What’s the Deal with Eldership?
How to build something biblical, beautiful, and whole.
One of the questions I get asked often by pastors I work with is about elders.
What should that look like?
How do we structure it?
And should I even have them?
It’s a good question — and an important one. Because how you shape eldership will either strengthen the soul of your church or quietly fracture it.
Too often, churches either have elders who act like a board of directors, or they avoid eldership altogether because of bad experiences. But biblical eldership isn’t about control — it’s about care.
Every church has leadership. The question is whether it’s biblically shaped or culturally borrowed. Eldership is one of the most countercultural ideas in the modern church — shared authority, mutual submission, and spiritual discernment in an age of celebrity leadership and corporate hierarchy.
There’s something beautifully ancient about eldership.
It’s not a boardroom, a title, or a vote. It’s a calling — a spiritual trust handed down from Christ Himself, the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).
Here’s something I’ve worked on to help Pastors and churches…
A Note: (Different traditions hold different convictions about who can serve as elders. This piece doesn’t attempt to resolve that — instead, it focuses on the function, formation, and spirit of eldership itself. Whatever your view, the call to shepherd, serve, and guard the flock remains the same.)
Elders are entrusted with the spiritual oversight of the church, working alongside and supporting the Senior Pastor(s), who are themselves first among the elders (1 Peter 5:1–2).
Together, they guide, guard, and grow the flock — not from a distance, but shoulder to shoulder with the people they serve.
“Eldership isn’t about control or committees — it’s about care, character, and shared calling.”
Spiritual Oversight
Spiritual oversight ensures the church is:
Led — guiding people toward maturity in Christ
(Hebrews 13:17; 1 Timothy 5:17)
Fed — teaching, guarding, and applying sound doctrine
(Acts 20:28; Titus 1:9)
Tended — caring for the flock with devotion and presence
(1 Peter 5:2–3; James 5:14)
Everything elders do should make the church more like Jesus — more alive, more whole, more free.
“Leadership in the kingdom is not about control; it’s about care.”
Qualifications of Elders
Elders are recognised based on biblical character and spiritual maturity.
They must meet the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9 — above reproach, faithful in family life, self-controlled, humble, hospitable, spiritually mature, and able to teach.
We don’t appoint elders for their opinions, but for their obedience.
It’s not perfection that qualifies them — it’s fruitfulness.
Responsibilities of Elders
Elders are called to:
Pray faithfully for the church and the sick (James 5:14–15; Acts 6:4)
Teach and uphold Scripture (Titus 1:9; 2 Timothy 2:15)
Model hospitality and disciple-making (1 Timothy 3:2; Hebrews 13:1–2)
Support and advise the Senior Pastor(s) (Proverbs 11:14; Acts 15:6)
Guard the church against division, false teaching, and harm (Acts 20:28–31; Titus 1:10–11)
Address sin with biblical integrity (Matthew 18:15–17; Galatians 6:1)
Resolve conflict with wisdom and unity (Philippians 4:2–3; Matthew 5:23–24)
Their calling isn’t to be impressive — it’s to be intercessors, teachers, and shepherds.
“I once sat with a young pastor who said, ‘I think I need elders — but I don’t know who they are yet.’ That pause said everything. He didn’t need a policy; he needed a process of discernment.”
What Elders Do Not Do
To protect healthy boundaries:
Elders do not manage day-to-day staffing or operations.
Elders do not replace pastoral leadership roles or chain-of-command.
Elders do not become the “complaints department.”
Elders do not wield authority for personal preference or power.
Their focus is spiritual governance, not organisational control.
When eldership becomes about control, the Spirit quietly leaves the meeting.
Plurality and Team Culture
If a single shepherd can lead a flock, it’s only because other shepherds stand beside them.
Eldership reflects a plural leadership model seen in the New Testament (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5), functioning with:
Unity and consensus wherever possible (Philippians 2:1–2)
Confidentiality and trust
Mutual submission and honour (Ephesians 5:21; Romans 12:10)
This protects the church from one-person rule and political power dynamics.
“Eldership is a team sport — where egos compete, the Spirit retreats.”
Lifestyle & Relational Expectations
Eldership doesn’t just happen in meetings. It shows up in living rooms, dinner tables, and prayer circles.
Elders model the way of Jesus by:
Participating actively in church worship and community
Living visibly generous and prayerful lives
Mentoring and discipling others
Leading by example, not demand (1 Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:7)
Character is measured not only by theology but by fruit.
Authority and Accountability
Elders exercise spiritual authority aligned with Christ and Scripture (Matthew 16:18–19; Acts 20:28).
They cooperate with legal governance structures (e.g., Trust Board).
All elders — including Senior Pastor(s) — are subject to spiritual and moral accountability (Galatians 6:1).
Each elder submits individually to their senior pastor, but collectively the senior pastors submit to the elders.
The elders may also be the trust board; however, even where the board is the highest authority according to law, they submit themselves to the eldership, who are the spiritual authority according to Christ.
An annual or biennial review should ensure ongoing health and humility.
Clear restoration pathways exist for any elder who becomes disqualified — always seeking redemption and healing.
“Authority in the Kingdom is always accountable, always shared, and always aimed at restoration.”
Decision-Making Responsibility
Elders lead primarily through prayerful discernment in areas such as:
Doctrine and theological integrity
Major directional decisions and mission clarity
Spiritual protection and church discipline
Appointment/discipline of elders and pastors
Significant financial or property decisions (as appropriate to context)
Elders guard vision; staff execute ministry.
It’s the difference between steering the ship and running the deck.
“One of the biggest mistakes churches make is appointing elders before they have elders.”
Healthy eldership can’t be rushed into existence — it’s cultivated.
If you appoint out of need before you’ve discerned spiritual maturity, you end up with managers instead of shepherds. Elders aren’t built in board meetings; they’re formed in prayer meetings, in living rooms, and through tested faith over time.
Formation Before Appointment
Before you appoint elders, you have to form them. Spiritual leadership is recognised, not rushed.
The best elderships emerge from friendship, discipleship, and shared burden long before anyone lays hands or signs paperwork.
Formation always precedes recognition — it’s how character keeps up with calling.
Appointment of Elders
Following the biblical pattern (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 5:22):
Elders are appointed by elders.
Recognition of calling and fruit — already living as shepherds.
Nomination and discernment.
Assessment/investigation of character and doctrine.
Provisional appointment and formation period.
Public commissioning with prayer (1 Timothy 4:14).
Time-framed terms (e.g., 3–5 years) help maintain energy, alignment, and accountability.
This isn’t a lifetime seat — it’s a renewable calling.
Conclusion
Elders are shepherds under Jesus, entrusted to lead, feed, and tend His people.
They are guardians of the church’s doctrine, unity, discipleship, and mission, ensuring the church remains faithful to Christ in every generation.
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… eager to serve… and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
— 1 Peter 5:2–4
May every church rediscover the joy of shared shepherding —
where leadership is humble, authority is holy, and the Chief Shepherd is unmistakably among us.
