Elders in the Life of the Church – Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership

Paul and Barnabas made a decisive move toward the end
of the first missionary journey: they appointed elders
in the churches they had established, entrusting them with
responsibility to shepherd the young congregations. The need
for faithful shepherding has not changed since that time, yet
the leadership structure of most churches no longer follows this
model. The authors argue that a return to the New Testament
pattern of elder plurality best serves the shepherding needs in a
local church.
The authors suggest a workable process for improving a local
church s leadership structure and making the transition to elder
plurality. Along the way, the stories of the authors and other
church leaders provide a narrative of how faithful elder leadership
has strengthened their ministries. The book also addresses a
plan for leadership development in difficult international mission
settings. Church leaders will find this a useful resource for building
a healthy leadership structure.
This book is an extensive revision of the previously-published
Elders in Congregational Life, including updates throughout,
additional illustrations, and a new chapter addressing how missionaries
may effectively apply the New Testament s teaching on
elder plurality. 9Marks is a well-known ministry organization
dedicated to equipping church leaders with a biblical vision and
practical resources.