By the will of God, on one of their preaching journeys, Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every congregation (Acts 14:23). The Spirit of God later guided Paul to instruct Titus to appoint/ordain elders in every city on the island of Crete (Titus 1:5). God-given qualifications for elders/shepherds are recorded for us in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. All of these facts indicate that it is God’s will for a local church to develop, appoint, and work under qualified elders. Elders are, indeed, part of God’s plan for the organization of His precious church (Philippians 1:1).

Contrary to what some might imagine, serving as an elder in God’s church is not an easy task. Oh, no. It is a job that carries with it grave responsibilities, loss of family time, loss of sleep, as well as certain pressures, both from others, as well as from within the elder himself. The potential perils for elders are legion. Having never served as a shepherd of God’s flock, I do not know from experience what all the perils are. However, I have been a long-time observer of elders and their work, and at the same time I have read and heard firsthand from elders and other saints about the perils that elders can face. Let us look at some of them.

Some elders are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the work. They did not realize "going into it" everything that pastoring a flock of God would entail. For some, they have bitten off more than they can chew. They had no idea how much time, energy, and commitment their work as an elder would require of them.

Some elders "have borne the burden and heat of the day" (Matthew 20:12). They have stood firm at the wheel, helped steady the ship, and kept her moving forward. They have been through countless battles, withstood the adversary, and kept the faith. Now, they are weary from so much time in the ring of action, and though, in reality, they still have much left in their spiritual tank, they resign their post in hopes that someone younger and more energetic will come along and fill their shoes. We understand how good brothers can become fatigued, but we do not want to see them grow weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9). We also know that although the younger brothers may have talent and potential, there is no substitute for the wisdom that older elders have gained from their decades of experience in the Kingdom, including the joy of the good times, as well as the tears that flow due to the horrible messes that sometimes develop.

Some elders have received excessive, undue criticism through the years, so they have decided that they will never make an unpopular decision again. They have simply determined that, though it may not be for the best, they are going to try and make all the members happy. Yeah, right. Make all the members happy, you say? Brothers, not even Jesus can do that! This is not Fantasy Island. Please do not succumb to the temptation to just bide your time and try to keep the brethren from destroying one another. If elders (or anyone else, for that matter) decide that their top priority is going to be to please people, then they cannot be the servants of the Christ (Galatians 1:10).

Other elders have fallen asleep and allowed themselves to drift into a mode where the majority of their time and energy is spent on material matters, such as the upkeep of the physical premises, counting money, or sharpening pencils for classes. There are innumerable items that require someone’s attention, but elders must give themselves to tending/shepherding the flock (Acts 20:28), which indicates the need for them to major in spiritual matters. If elders are most remembered after their passing for their ability to paint the auditorium of the church building, stacking chairs, or fixing a leak in the sink, then those men, perhaps unknowingly, have fallen into the peril of allowing themselves to put their emphasis on mundane matters that are neither soul-saving nor soul-reclaiming in nature.

The apostle Paul spoke to the elders from Ephesus about a danger that can threaten an eldership, as well as an entire congregation. After exhorting them to take heed to themselves, to take heed to the entire flock, and to shepherd the entire flock over which they are overseers, he warned them: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:29,30). Elderships and churches have suffered at the hands of false teaching or power-hungry men who were more interested in having a personal following than following the Good Shepherd. Elders who deceive themselves into thinking "that could never happen here" may just be letting their guard down and providing an opportunity for that very thing to take place.

Some elders fall prey to the mentality that all their job consists of is making decisions. The pastors’ work definitely requires them to make numerous decisions that pertain to the work of the church. Yet, being a shepherd means more, much more, than just making decisions. When you think of Jesus as our Good Shepherd (John 10:11), what comes to mind? Do you think of Him foremost as a decision maker? Surely not. Rather, we think of Him showing His care for His sheep.

Some of Judah’s shepherds in the days of Ezekiel were not fulfilling their responsibilities to God’s people. Here are some of the things which God set forth that shepherds of His flock ought to have been doing, but were not (this is a summary from Ezekiel 34:1-6):

We understand that Old Testament Judah was not the church, but as you look at those matters that God expected of His shepherds back then, it is obvious that there is more to being a shepherd than just making decisions. God wanted (and wants) His shepherds to be men of action, taking the initiative to DO those things that are in the best interest of the flock of God. Shepherds are in the sheep business! From time to time they may have to make decisions and take actions that include physical matters, but they must never lose sight of the big picture: the shepherds’ work is done for the good of the sheep. It is all about the sheep. When shepherds are constantly among the sheep, working with them and working for them, the sheep trust them and appreciate their efforts. But when the only thing the sheep know about their shepherds is that they have meetings, and the shepherds do not have personal contact with the sheep except when they want the sheep to do something, then the sheep tend to feel neglected and feel as if there is a huge distance between themselves and those whom they selected to watch over their souls (Hebrews 13:17). Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (John 10:14). It is obvious that Jesus did not think of Himself as one Who kept Himself at a distance from His beloved sheep. Yet, I dare say that some elders do not know the names of all the sheep under their care and have no idea where some of the sheep live.

For our purposes, we want to note one final potential peril for a brother that serves as an elder. The danger we have in mind is the danger of becoming power hungry or, as we say, "obsessed with power." According to the New Testament, not individual elders, but elderships, have the right to rule over a congregation (1 Timothy 5:17; 3:4,5). Yea, as overseers, they are to see to it that the right things are done, and that the right things are done in the right way. That is what the word "overseer" entails, that of superintending (Acts 20:28).

However, some pastors have fallen into the error of thinking of themselves as dictators who can get their way by force. While shepherds do have authority in matters of expediency, they do not have a master-servant relationship with the congregation. Jesus is the church’s only Head (Colossians 1:18). He is our only Lord before Whom we bow (Ephesians 4:5). Congregations are not to be bullied into submission (1 Peter 5:3), and no local church needs a Diotrephes type "who loveth to have the preeminence" (3 John 9). The proper motive for serving as an elder is not to possess power. Rather, being a pastor is about humbly serving God and caring for, serving, tending, and protecting His sheep.

Serving as a shepherd in the Kingdom and working with co-shepherds to take care of the needs of the flock, is a responsibility that is second to none in importance. It is not a task for little boys, for the faint at heart, for those that cannot muster the courage to do what needs to be done, and it is not for those who simply do not have the time or energy to give themselves to seeing to the needs of the sheep. Let us all do what we can, in word and deed, to encourage our elders to be faithful, diligent shepherds.

-- Roger D. Campbell