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The primary purpose of the church is to make and grow disciples. Christ saves us and leaves us here to be his ambassadors begging people to be reconciled to God.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

And when one repents and believes, then they are brought into the church and taught to obey all that Christ has commanded.

This is the work of the ministry: DISCIPLESHIP.

And in order for this work to be accomplished, God in his infinite wisdom has given us a structure in order for that to fully develop and be executed.

And that structure is ELDER-LED CONGREGATIONALISM.

Jonathan Leeman
Elder-Led Congregationalism is about church government but it is also the “program” that Jesus established to make the whole church responsible for the whole church, and to train every member for the work. It is Jesus’ discipleship program.

This means that every member of the church shares in its responsibility. The congregation, having been entrusted with authority from Christ, is called to ensure that his work of discipleship is faithfully carried out. Elders, as members of the congregation, are specifically tasked with equipping the congregation for the work of ministry.

And in order for this to function properly, everyone needs to understand the primary goal and where each member is gifted in the service.

As stated, the primary goal is discipleship and each person in the body has been gifted to serve to advance that goal. All members do so by proclaiming and protecting the gospel while taking responsibility for other church members.

Hebrews 3:12-14
12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Church membership then comes with responsibilities and an authority to fulfill what Christ has commanded.

And out of that membership the Lord has called certain men to take on a greater responsibility to make sure that the members are equipped to fulfill what Christ has called them to.

Ephesians 4:11-12
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ (emphasis added)

WHO ARE ELDERS?

Elders are mature Christian men who have been called out and gifted by God and appointed by the church to lead, teach, protect, and care for a local body, modeling Christ-like character in both life and doctrine.

Elders are given the responsibility and authority to make sure that the church is functioning according to the edicts of Scripture and where the church is weak, it is the responsibility of the elders to fill up what is lacking through training.

Christ has given all members a job to do and it is the elders responsibility to make sure the members are trained to do their jobs.

ELDER-LED   ————————> GIVES YOU JOB TRAINING

CONGREGATIONALISM ———> GIVE YOU A JOB

When we get this right, we are no longer governed by trivial non-gospel matters but instead we are putting our focus on what is paramount, and that is the glory of Christ through making and growing disciples by proclaiming and protecting the gospel.

Philippians 2:1-4 (NASB)
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;  4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 

In this regard, Elder-Led Congregationalism is not a democracy where the members have the final say and it is not a monarchy or an oligarchy where the elders have the final say. It is a framework that seeks to submit to the head of the church as we live out our faith in practice.

We can’t think in terms of hierarchy like that of civil government nor as a true democracy. We can’t think along the lines of a two tier system. It's not “elders and members”. We are all members with different responsibilities.

WE ARE ALL ONE. We submit to one another (Eph 5:18-21), and we submit to those who are responsible for us (Heb 13:17).

A LIVING ILLUSTRATION

  • A man is disciplined for abandoning his family for another woman (Church Discipline). The church is responsible to make sure the discipline process is carried out, and its the elders responsibility that the church is equipped to do so.
  • A family has multiple miscarriages (Biblical Counseling). The church is responsible to bear the burdens of one another and it is the elders responsibility that the members are equipped to do so.
  • A man is called to the mission field (Gospel progress). 
    The church is responsible to be actively engaging in the progress of the gospel locally and abroad and it is the elders responsibility to equip and guide the church in the process.

When the church looks and functions as the biblical description, then the fruit and usefulness that the local body will have will be one of healthiness.

 

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