Why Pastor Rule is Not Biblical

© Brannon S. Howse, 2013

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There are Two Types of Elders:

Elders that are laypeople that are not financially compensated

Elders that are full time and are financially compensated so they might serve the church

fulltime

The terms overseer, bishop, or elder are three different words that describe the same office

The New Testament never mentions a church with only one pastor or elder

John MacArthur:

The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that each local body of believers is

shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained elders. Simply stated, this is the only pattern for church leadership given in the New Testament.

John MacArthur:

Nowhere in Scripture does one find a local assembly ruled by majority opinion or by a single pastor…Again and again, reference is made to a plurality of elders in each of the

various churches.

John MacArthur:

In fact, every place in the New Testament where the term presbuteros (“elder”) is used it is

plural, except where the apostle John uses it of himself in 2 and 3 John and where Peter uses it

of himself in 1 Peter 5:1.

John MacArthur:

Nowhere in the New Testament is there a reference to a one-pastor congregation. It may be that each elder in the city had an individual

group in which he had specific oversight.

John MacArthur:

But the church was seen as one church, and decisions were made by a collective process and

in reference to the whole, not the individual parts.

A church can have a lead teaching elder but the term Senior Pastor is not found in the Bible and

in fact has more in common with the parish priest as promoted by the Catholic Church or

the rector in the Anglican Church.

Biblically Based Leadership: A Survey of the Scriptural Sources for the

Exercise of Authority and Leadership in the Church:

“The modern title of senior pastor does not appear in the New Testament nor does its

standing as the senior point of authority within

the church receive any support from the New Testament. In some ways it appears to be the evangelical protestant version of the parish

priest in the Catholic Church or the rector in the Anglican Communion.

Unfortunately neither of these denominations follows the New Testament model of authority distributed among a plurality of elders in a local church, which raises questions about the biblical ground for the aforementioned offices and their

evangelical protestant counterparts.”

Let me share with you some of the numerous Biblical passages that describe the plurality of

elders

Titus 1:5:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking,

and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

Acts 20:17:

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.

James 5:14:

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over

him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Acts 11:30:

This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 16:4:

And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which

were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

Acts 15:2:

Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they

determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

Acts 15:4:

And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles

and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

I Timothy 5:17:

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in

the word and doctrine.

Acts 21:18:

On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

Acts 15:22:

Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas…

Deacons serve under the oversight of the elders as ministers to the church and for the purpose of freeing up the elders so they might focus on

teaching and administration

The qualifications for elders and deacons are the same except for the fact that elders are required

to be able to teach.

1 Timothy 5:17:

Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in

the word and doctrine.

1 Timothy 3:2:

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good

behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

2 Timothy 2:24:

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient

2 Timothy 2:2:

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful

men who will be able to teach others also.

2 Timothy 2:15:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.

There is protection and accountability with a plurality of elders.

The pastor that wants to have the final may be revealing that he is:

PridefulGreedy

Controlling

Hostile to AccountabilitySomeone with wrong priorities and motives

Not qualified to be an elder/pastorSomeone that has something to hide

A Pastor is not a CEO and is not the head of the church

Many pastors that reject the Rick Warren model of a seeker-driven church do however embrace

Warren’s CEO model if they believe in pastor rule

Elders should do the majority of the teaching in the church including Sunday school classes.

Elders should have direct over-sight over any non-elders that are teaching.

Why do pastors reject the Biblical model of elders?

IgnorancePride

Fear of Man

Why do church members reject the Biblical model of elders?

1. Ignorance2. Belief they have elders

3. Tradition

4. Politics5. Wrong Motives: A Small group runs the

church6. Unity is more important than being Biblical

The Testimony From an Elder on Moving From Pastor Rule To Elder Rule:

“Immediately following the Senior Pastor’s departure, the elders gathered for prayer –

repenting of our contribution to this disaster and asking God to guide us as we sought His

direction from the Scriptures as to the kind of

church that we should be. We clearly defined what we meant by elder leadership in

the church and used that definition in the process of hiring our next Teaching Pastor. we

took the title Senior Pastor out of any communication concerning a vacant position; and clearly defined who we are as a church so

the next man who stood in our pulpit

would know that he was an elder among other elders and that WE together will

stand before Christ, to present to Him a faithful and devoted congregation. Where are we now?

We are a stronger, and unified elder council. God has blessed us with a gifted Bible teacher who embraces the biblical definition of elder

leadership in the church…we have a committed

congregation that is enjoying a sweet season of unity and grace and ministry that is

advancing the gospel. In sum, we are the beneficiaries of a kind and loving Savior who

took us through a season of much needed chastisement for His glory so that we would be His church and not Senior Pastor So-and-So’s

church.”

Acts 20:28-31:

Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which

He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will

come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the

disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to

warn everyone night and day with tears.