Elder team
Our Current elders are: Pete Male, Ed Wymer, Julie Calvin, & Steve Foster
Question: “What are the duties of an elder in the church?”
Answer: The Bible spells out several duties and obligations of an elder including:
1. They are to spend time teaching the word.
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV).
Just as Paul instructed Timothy to teach in the churches he was put in charge of, so elders are to teach the truths of the gospel.
2. They are to watch out for the church in humility.
“To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away” (1 Peter 5:1-4 NIV).
Elders are the designated leaders of the church and the flock is entrusted to them by God. They are not to lead for the pay or the reward but because of their desire to serve and shepherd the flock.
3. They pray for the sick.
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:14-16 NIV).
Elders are expected to meet specific qualifications, including striving to live godly lives with any remnant sin in their lives minimal and confessed regularly. They are, therefore, tasked to pray for the sick. Elders are not ‘holier’ than any other followers of Christ, and their prayers are not more effective because they are in church leadership. The prayers of any righteous Christian are powerful, but the elders are charged to serve the members of the church in this way. One of the necessities in prayer is praying for the Lord’s will to be done, and they are expected to do this.
4. They are to watch out for the spiritual life of the flock.
“Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” (Hebrews 13:17 NIV).
This verse speaks directly to church leaders, highlighting that they are accountable for the spiritual life of the church.
5. The elders help to settle disputes in the church.
“Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.” (Acts 15:1-2 NIV).
The question was raised and forcefully argued, then taken to the apostles and elders for a decision. This passage teaches that elders are to help discern God’s desires and communicate that for the purpose of Christian unity.
Simply put, the elders should be peacemakers, prayer warriors, teachers, leaders by example, and decision makers. As leaders, they seek God’s vision for the local body and work with the rest of the church put that into action.
It is a position to be sought but not taken lightly-read this warning: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1 NIV). The role of elder is not a position to be taken lightly.
Some more versus also pertaining to some the responsibilities of the elders:
Acts 20:17-35
1 Timothy 3:1-7
1 Timothy 4:12-5:2
1 Timothy 6:10-14
Titus 1:5-9