What is an Elder and an Elder Team?

Before we dive into the process of men being appointed as elders within Soma we should first answer this question: What is an elder? Elder is another term for pastor, bishop, and overseer. It is an office within the household of God, the church. This office is outlined in the New Testament, most notably in 1 Timothy 3 and 1 Peter 5. The office of elder is also plural, always used in the context of a group or plurality, never as individuals (most visibly in Acts 20:13-28), who serve and care for a local church as servant-leaders overseeing the advancement of the gospel through the church and the renewing power of the gospel within the church. In other words, an elder team shares the burden of shepherding the church in the gospel, protecting the church from false gospels, and exercising authority for the benefit of others so the church can be a faithful expression of the gospel in the city. 

Before we dive into this document, one thing must be explicit: the office of elder is vastly different than a modern American leadership structure. Much pain and error has been made within the Church by copying our ideas of leadership onto the office of elder. In fact, many of the qualifications and competencies do not make sense in our modern views of leadership. This list of distinctions between modern views of leadership and eldership can be very helpful. With this clarity, the eldership process and qualities looked for in an elder will become clear.

• An elder is not a CEO and an elder team is not an executive board, but a servant team that labors in prayer for the church, the sick, and the city.

• An elder is not a tyrant and an elder team is not an oligarchy yielding power, but use their authority to build others up in the gospel, protect the body from false gospels, and commission the church toward the mission God has called the church to.

• An elder is not the minister and an elder team doesn’t do the ministry, but they equip the body to do the work of the ministry by modeling, shepherding, and teaching. An elder team is evaluated in what their church is able to do in ministry.

• An elder is not a commander and an elder team is not headquarters extending marching orders. Instead, an elder team models the life of a disciples within the church and calls the church to follow them as they follow Jesus.

• An elder and an elder team is not the top of an organizational leadership chart, but in fact submitted to Christ as the head of the church and leading the church to do the same. Also, elders view themselves as servants to the church not the church as servants to them and their agendas.

• An elder and elder team is not a congress or the Supreme court, yielding the power to change policies and doctrines. Instead, they protect and guard the faith. They are stewards of the Good News and the church, faithfully holding to the Word of God and offering Jesus as the wisdom of God.

• An elder team is not an advisory board, giving opinions, advice, and decisions from a meeting. Instead, they are deeply engaged in the life of the church, both known by the body and knowing the body. Our elder team meets weekly; however, that’s not the primary expression of the team, it’s in the daily life of the church where elders serve.

• An elders are not given a special status of fame or more significance, they are given the double honor of caring for God’s treasure: His Church.

• Lastly, elders are fathering leaders and caring for the needs of a church: they show up and lead the church toward the mess: they meet with the broken, they pray for the sick, they mourn, and arrive to protect the body from those who would do harm, exemplifying the role of fathers in the home. 

One final preamble to the elder process. Throughout this document we will continually refer to elders and the people in this process as men. We believe Scripture clearly says the office of elder is commissioned for men. For a more in-depth analysis of the biblical texts and our holistic view of women on mission and doing ministry, see the attached article at the end of this document.

The Bible’s instituting of eldership in this way does not mean women are inferior or less equipped for leadership. There are many ways in which men and women are alike and equal: they are both personally created by God, they are both Image Bearers of God (showing our equality and significance), they are both blessed and commissioned by God, they are complementary, and they are interdependent. We need each other to accomplish God’s purposes. God created us equal, but different in order to display the Glory of God in Trinitarian relationship. Furthermore, the New Testament and other early church documents are littered with references to important leading women serving, caring for, and building up the body alongside their brothers in Christ. Soma is committed to equipping all disciples (men and women) to be ambassadors of the gospel, proclaimers of the gospel, and agents of reconciliation in the world. 

How do people Become Elders?

The goal of this document is to lay out a guideline for identifying, equipping and establishing elders within the church family so that they might equip and lead God’s church in making disciples in the everyday realities of life. We understand that each person’s story is different and will require modifications and adjustments in this pathway and the appendix’s will be given at the judgment of the current elder team. We also understand that not all those who start this process will God call into eldership. That does not diminish their value or identity in God’s eyes or in His church. Affirmation of eldership will be accomplished in step with the Holy Spirit, in unity within the elder team, and through the confirmation of the church family. As elders, we will be committed to giving care, timely feedback, leadership development, and lead potential candidates through the following phases. 

PHASE 1: AN OBSERVABLE TRACK RECORD

Men who wish to serve as elders should have a known track record of serving, leading, and giving within Soma through leadership within a missional community and outside of it. Through this they should have demonstrated teaching skills and observable fruit in ministry, marriage, and family life. This is in keeping with the instruction of 1 Peter 5:3 that elders should be “examples to the flock.” 

