Elders in Congregational Life

There is no question that there is a biblical pattern for leadership established in 1Timothy and that pattern is meant to include both elders (overseers, pastors) and deacons. The question, however, is that most Southern Baptist churches do not function in this way. As a matter of fact, historically, the departure from the model established by the Apostle Paul began as early as the 2nd century.

Most serious Christians want to be bibilical - both personally and corporately - in their expressions of their faith. But one has to wonder: (1) why the church departed from elder-led congregations; and (2) how would a church that has deviated from the mandate for most of its existence successfully transition back to this biblical form of church government and what would it cost (not necessarily financially, but in terms of church unity, structure, service, etc)?

This post begins to ask some good questions, which is a necessary starting point for the discussion. What would an elder-led church look like practically? How would it function? How would the standard pastor-led or deacon-led church have to change to make this biblical transition? The questions asked on this blog aren't exhaustive, but they are a start. What questions might you have?