One of the pressing burdens upon all church leaders is the need for discipleship. Discipleship is not optional; Jesus gave it as orientating priority for his church (Mt. 28:19-21). But this discipleship includes the equipping and training of elders (1 Tim. 2:2). Churches are to be led by a plurality of qualified men. These guys don’t just fall out of the sky. They are made by God in the church, recognized by the church, and then they serve the church.
Once the priority is embraced we have to think about how we go about the task. My friend Bob Thune has written a helpful book to aid pastors and churches in this task. The book is entitled Gospel Eldership: Equipping a New Generation of Servant Leaders. It is part instruction, part assessment, and part journal. It seeks to help instruct on the office of elder, aid in the identification of elders, and be a tool in the examination of potential elders. That is to say, it is for the pastors who are training and assessing potential elders, for the potential elders in their own personal instruction and assessment, and for the church to shape their understanding of the office.
It is not a long book (paperback 100 pages) but it doesn’t need to be. It is something that potential elders can take and work through in the early stages of consideration for the office.
As I mentioned above, Bob is a friend. I’ve spent a lot of time with him and his elders. I have been blessed by the amount of time that he spends on the whiteboard and in discussion of important matters. He thinks deeply about what he loves. We are benefactors here because he loves the gospel and the church. One of the ways that you see this come out is in the matters of applying the gospel to the heart. He goes after false idols and spends a considerable amount of time on character. Further, Bob is concerned about ensuring that a gospel culture is in the church. The elders set the temperature here. Therefore, there is a heavy evangelistic emphasis here for the elders to be thinking like missionaries. I appreciate how he adds this component to this discussion when it is often neglected or overlooked.
If you are a pastor and are looking to identify, train, and appoint new elders in your church then this book will definitely help you. If you are thinking about being an elder then this book will certainly be of benefit to you.
Gospel Eldership is available at Amazon.
