Tuesday, December 20, 2011
The Evangelical Elder
Desiing God presents a short video of DA Carson discussing the qualification to be an elder, as presented in Paul's letter to Timothy. He calls those qualifications "unremarkable." I wonder if that is the right approach in an age of rampant divorce and other "lesser" sins> I wonder if that is the right approach when the church works so hard at evangelism but so often neglects its obligation to discipleship and maturity?
As a former head of a nominating committee, I think it can be quite difficult to find people of this seemingly simple caliber. Should these things be unremarkable? oh indeed, but they are not - and therein lies the rub.
I want to lay out a very practical problem with this picture. Weak elders lead to domination by staff of a church. Wasn't changing that picture, in a very real sense, what the entire Reformation was about. Did we not struggle to take people out from between us and God and His church? Do we now, out of apparent laziness wish to put them back in between?
I, for one, want remarkable elders.
As a former head of a nominating committee, I think it can be quite difficult to find people of this seemingly simple caliber. Should these things be unremarkable? oh indeed, but they are not - and therein lies the rub.
I want to lay out a very practical problem with this picture. Weak elders lead to domination by staff of a church. Wasn't changing that picture, in a very real sense, what the entire Reformation was about. Did we not struggle to take people out from between us and God and His church? Do we now, out of apparent laziness wish to put them back in between?
I, for one, want remarkable elders.
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