Advice for a New Elder on The Gospel Coalition

Character is king when it comes to church leadership. In fact, the best commentators on 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 will tell you that the qualities enumerated there don’t say as much about “what the elder1 does” as “who he is” and it all falls under the heading of Christian character. That’s why transparency, frank discussion, accountability, and honesty are a must within the leadership body and, then, between the leaders and the community. Garrett Kell writes:

Your office as an overseer is contingent upon your character. And as you well know, holiness doesn’t just happen. It must be fought for. You won’t ever be a perfect man, but you must war against sin. And sin prospers in isolation.

Check out the entire article at Advice for a New Elder | TGC | The Gospel Coalition.

  1. The New Testament uses the terms elderpastoroverseer or their various other translations, such as shepherd or bishop, interchangeably. This NT vocabulary serves to illustrate or emphasize the character and various functions of the leader(s) in local Christian communities. So, when I speak of elders, pastors or overseers on this blog, I am referring to the same leaders within a church – an elder is a pastor and an overseer. []

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