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Dear BPCWAians, After having looked at the qualifications for Deacons, we will move on to the Biblical qualifications for Elders. The Office of Elder is held by men only, not women. The Board of Elders (BOE) is responsible for the spiritual oversight of the Church in matters of doctrine, principles of government, church elections, admission and discipline of members and the administrative oversight of the Church (BPCWA’s Constitution, Article 11.2). As such, the Elders have a significant impact on what BPCWA would be since they are responsible for the direction and spiritual activity of the church. So, it is crucial that Elders are chosen with utmost carefulness to ensure that they meet the qualifications of the Office. In a Presbyterian church, there are 2 types of Elders, namely 1) Pastors (who are also known as the Teaching Elders) and 2) Ruling Elders. This distinction is reflected in the BP Form of Government (Chapter IV, Article 2) and in our own Constitution as well. As we now begin to look at another Church Office, we should keep in mind that Elders must not only meet the qualifications required of Deacons, but because of the greater responsibility in this role, God sets even higher standards upon those in the Office of the Elder. Unlike the business world, the Office of Elder is not just an automatic “promotion” after one has served a certain number of years as a Deacon. What are the additional qualifications expected of an Elder, be it the Teaching Elder (ie Pastor) or the Ruling Elder? We will discuss a few of these qualifications from 1 Timothy 3.

Must be Blameless – This does not mean perfect sinlessness, or else no believer on earth can meet such a standard. The word “blameless” in Greek literally means “that cannot be laid hold of”. This means that there is nothing in his life that anyone can take hold upon for censure. It implies that the character and faith of the man standing for this office must be above reproach. When one looks at this man’s life after salvation, he has committed no grave sin that brings his reputation and thus the Office into disrepute. Both his public and personal life must stand up to scrutiny and none can rightfully find fault with his doctrinal beliefs, his spiritual walk, and his general uprightness in character and actions before others. And the standard of measure for these is God’s Word. “Must be” denotes that this element is not optional at all, but rather a compulsory qualification which the church must not alter or discount. This is because this office is a very high one and anyone who has been proven (as opposed to false accusations) reproachable in his family, work, church, and personal life will bring shame to God’s Name. Regardless of how long the man has been in church, or how capable, or how influential he is, we cannot “close one eye” and be tempted to put the person into the Elder Office if he fails this non negotiable criterion. To ignore this is to have a low view of this Office, and a low view of God’s standards.

Husband of one wife – This refers to the man being a faithful, one woman man. It does not mean he cannot be remarried if his wife has passed away, as he is allowed to do so, based upon 1 Cor 7:39. The key point is that he must not have a roving eye and cannot be flirtatious with women in church or outside church. He must be reputed to possess fidelity for his wife. This criterion makes it clear that the man who has committed fornication, adultery, or any sexual sins would be disqualified without question. To allow such a person into the Pastoral or Elder office would invite scorn to God’s church.

Vigilant –The word vigilant speaks of being circumspect. It is associated with watchfulness and awareness. It speaks of someone who is restrained and self-controlled, especially concerning his passions. He is not rash, or uncontrolled in his emotions, or irrational, or come easily under wrong influence, but instead walks circumspectly. He is very conscious of areas of his weakness and does not allow it to overtake him, but instead controls it. In other words, he does not get swayed and drawn by sinful desires and worldliness. He is in control of his priorities when he serves God in this office. His heart does not overtake his sense of duty. A man who is not vigilant in this manner would not be able to serve God with unwavering single heartedness because he can be easily drawn away in his spiritual walk and become inconsistent. He would fail God in his service, and be a bad example to the people of God.

Sober This speaks of a man who has his senses about him. His mind is sound and clear. The world sometimes uses the description of “sober” to indicate that a person is not drunk and is able to think clearly. In this use, soberness does not merely refer to a non-drunken state. The focus is about his thought process. Summarily, he is a person who makes sound judgements based upon God’s Word. He thinks through decisions cautiously to ensure he is consistent with Scriptures. He is not someone who is unclear or muddled in his thinking. Instead, what he says and does is carefully and soundly deliberated. Put together, the vigilant and sober man will restrain himself from acting in a way that he will regret later.

Putting these two qualities together, Elders must be vigilant and sober at all times. His passions and thinking process are under the control of the Word. In a world that values speed and bends to the opinions and accceptance of the majority, the Elder is not one that will bow to pressure from the world and the people without thoughtful consideration of Scriptural principles. Instead, he will take a step back and put careful thought into his actions and the decisions made for the church. This does not mean that he does not act. Elders must know God’s Word very well so that his thoughts are Biblically guided and he acts based upon Scriptural principles. Even when he faces unpopular decisions, even when the flesh wants to shrink away from displeasing people, his actions will be consistent with what he has deliberated through Scripturally. Hence, the man must be one who is well versed in the Word, proven to consistently study the Word, and able to apply Scriptural principles to his thought process and decision making. This is true self-control mirrored in his thoughts and behaviour that is consistent with the Word of God.

When you see the role of the Elders in the Church, one can understand why this is included in the list of qualifications. Elders are responsible for the church’s doctrinal stand, administration of finances, and lives of God’s people in His church. The implications of what is done or not done in BPCWA must be thought through from a Biblical perspective. How will this affect the church? What will be the impact on other ministries? Who can serve? The importance of this cannot be underestimated. If Elders are discerning in theology, rash in financial management, give leadership or important roles to anyone simply because they desire it, the church will be in disarray. It will bend to the wind of every false doctrine and to the whims and fancies of man, instead of God. We must remember that because the Elder helps in the administrative oversight of the church, all the above qualities are important virtues each and every Elder must have.

Yours in our Lord’s service

Pastor