Please note that this article is an introduction to a three-part teaching series on Leadership within the Local Church given in Bermondsey Gospel Hall, the audio of which can be found here.
The first time can often be the toughest. Remember the first you rode a bike or perhaps drove a car. Without previous experience you aren’t quite sure where to go or what to do. The risk of hurting yourself and others is often at its highest that first time. But it’s not just the first time, even if you have had previous experience, sometime the risk increases if you haven’t done it in a while. It’s almost a year since I was driving on a regular basis. I’m sure I could get into a car this afternoon and drive no problem. I haven’t forgotten in that year how to drive. But if I don’t do it much for another three, five or ten years, getting into that car and driving safely will get more and more difficult.
This week, we did something as a local church that was an absolute first for some, and the first time in a long time for many others. We have appointed new elders. It is the first time in many years that we have had formal recognised leadership at Bermondsey Gospel. This is a cause for great rejoicing, two individuals were overwhelming recognised as qualified for the office of an elder and appointed to the task. We have finally put what remained into order so that we can become a more biblically faithful local church (Titus 1:4).
It is cause for much thanksgiving, but also for some trepidation. Some of us have not been led by elders before, and others have not been led by elders in a long time. Even if we have experience of eldership in the past, I know for myself that that past experience was not always exemplary and edifying. Not all previous experience in this area has been good experience. It is a risky thing that we are doing.
Not only is this new or unfamiliar for us, but it is also new for our two elders. They have not been overseers before. We will be their first flock. As much as it is strange for us, it is probably going to be even stranger for them. So as we go forward together, with the increased risks associated with such unfamiliar situations, we all must take great care. The attitudes we take and the comments we make over the coming weeks and months may not only have an impact in the short-term, but may set patterns that will threaten the future of our local church.
That’s why we are going to spend three weeks looking to God’s Word for lessons on leadership. Having appointed elders for the first time, we are going to go back to God’s Word to remind ourselves of the responsibilities it places on both us and them. While we all may be short of helpful experience, God’s Word plainly sets out lessons for elders on the one hand, and the rest of us on the other, on how leaders lead in God’s church.
We are going to look to address three questions that any of us might find ourselves asking over the coming weeks and months. For the avoidance of doubt we have already addressed the ‘Who?’ question. We considered the men of leadership when looking at Titus 1 last spring, and discovered that elders are godly men who can teach God’s truth. We have recognised two such men. Now we will look at the motive, the ministry and the method of leadership. The worth of having leaders, the work undertaken by leaders and the weapon used by leaders.
Over the coming weeks, after a conversation that has been difficult or a meeting that has been disheartening, our new elders may be walking home asking themselves ‘why’. Why I am doing this? Is this really worth it? Were things not easier before? At that point the difference between discouragement and durability will be whether they understand why leaders are necessary in the church. The Motive of Leadership.
Or we might find ourselves going home some Sunday afternoon asking ourselves ‘what’. What are they doing? What are they trying to do? At that point the difference between bitterness and openness will be whether we understand what leaders are to try, as best as sinful saints can, to do. The Ministry of Leadership.
Finally, faced with the difficult and daunting task ahead of them, our new elders might express to each other ‘how’. How are we going to do this? How are we going to lead the church through this change or circumstance? At that point, the difference between conflict and concord will be whether it is understood that teaching God’s word is the main method of leadership. The Method of Leadership.
If we are going to be asking ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ over the coming weeks and months, I think it would be helpful to prepare some answers in advance. To lay these three truths down as foundations upon which our new leaders can build their leadership and the rest of us can build our life as a local church upon.
ALEXANDER ARRELL