in turn, assumes clearly defined church membership.

3) The Exercise of Church Discipline

The exercise of church discipline according to Matthew 18 and other passages (1 Cor 5:1-13; 1 Tim 5:20; Titus 3:10-11) presupposes that the elders of a church know who their members are.   

4) The Exhortation to Mutual Edification

The New Testament teaches that the church is the body of Christ, and that God has called every member to a life devoted to the growth of the body.  In other words, Scripture exhorts all believers to edify the other members by practicing the “one-anothers” of the New Testament (e.g., Heb 10:24-25) and exercising their spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-7; 1 Pet 4:10-11).   Mutual edification can only take place in the context of the corporate body of Christ.   Exhortations to this kind of ministry presuppose that believers have committed themselves to other believers in a specific local assembly.   Church membership is simply the formal way to make that commitment.

Conclusion

Living out a commitment to a local church involves many responsibilities: exemplifying a godly lifestyle in the community, exercising one’s spiritual gifts in diligent service, contributing financially to the work of the ministry, giving and receiving admonishment with meekness and in love, and faithfully participating in corporate worship.   Much is expected, but much is at stake.   For only when every believer is faithful to this kind of commitment is the church able to live up to her calling as Christ’s representative here on earth.   To put it simply, membership matters.

(Much of the Basis for Church Membership write-up above was taken from the Grace Community Church distinctive on the matter)

What Does Church Membership Entail?

God’s grace and salvation in our life is signaled by two things:

1. In Action Initially by Baptism (unless the person was already baptized as a believer)
2. In Writing by Signing a Statement of Faith and Church Covenant

Five Responsibilities of Membership:

1. Attend Services Regularly
2. Attend Communion Particularly
3. Attend Members Meeting Consistently
4. Pray Regularly
5. Give Regularly

 “Church membership is our opportunity to grasp hold of each other in responsibility and love.   By identifying ourselves with a particular church, we let the pastors and other members of that local church know we intend to be committed in attendance, giving, prayer, and service.   We allow fellow believers to have greater expectations of us in these areas, and we make it known that we are the responsibility of this local church.   We assure the church of our commitment to Christ in serving with them, and we call for their commitment to serve and encourage us as well.” (Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever).

How can your church transition to having church membership?

If your church does not currently have a member’s role or official church members, the Biblical reasoning for church membership should be shared with the congregation.  Those who wish to join as a member of your church should fill out a membership application created by the elders.  The elders may decide what qualifications or requirements are necessary for potential new members.  These may include completing a required new member’s class, signing a Statement of Faith, signing a Church Covenant, and being baptized as a believer (if not already).

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For your own study, here is a compilation of verses on a Biblical Church Government:

Tit 1:5-9 NASB  For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,  (6)  namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.  (7)  For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,  (8)  but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,  (9)  holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Acts 14:21-23 NASB  After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,  (22)  strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  (23)  When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 20:17 NASB  From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

Acts 6:1-7 NASB  Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.  (2)  So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.  (3)  “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.  (4)  “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”  (5)  The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.  (6)  And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.  (7)  The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

1Ti 5:17-22 NASB  The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.  (18)  For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”  (19)  Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.  (20)  Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.  (21)  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.  (22)  Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

Acts 20:28-30 NASB  “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  (29)  “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;  (30)  and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

2Ti 2:2 NASB  The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Heb 13:17 NASB  Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

1Ti 3:1-15 NASB  It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.  (2)  An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,  (3)  not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.  (4)  He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity  (5)  (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),  (6)  and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.  (7)  And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.  (8)  Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,  (9)  but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.  (10)  These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.  (11)  Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.  (12)  Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.  (13)  For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.  14  I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;  15  but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

1Ti 2:11-15 NASB  A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.  (12)  But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.  (13)  For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.  (14)  And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.  (15)  But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

1Pe 5:1-4 NASB  Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,  (2)  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;  (3)  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.  (4)  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Additional Church Government references for study:

1Co 6:1-8;  1Th 5:12-13;  1Co 12:12;  1Co 5:12-13;  2Co 2:6;  Acts 18:27;  2Co 3:1-2;  Rom 16:1;  Col 4:10