Embracing a plurality of biblically qualified shepherd-elders should mean also believing in a shared pulpit. For some that might sound like insurrection, an assault on the prophet-model of church leadership, where the pastor is God’s chosen mouthpiece who alone can articulate God’s mind and will to the congregation. But NT shared leadership is not just an organizational construct to share power. It is a shared spiritual oversight of the local church. And that should include, at times, the elders speaking to and teaching the whole church.
To be sure, not every elder should necessarily be preaching in the pulpit on Sunday mornings, for not everyone is a gifted teacher of the Word.
And to be sure, every elder should be “able to teach,” meaning an elder should have the ability to teach at some level and defend the truths of the faith (see 1 Tim. 3:2, 2 Tim. 2:4), though not necessarily as one who is a “gifted” teacher.
And to be sure, when the whole congregation gathers on Sunday mornings for what I call the “bread and butter” teaching of the church that provides a steady diet of spiritual food from the Word, we need to have gifted teachers of the Word carrying the bulk of that responsibility. For why would God give us those gifted in teaching, yet not use them in a large way?
But it seems reasonable to believe that the gift of teaching for Sunday mornings does not necessarily reside in only one person, the so-called “teaching elder” or “teaching pastor” or “senior pastor” or whatever name we use. Some are called to be financially supported, “especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17), and are therefore used more in that capacity. But what about other gifted teachers? Is the church not impoverished by not utilizing those gifted in teaching God’s Word, though not in the employ of the church?
Of course, there will be variety in styles, depth, perspective, and oratory abilities. But is that not true of the writers of Scripture? Also true of teaching in the local church. There is the concern for doctrinal integrity, of course. But if a man is qualified as an elder, then his doctrine is solid, and the fear of false teaching should not be a prohibitive concern.
The church misses out on the blessing of spiritual gifts by exclusively using only one individual to use his gift on Sunday mornings or to use others in a condescending way to “fill in” when the main preacher is indisposed. A church does well to expose the congregation to multiple teachers on a regular basis.
But this requires teaching men how to communicate God’s Word effectively. A NT church, according to Scripture, has been provided with “pastors-teachers for equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ …” (Eph. 4:11-23). That work of service surely involves equipping some to be preachers, and even some to become “pastor-teachers.” That is a self-perpetuating ministry of equippers equipping future equippers who will be able to equip others (see 2 Tim. 2:2).
To cut to the quick, a church should be equipping its preachers and using them, even those who are not in full-time Christian service, the so-called “laymen.” We need to use the godly individuals God has raised up among us, not just the seminary-trained professionals. There is a wealth of spiritual insight, especially from men who are qualified as elders—we don’t want to deprive the congregation of that insight and teaching.
Such men may not be as polished, or as great an orator as the pro, but we must remember that the church was not designed to follow a human pastor but a divine Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). Sharing the pulpit may be a way of turning the eyes from the dependency on one man to the ultimate senior pastor, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That is why BER is conducting the upcoming simulcast conference: Preaching to the Heart. It is designed to help the preachers and teachers (and the potential individuals) develop the ability to communicate God’s Word effectively with power, authority, and spirit. It’s not too late to sign up to host a satellite for your select group of people, or even to audit the conference. Go to our satellite page to find out more.