ELDERS MUST

Leaders in the church who are appointed  to be elders must meet all of God’s  qualifications. By virtue of their greater  age and experience they are to oversee,  shepherd, rule the local church of Christ  (read I Tim 3:1-7; Tit 1:5-9; Acts 20:17-  32; Heb 13:17; I Pet 5:1 -3). Although this  office is defined by three Greek words,  they have been translated into six words  in English bibles: bishop, elder, overseer,  presbyter, shepherd, and pastor.

The elder must be above reproach, the  husband of one wife, sober, orderly,  hospitable, able to teach, not given to much  wine, gentle, not quarrelsome or a lover of  money, have obedient children who are  Christians, not be a novice, have a good  reputation, be blameless, self-controlled,  holy, holding to the sound doctrine and  able to refute those who oppose it.

Elders are not self-appointed, and there  is always a plurality chosen by each  congregation. The work of an evangelist  is not the same as that of an elder, so  he is NEVER designated as “the pastor”  in the bible.

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