If you’ve been heeding Bob Deffinbaugh’s advice about succession planning in the church, you may have a few men in mind who might make good elders in the future. But do you have a game plan for training them?
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel—in addition to the School of the Shepherds online courses, BER offers a free and comprehensive program that helps churches develop elders. The Elder Development Program fully readies a man for leadership in the church over the course of one or two years.
Preparation is Not Optional
A church should never put someone into leadership prematurely or without adequate preparation. Paul instructed Timothy, “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin” (1 Tim. 5:22) and “An elder must be … not a new convert” (1 Tim. 3:6).
The benefits of preparation are clear: having strong, mature elders, who know how to look after the flock, sets the stage for the church to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). On the other hand, poor shepherding leads to poor discipleship, which leads to ineffectiveness in reaching the world with the gospel.
Many churches struggle under the tremendous burden of poor leadership. There is too much at stake to treat this issue haphazardly. We must prepare men for eldership.
Preparation is Multifaceted
A good elder needs to have character qualifications, knowledge of the Bible and key doctrines, a servant’s heart, the ability to do the practical shepherding work effectively, and the congregation’s approval.
That’s why the Elder Development Program includes:
- Guidance for selecting elder candidates
- Tools for evaluating candidates
- A framework for using Alexander Strauch’s Biblical Eldership book and workbook to study what God’s Word says about church leadership
- Guides for studying Romans and Hebrews—two books that are essential for all elders to know intimately
- Tips for reading through the Bible in a year
- Accountability questions
- A worksheet to help the elder candidate develop and articulate his testimony
- Guidance for deciding on and confirming elder candidates in the church
- A mentorship plan
- Essential doctrines for elders to know
Preparation Takes Time
In one sense, preparation takes a lifetime of learning. A humble, godly elder is always growing but knows he will never arrive at perfect eldership until the Chief Shepherd returns (1 Peter 5:4). Nevertheless, a basic foundation should be required for beginning to serve as a recognized elder.
Preparation for eldership may take anywhere from one to two years, depending on:
- The candidate’s spiritual maturity, experience, age, and life circumstances (for example, someone who rises up from being a young believer in the congregation may require the full, extensive training, while a mature Christian who has moved into the area with previous eldership experience will not need as much preparation).
- The church’s standard and expectations—some may desire more rigor and in-depth preparation, while others may opt for less.
Every church will answer to the Lord for how well they prepare men, but we encourage churches to set the bar high—the investment will not be wasted, and God’s people will benefit.
Though the program is designed for elder candidates, you can easily modify it for anyone who wants to grow in maturity: existing elders, young men who may desire to become elders in the future, male and female ministry leaders, and Christians in business or community who want to be godly leaders in their spheres of influence.