Elder Governance

Insights into Making the Transition

Daniel Evans, Joseph Godwin

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781608997961, 9781498257794
• eBook ISBN: 9781498273497
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Church

When the leadership of Patterson Park Church looked for a book explaining the process of transitioning from a board-run church to an elder led form of church government, a structure they had come to believe was more in line with Scripture, they found none. God honored their efforts and two of their elders decided a book still needed to be written. Elder Governance: Insights into Making the Transition examines church government from a biblical and historical context and tells the story of Patterson Park's transition. The authors are hopeful that God will use their experience to help others considering such a transition.

Chapter 1

The Theology of Transition

The year 2009 witnessed an event that many thought would never happen. General Motors, once the world’s largest corporation, filed for Chapter 11 protection. Amazing! Who would have ever guessed? GM got its start in 1908 when William Durant, the founder of Buick, acquired Oldsmobile. The following year saw a series of acquisitions and buyouts that included Cadillac, Cartercar, Elmore, Ewing, and Oakland (which later became known as Pontiac). Durant continued his buying spree in acquiring Reliance Motor Truck Company, the Rapid Motor Vehicle Company (these were the foundations of the GMC Truck division). But, in 1910, all these acquisitions placed GM in a perilous position with a debt of $1 million. Due to this corporate financial crisis, Durant was forced to step down. GM was able to survive this difficult economic time and establish itself for the future.1

Throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, GM continued to grow both its domestic and foreign markets; so that by the 1990s GM was recognized as the largest and one of the wealthiest corporations in the world. From 1996 to 2000, GM paid its shareholders in the range of $20 billion. So what happened to this corporate giant that resulted in its bankruptcy in less than a decade? To be honest, GM’s downfall was the result of a number of issues, over many of which they had no control. These included the stock market downturn in 2001 just after the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks, and the global economic crisis beginning in 2008 that impacted not just the United States of America but the entire world. However, there were a few voices of concern saying that GM needed to change its ways before something like this happened.2

The goal for the review of this historical development is not to rehearse and analyze the problems encountered by GM but to challenge the church to think about its own standing. In 1976 Newsweek magazine declared that year to be the “year of the evangelical.”3 Now, thirty years later, it appears that secularism is overtaking Christianity at every turn. This is despite the dramatic development of the mega-church during the 1980s and 1990s, which continues to today. So is Christianity in the United States on the verge of becoming bankrupt? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: the church cannot avoid change at all cost.

Like it or not, change is as inevitable as death and taxes. To many people, it is one of the most feared events in life and is generally resisted. John Maxwell, in his book Developing the Leader Within You, catalogues a number of reasons why people resist change.4 Most of the reasons he provides involve some aspect of changing the status quo that requires effort and leads to an uncertain future. Let’s admit it; we are creatures of habit who become complacent and comfortable in our current settings. So comfortable that even if those settings prove to be counter-productive or unfulfilling we still vehemently resist any change. At least we know what to expect in our counter-productive, unfulfilling positions. What people fail to realize is that, whether they want to acknowledge it or not, change will happen. Ignoring change doesn’t make it nonexistent; it simply makes us naïve people who stick our heads in the sand to avoid unpleasant situations. Churches, as a community, often corporately reflect this fear and exert significant resources to prevent change from occurring. Aubrey Malphurs, professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary and recognized expert in strategic development and church revitalization, describes how churches often demonstrate a life cycle that follows a characteristic bell-shaped curve. A church is planted and begins to grow. Eventually the growth plateaus and is shortly followed by a decline. He explains that without intervening early in the decline, death often follows (or at least a mere hollow existence).5 The plateau of church growth is often reached by the church’s twentieth birthday and less than 70 percent of churches reach one hundred years of age.6 The reason for this well-documented life cycle is the resistance and avoidance of change.

It is important, then, for the Christian and the Church to realize that change need not be feared, nor should it be avoided at any cost. In fact, God has always been in the business of using change in accomplishing his plan. Paul reminds us that God’s redemptive plan for individuals is to “conform them into the image of Christ” (Rom 8:28–29). This act of conforming is a transformation of a life from one form into another. When our lives are compared to Christ’s, it is painstakingly obvious that significant transformation must take place: a transition from the old to the new (2 Cor 5:17). Scripture is replete with examples of difficult transitions for the purpose of God accomplishing his plan.

Nearly one third of the Genesis record is dedicated to detailing God’s purpose accomplished through the life of Joseph. Consider his life. Most of us today would be running to the courts to file a lawsuit if we had to endure the injustices Joseph endured. He started off as a “daddy’s boy,” not necessarily a character deficiency inherent to Joseph, but due to the great love Jacob had for Joseph’s mother. Joseph was apparently being groomed to take over the family business after Reuben had disqualified himself. The jealousy of the brothers proved too great, and Joseph was sold into slavery (undoubtedly after first hearing of their original plans to kill him). Then, just when it seemed Joseph was getting somewhere, he was falsely accused and thrown into prison. Apparently, God intended, through this imprisonment, for Joseph to come into contact with a certain baker and a certain butler. While in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of these two men. One would expect that after the butler was restored to his position with the Pharaoh that Joseph would soon be released; however, he languished in prison for a few more years. Finally, Joseph was not only released from prison, but he was also elevated to second-in-command of all of Egypt. In his new position, Joseph saved a nation from starvation, accumulated great wealth for Pharaoh, and saved his own family (with the specific divine purpose of preserving the lineage of the Messiah through his brother Judah). Joseph clearly recognized that all his difficulties and the many transitions in his life were ordained and orchestrated by God for a greater purpose (Gen 45:5, 7; 50:20).

