Elders: Shepherd the flock of God. Acts 20:28-38
At a recent pastor’s retreat, each minister in attendance was asked the following question: “How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?” The answers were as follows.
A Presbyterian Pastor responded, “None. If God wants the bulb screwed in he is sovereign and will do it himself without human effort.”
A Charismatic Pastor replied, “None. The bulb doesn’t need to be changed. We should pray that it be healed.”
The Fundamentalist Pastor stated, “None. We shouldn’t even enter the room because we need to keep ourselves separate from all darkness.”
A Baptist Pastor responded, “None. If we allow physical contact between a person and the bulb it might lead to dancing.”
The Wesleyan Minister replied, “None. If we just show the bulb its need, it already possesses the power to screw itself in.”

Needless to say, in a congregation as diverse as this – not only do you have more than one way to screw in a light bulb, you have many and varied understanding of church governance – particularly around the term Elder.

Trans: the Eldership conversation is about leadership – spiritual leadership.
And it is a missional, a kingdom conversation.
According to the Bible, the Christian Church is God’s primary tool for working out his purposes in the world. If God’s primary tool for accomplishing his purpose doesn’t have good leadership structures, then God’s purpose is being frustrated.
If God’s purpose in the world is being frustrated, that effects all levels of society, not just the Church.
[Macarthur] the metaphor most often used by Jesus for spiritual leadership, one He often used to describe Himself, was that of a shepherd – a person who tends God’s flock.
Every church leader is a shepherd. The word pastor itself means ‘shepherd’. A shepherd loves, leads, feeds, nurtures, comforts, corrects, and protects – responsibilities that belong to every person in the church – but particularly spiritual leaders….