A Shepherd, Or Just An Elder?

Day 158 (Written Friday May 18) ~ I’ve been a Christian for 23 years. I’ve been a preacher 15 years. I’ve been a missionary for 6 months. I have preached in over 200 churches in 13 states. In that time and in those various roles I have met A LOT of men serving in the position of elder in the Lord’s church. As in any category, there has been a wide range of “types” I have encountered who are overseeing congregations. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Some are not godly Christian men/they are unqualified, yet have been appointed as elders. Thankfully, this group is a very small minority, but the impact on a congregation can be devastating and very difficult to overcome. I’ve encountered men who are racist, use profanity, have explosive and violent tempers, lie and are womanizers. How these men got into the eldership I cannot fathom. These men actively do damage to the church, both amongst its members and in the community. Most are good men who are mostly qualified but fail to grasp to true gravity of the office. So many congregations have elderships made up of men who are not worldly or wicked. They are sincere in their beliefs and humble in their attitudes, yet quite a few are very limited in their Bible knowledge. They are appointed almost by default (they are the best we’ve got here at congregation X). They have been faithful in attendance for many years, always help when work is to be done, teach Bible class, but do they understand what is required of overseers? These men don’t hurt the congregation internally, nor in the community (at least not knowingly or intentionally), but neither do they meet its greatest needs. They insure sound doctrine is preached, the building is maintained, good works are supported (all of which is very, very important and necessary and for which they should be commended), but often fail to disciple the members. A few Christians will take off on their own and grow greatly into strong disciples, but most will simply occupy a pew, never reaching their potential. These men are elders and overseers, but they are lacking one vitally important quality desperately needed in the church. A few are shepherds. There is a difference between being in charge, and shepherding. The shepherd is in charge of the sheep, but he does so much more and is so much more to them. I have met very few shepherds. Even more rare is meeting a collection of shepherds in one congregation. But when you do, it is obvious. These are the congregations that others look at and wonder, “How do they do that?” A huge part of that reason is they have shepherds, not just elders. Not just men in charge, men making decisions about what color the carpet should be and if we need to buy new song books, but men who are shepherding God’s flock. They bring them back when they are astray, they feed them spiritually, they heal them when they are hurting, they protect them from enemies and attacks and they lead them where they need to be. This is what God intended: “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,[a] not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). There are several negatives qualifications and several positive ones as well. Negatives: don’t serve by compulsion (because someone wants you to, just because there is a need, just because you were asked), don’t serve for personal gain (especially dishonest gain, stealing, taking advantage of and abusing the authority of the position), don’t lord over those entrusted to you (you aren’t their boss, parents, master, God, these people trust you and God has trusted you with His sheep, you are a steward). Positives: shepherd the flock (see Psalm 23), serve as overseers (you may be “in charge” but you are still to be a servant, see Ephesians 5), serve willingly (you have to want this because it is going to require so much of you if you do it God’s way; if it’s just a job, you may oversee, but you’ll never shepherd), and serve as an example to the flock (don’t behave, lead, conduct in a way you wouldn’t want them to do back to you). I’ve never served as an elder, and I don’t believe I’m qualified to right now. I aspire to be qualified so that I can serve if I’m needed. None of what I have written is a knock on elders, quite the opposite. I know firsthand what is required of them and what it costs them and love the men who serve. I respect them and admire them. I trust them and I obey them. But I also pray and try to teach, so that those good men who are just serving as elders/overseers, can grow to become shepherds.