Another great example is Moses. Consider his life and the many transitions that took place before he became the model by which all prophets would be measured—even a type of the Messiah. Moses was born into a humble family; slaves in the land of Egypt. According to decree by the Pharaoh, he was to be executed at the time of birth. However, due to the courage of the midwives and his parents, Moses was spared. Not only did Moses survive, but in an ironic twist of providence, God had him adopted as a grandson to Pharaoh. So Moses went from the poor house to the penthouse in one day. There he experienced all the benefits of life in the king’s palace, until one day he became a fugitive. That’s right! Moses killed an Egyptian for beating an Israelite and had to flee for his life. In another ironic twist of providence, Moses became a shepherd (a profession detested by Egyptians). Through these experiences, both in the courts of Pharaoh and in the grazing fields of Midian, Moses was being molded into the great liberator. One final transition took place at a meeting at a burning bush in the wilderness in which God confronted and commissioned Moses. Moses then returned to Egypt (not without much feet-dragging and arguing to the contrary) to lead his people out of the land of Egypt as the great Old Testament example of the redemption the Messiah would one day accomplish, on behalf of his people, on the cross. Realize that these transitions were painful and difficult. Moses was taken away from his birth parents. He had to flee from his adoptive parents as a fugitive. He traded in the palace for a shepherd’s staff. And then he returned to Egypt to demand the freedom of the Israelites. But all this was necessary. How else would an ordinary Israelite gain access to the court of the great Pharaoh, unless he was somehow related? How else would someone have the capacity to lead such a large contingent of people without having been trained in leadership, both in the king’s courts as well as in the shepherd’s fields? All these transitions in the life of Moses, like those in the life of Joseph, were ordained and orchestrated by God to accomplish his plan for the life of Israel, for the life of Moses, and for all those who the Messiah would redeem on the cross.

Another painful time of transition for the church whereby God continued to carry out his plan for global evangelization is evidenced in the life of Peter. Peter committed what many would have perceived to be a ministry-disqualifying sin. Think through the story of Peter and his denial of Jesus during his trial and Peter’s future role as an apostle in the early church. Jesus foretold of Peter’s threefold denial. Peter’s denial was part of God’s plan for Peter’s life and was somehow planned for his good (Rom 8:28). And so God planned by design Peter’s denial. Jesus told him that he had prayed that Peter’s faith not fail, and then Jesus faithfully pursued the cross and all the physical agony and humiliation that went with it.

When Peter recognized his sin and the seriousness of it, what was his response? Peter most likely felt like he had blown it beyond repair, that possibly he would continue to deny Christ anytime there was opposition. Smith, in his book Caught Off Guard, puts it this way:

After holding a front row seat through Jesus’ ministry years—seeing the miracles, hearing the teaching, witnessing the Transfiguration, being renamed “rock”—he denied Christ. That will disqualify you from ministry like little else! Can you hear him wrestling with himself? What will keep me from denying Christ again when the heat gets turned up? How can I represent him after what I’ve done? So he announces, “I’m going out to fish.”7

Peter went back to his comfort zone. Peter was a fisherman and so Peter left the ministry and returned to fishing.

Though we know that Jesus atoned on the cross for Peter’s sin(s), was that the extent of Jesus’ plans for Peter? No, Jesus pursued Peter and found him fishing. In a private time of reconciliation, Jesus asked for a threefold confession of Peter’s love for him in alignment with Peter’s threefold denial. Was this a harsh meeting? No, the Savior was gentle. Did Jesus simply overlook what Peter did? No, he dealt very specifically with Peter and his denial. What was the result of this meeting and act of grace on the part of Christ on Peter’s behalf? Peter was commissioned back into the ministry to “feed Jesus’ sheep.”

From that time on, we see a heart transformed. Peter left his fishing business behind and became the great spokesman for the apostles as the early church grew. Where Peter had been fearful of men before, he now stood before the religious leaders and declared that, though it require his death, they could not keep him from pre...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Theology of Transition
• Chapter 2: Models of Church Governance
• Chapter 3: History of Church Leadership
• Chapter 4: The Office of Church Leadership—The Elder
• Chapter 5: The Qualifications of Church Leadership—The Elder
• Chapter 6: The Role of Spiritual Leaders
• Chapter 7: Church Leadership Functioning as a Team
• Chapter 8: Current Church Leadership Buy-In
• Chapter 9: A Transition Team
• Chapter 10: Are We There Yet?
• Chapter 11: Go Slow! Go Fast!
• Chapter 12: Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
• Chapter 13: The Implementation of Change
• Epilogue
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• Appendix C
• Bibliography