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. 

- 1 Peter 5:1-3

Elders are not primarily a decision making board. Elders are pastors or shepherds, who serve the body by keeping it focused on spreading the gospel as a community on mission. Rather than creating an artificial process to identify potential elders, we want to look to those who are already doing the work of elder and then affirm what God is already doing in and through them. 

Since elders are to be proven (1 Tim 3:6, 10) and possess characteristics that can only be observed over time, in relationship, in the home, with their co-workers and under pressure (1 Tim 3:1-11, Titus 1:5-9, Titus 2:1-9), we believe that the best environment for developing elders is the leadership of a gospel community on mission. This is an excellent space to develop the character and skills to shepherd the church. However, we do not merely see elders as those who are great missional community leaders, but the primary thing that set men apart and indicate to the body of future eldership is how he may already be “eldering” by shepherding, serving and modeling gospel living within his missional community and with others outside his community. 

  Elders are not appointed to a new role with new responsibility, rather we desire to identify men who are already doing the ministry of elder and recognize them. Therefore, we will identify elders by those who are shepherding, teaching, and caring for leaders outside their own missional communities.

We are also looking for men who have opened up their lives in community, led well, taught well, lived missionally, and trained the next generation of leaders and shepherded them to multiplication. This demonstrates they have the raw “stuff” to shepherd and oversee the gospel mission and community. Once a man has done that, he will be ready for the next level of training and affirmation for the office of elder—because they are more than likely already doing the service of an elder. 

We also understand that there are a variety of ways that a potential elder candidate can begin shepherding beyond their missional community and care for a flock and equip folks for ministry based on their giftedness and capacity.

These men, who are already doing the work of an elder, will be identified by the elder team and asked if they have a desire for eldership and then moved into the preparation and qualification stage (Phase 2).  

PHASE 2: PREPARATION AND QUALIFICATION 

Scripture is clear that no man is to be appointed to eldership unless he is qualified. A man may be rightly called by God to aspire to eldership, yet be years away from meeting the rigorous biblical qualifications. Essentially, there are four components in preparing to be an elder: desire, capacity, character (heart), doctrine (head), and competency (hands). The goal of this phase is to evaluate these four areas, grow areas of current strength, identify areas of needed growth, and train and empower men to be prepared to lead and shepherd the church.

Elders are men who are above reproach or blameless. Elders are not sinless men—sinless men do not exist. The elders who lead the church have to be men without any outward character flaw. It is a person who others in the church would have no obvious reason to accuse him of sin. He would have internal evidence against himself because he knows his inclinations toward evil and sin. His lifestyle would need to be exemplary.

All Christians should strive to live above reproach and grow in these qualities, not just elders. The difference is a normal family member within a church would not be denied entrance into activities of the church if they one lacked these character qualities. However, an elder must demonstrate ALL of these qualities in order to serve in the office as an elder. eldership is the highest office in the church and the other pastoral epistle states this as a role exclusively for males (1 Tim. 2:11-15).

This phase of Preparation and Qualification, therefore, may be long and will require great patience and discipline on the part of potential elders. All aspiring elders should rigorously study 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 to understand God’s expectations for pastor/elders. Likewise, all Christians are in the process of sanctification, so qualifications must be read against the backdrop of God’s grace (i.e. the standard is maturity, not perfection).

PHASE 3: CANDIDATE PHASE

The process of testing and examining elder candidates should be one of the most rigorous in the life of a church. Since elders are the primary spiritual leaders in the community, their character, competence, and commitment must be second to none. Movement from Phase 2 to Phase 3 will be at the discretion of the elders who observe men who are already “eldering” with the above characteristics discussed in previous phases. At this point, these men will then be invited into: 

1) Invitation to Elder Functions. 

• Monthly eldership meetings for observation 

• Observe church discipline situations.

• Financial stewardship discussions.

• Participation in prayer, teaching, rebuking false doctrine.

• Stepping into new roles of coaching and/or shepherding

2) Husband & Wife Conversation.

Each candidate and his wife (if married) will meet with the current elders for a candid conversation related to issues of marriage, family, capacity, and expectations to insure health and capacity and collaboration.

3) Communal Scrutiny

At the end of the candidate phase, the church family will be

urged to evaluate the lives and conduct of the potential elders during a worship gathering as we teach on the qualifications. If a person in the family is aware of any disqualifying sin or character flaw in an elder candidate, he or she will be urged to make the matter known to the existing elders, who will investigate the claim. 

PHASE 4: INSTALLATION

Following the satisfactory completion of all requirements and the passing of examination, affirmation of current elders and church family, new elders will be installed publicly at a worship gathering and will be given full deference as an elder within the church family.