A Network of Christian Blogs
Bible Belt Ministry Our church assembles in a rural area on the outskirts of a military base—Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Our community is in the Bible belt, where Christianity is practiced nominally by numerous professing believers. Many have come to church, listened to a sermon, repeated a prayer during an altar call, and have left […]
Carter, A. Craig. Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition: Recovering the Genius of Premodern Exegesis. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2018. 263pp. Introduction Craig A. Carter (Ph.D., University of St. Michael’s College) is a Professor of Theology at Tyndale University College & Seminary in Toronto, Ontario. He also serves part-time as Theologian in Residence at […]
Single Elder-led Congregationalism The last governmental structure worthy of consideration is single elder-led congregationalism. This view denies the bishop hierarchal structure espoused in Episcopalianism. It likewise denies the interdependent connectional structure espoused in Presbyterianism. Like plural elder-led congregationalism, single elder-led congregationalism affirms the autonomy of each local/visible church. The distinguishing mark between these two governmental […]
Opposing Views to Plural Elder Led Congregationalism The second prominent opposing view to plural elder-led congregationalism worth considering is Presbyterianism. Christians in the Presbyterian tradition hold to a system of church government in which elected elders/presbyters from churches represent churches and oversee them. Hence the name Presbyterianism. This system opposes the independency of a church […]
Opposing Views to Plural Elder Led Congregationalism The first major opposing view to plural elder-led congregationalism that we will consider is Episcopalianism. There are different groups that hold to different theological convictions that use this form of church governance. The Episcopalian governance structure teaches that bishops are a distinct office, above deacons and presbyters.[1] Some […]
Plural Elder Led Congregationalism We have given consideration to who an elder is and what an elder does. But now we must consider how an elder cooperates with a congregation. The Bible’s discussion of church leadership always assumes a congregational context.[1] Sam Waldron writes the following about the congregational nature of the church: Congregationalism may […]
The Plurality of Eldership The ninth mark of Mark Dever’s book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, is “Biblical Church Leadership.” He writes the following concerning the matter: The Bible clearly models a plurality of elders in each local church.[1] This assertion can be proved with numerous Scripture citations. Consider the following: “When they had […]
The Qualifications for Eldership Not everyone in the church is gifted for the spiritual office of elder. This office has qualifications that restrict who can and who cannot serve the church in this role. Although not everyone is gifted and/or qualified for eldership, Paul tells Timothy that desiring to be an overseer is a noble […]
The New Testament uses multiple terms interchangeably to describe this office: elder, overseer (bishop in the King James Version), and shepherd. The Particular Baptist Nehemiah Coxe helps establish these interchangeable titles: The officers that we are now treating of, which are in our text called elders (πρεσβυτέροι), are in the very next words styled bishops […]
