The Primary Leaders - Church Elders

Understanding the Bible’s Terminology for Elders

The New Testament references one primary leader of the local church: the Elder. However, this role is described using three different Greek words. "Presbuteros" (from which we get "Presbyterian") is translated as "elder," "poimen" translates to "shepherd," and "episcopos" (from which "Episcopal" is derived) means "overseer."

Some mistakenly believe that because three different words are used, the Apostle Paul must be describing three separate roles: Priest (derived from "presbuteros" or "prester" in Latin), Pastor (Latin for shepherd or "poimen" in Greek), and Bishop (derived from "episcopos"). However, the New Testament uses all three of these root words interchangeably, indicating they describe the same position.

Let's look at 1 Peter 5:1-2, Acts 20:28 and Titus 1:5-7 as examples:

So I exhort the elders (πρεσβυτερους, presbuteros) among you, as a fellow elder (πρεσβυτερους, presbuteros) and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd (ποιμην, poimen) the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight (ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos), not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

-1 Peter 5:1-2

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos), to care (ποιμην, poimen) for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

-Acts 20:28 

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders (πρεσβυτερους, presbuteros) in every town as I directed you…7 For an overseer (ἐπίσκοπος, episkopos), as God's steward, must be above reproach.

-Titus 1:5-7

From the verses above, we see that Paul is not describing three separate roles but one position with two functions. The Elder (priest, presbuteros) is the one who shepherds (pastor, poimen) and oversees (bishop, episcopos) the church.

One of Paul's missionary journeys took him to the Island of Crete, where he shared the gospel, and many were converted. And he leaves Titus on the Island and gives him this instruction, " This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you (Titus 1:5).” Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders (presbuteros) to care for (poimen) and watch over (episcopos) the church in Crete. That is what the role of Elder is: the church leader, the one who cares for and oversees the church.

"Elders lead the church [1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:1–2], teach and preach the Word [1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9], protect the church from false teachers [Acts 20:17, 28–31], exhort and admonish the saints in sound doctrine [1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 3:13–17; Titus 1:9], visit the sick and pray [James 5:14; Acts 6:4], and judge doctrinal issues [Acts 15:6]. In biblical terminology, elders shepherd, oversee, lead, and care for the local church."

-Alexander Strauch “Biblical Eldership”

A distinctive of our denomination (Ruling and Teaching Elders)

In our denominations (The Presbyterian Church in America), we make one additional distinction within the office of Elder. 1 Tim 5:17 says, “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” This verse seems to indicate that there are some elders who not only shepherd and oversee the church but also spend considerable time teaching and preaching more than some other elders. Therefore, in our denomination, we have both "ruling elders" and "teaching elders." Our teaching elders attend seminary to earn a master's degree in theology, study the Greek and Hebrew languages and are examined by local presbyteries, where they are tested on their ability to teach and preach. We refer to teaching elders by the title of "pastor.”

Another distinctive of our denomination (Presbyteries and General Assembly)

Apostles had a type of regional and global authority over the church (Eph 2:20). In their absence, many denominations established positions to fulfill a similar role, such as bishops and archbishops. However, our denomination does not adopt this structure. We believe the scriptures describe all elders as having equal authority, called to rule collectively. There is no single elder with authority over the others; instead, there's a plurality of elders, each with an equal vote (1 Tim 4:14; Tit 1:5; Phil 1:1).

You might be wondering then, "How do we lead a whole region or make denominational decisions?" Well, we have two great examples in scripture of what it would look like for local church elders to rule over regions.

The first example is in Acts 20:17-38. When Paul visits Ephesus, he summons all the elders, who lead their own local house churches, to convene. This illustrates pastors from a larger region assembling periodically. In our denomination, we refer to these assemblies as Presbyteries. Presbyteries are regional gatherings of pastors who support and oversee their regions collectively. Each local church elder in a Presbytery has an equal vote among their peers.

We also see an example of a global church-wide gathering. In the 1st century, a controversy arose in the church regarding whether to continue the practice of circumcision. In Acts 15, elders from various regions gathered to make a collective decision. In this meeting, Paul didn't simply stand up and issue an authoritative ruling for the churches to follow. Instead, every Elder had a voice and a say in the matter. Only after rigorous debate did the group reach a common consensus. This ruling was then documented in a letter, and the local elders returned to their regions to inform their congregations of the decision. In our denomination, we refer to this as a "general assembly." All the elders of our denomination convene to discuss specific issues, make rulings based on an equal vote from all the elders present, and then disseminate that ruling to regional and local church bodies.

Electing of Elders

The congregation of a church has the responsibility to nominate and elect elders to serve over the church. They are not appointed by someone outside the church, but are elected from within. 

First, the congregation identifies people who they feel are living out the requirements of an elder found in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1.

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. - 1 Tim 3

6 If anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.  - Titus 1

Elders then go through an extensive training and examination process by the current elders of the church. Those who feel both externally and internally called are presented to the congregation to be voted on and elected to be installed into their office over the church.

It works slightly differently with Pastors/Teaching Elders. These elders are examined very extensively on doctrine and theology by the whole Presbytery to ensure they are more than fit to teach and preach at local churches. They are still elected by the congregation, or appointed by the session and installed at local churches.