This past Sunday our church finished the study of Mark Dever’s “9 Marks of a Healthy Church” with a discussion on biblical church leadership. We observed the following main points.

1. The congregation has responsibility. This is known as congregationalism. The NT portrays the whole church as having responsibility in church discipline (Matt 18:15-17, 1 Cor 5), deacon selection (Acts 6), holding elders accountable to the Word (2 Tim 4:3), striving together for unity (Phil 2:1-3), trusting and following godly leaders (Heb 13:17), and esteeming godly leaders (1 Tim 5:17).
2. God has given the church two offices of leadership. (1) Deacons to serve the physical needs of the members and congregation. (2) Elders to oversee the spiritual guidance and nourishment of the flock through the teaching/preaching of the Word.
3. There are numerous benefits to a plurality of elders. (1) It is the biblical model and therefore cannot be improved upon (Acts 14:23, 16:4, 20:17, 21:18, Titus 1:5, James 5:14), it just makes sense that if you have more than one deacon you should have more than one pastor, the congregation benefits in being led by collective wisdom, in never being without a pastor, and in eliminating a domineering personality, and the pastor benefits in gaining multiple perspectives, gaining accountability, gaining wisdom and insight, and sharing the weight of spiritual oversight.
4. A Model of a plurality of elders would be a mixture of hired pastors and lay pastors who all have equal input and authority, are accountable to one another, and who all committed to the unity of the church and the integrity of the Word.