“I left you behind in Crete for this reason, so that you should put in order what remained to be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you” (Titus 1:5, NRSV).
It is standard Baptist practice in New Zealand Baptist life that congregations have appointed elders as the key leadership body alongside the pastor(s). I interviewed 20 of the 250 congregations in the nation, and every one of them was elder-led. There are even standard “role descriptions” for elders available through the national Baptist union. While many or most new Baptist church starts in the Mid-Atlantic tend to be elder-led, most existing Baptist churches in the region are not. I suspect this will change significantly over the next decade.
John Chandler
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Emphasizing the priesthood of every believer and autonomy of the local church, Baptist churches in the Mid-Atlantic have tended to be congregationally-led. Whoever shows up at a (monthly) business meeting can help set the agenda. This has had its advantages, especially in terms of fostering individual ownership of the church’s vision, and in providing checks and balances to prevent abuse of pastoral power. On the other hand, it has also at times held churches captive to the weakest, loudest ideas in the room and impeded growth.
New Zealand Baptist churches facing this have almost across-the-board moved to a form of governance that selects elders and entrusts them with primary leadership of the church. They do not exclusively lead; they are congregationally appointed, and certain major decisions (like ratifying an annual budget or calling a lead pastor) require affirmation from the entire church body. But in day-to-day matters, it is the elders who make the leadership decisions. Typically the pastor (but not staff) serves as one elder. Most churches, from 70 to 2,000 in attendance, had from five to nine elders. The pastor is accountable to the body of elders. Deacons are appointed to serve the needs of the congregation.
Each congregation I spoke with had transitioned from congregational governance to elder-led governance. Some complained about issues with particular elders. But none were dissatisfied with elder leadership per se. They spoke of it as more accountable, more able to make and move on decisions and a better way to have members of their church serve in ways that fit their gifts and calling.
In my reading, the Bible provides a range of models for how the people of God live and work together. I don’t think elder-led governance is the only way to function in a local congregation. But I believe that, just as New Zealand Baptists have moved in this direction, we will in the coming years see more and more Mid-Atlantic Baptist churches determine that it is the right way for them to carry out the will of God.
Trending is written by John Chandler, leader of the Spence Network, www.spencenetwork.org./equip.htm. He is an elder at All Souls, a Baptist congregation in Charlottesville, Va.