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…
If you have pastored a single congregation for any length of time, then you know how difficult it can be to shepherd those who disagree with you. The first few months of ministry at a new location are similar to…
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…
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…
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]…
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…
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…
Introduction Those called to preach and teach the Bible have the responsibility to teach the whole counsel of God. When preaching, much attention is (rightly) given to soteriological and Christological doctrines but often at the expense of neglecting other key…
*This is part 2 of a 3 part series that is surveying the Life and Theology of John Gill (1697-1771). Part 1 of this series can be accessed here When examining the theological distinctives of John Gill, there are at…
*Published online via CRIT-Large on April 26, 2020 *This article is written from the Presbyterian point of view. A Baptist evaluation will be the final part of the series. Doctrine is the most important component of Christianity. Without objective, doctrinal…