Three Things Your Elders Should Never Do

The Church Revitalization Podcast – Episode 275

The role of church elder carries profound responsibilities and equally significant pitfalls. As someone who has spent years consulting with churches across the country, I’ve observed that even the most well-intentioned elder teams can drift from their biblical mandate. While there are many ways elders can lose their way, three particular dangers consistently threaten to derail effective elder ministry. By understanding and actively avoiding these pitfalls, elder teams can better fulfill their calling to shepherd God’s people and lead His church.

Apple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastRSS

    Get in the weeds

    The role of an elder is to be a wise overseer providing spiritual and material leadership to the whole church. The New Testament uses two key Greek words for what we call “elder” in English translations. The word episkopos typically appears as “overseer” or sometimes “bishop,” while presbyteros is always translated as “elder” and carries connotations of wisdom, leadership, and maturity. In Titus 1, Paul appears to use these terms interchangeably, suggesting they described the same role in the first-century church. It wasn’t until the second century that Ignatius of Antioch began distinguishing a single “bishop” (episkopos) as first among equals within the elder team (presbyteros) – a pattern that often mirrors today’s lead pastor/elder relationship.

    This biblical foundation reveals a crucial truth: from the very beginning, elders were meant to spiritually manage and oversee the congregation as a whole. When they dive too deeply into managing specific ministries or programs, they often lose sight of the bigger picture – they can’t see the forest for the trees.

    I frequently ask churches, “If the elders aren’t looking at the big picture, who is?” The silence that follows speaks volumes. We see this principle illustrated in Acts 6, where the apostles realized that managing (and possibly handling) the daily food distribution to widows was spreading them too thin. This not only compromised the quality of the food ministry but also threatened to derail their primary calling: prayer and the ministry of the Word. The issue wasn’t that serving food was beneath them – it simply wasn’t their designated role.

    In my consulting work, I often encounter elders who want to micromanage ministry details, especially when they spot something they dislike. Instead of leading through the staff or volunteers directly responsible for the ministry, they jump in to fix things themselves. But remember: influence is a fundamental aspect of leadership. Effective elders learn to guide ministries toward the broader vision of spiritual health through influence rather than direct intervention.

    Another common pitfall I see is churches assigning their elders to multiple ministries based on the biblical requirement that “elders should be able to teach.” While this requirement is indeed scriptural, tethering your most effective leaders to specific ministries, small groups, or Sunday school classes limits their broader impact. Their teaching gift should influence entire areas of church life. Yes, they can step in when needed, even in the pulpit, but binding them to multiple specific ministries typically distracts them from their essential oversight role.

    Act Unilaterally

    The New Testament consistently presents eldership as a team-based ministry. When Paul writes to churches, he addresses their *elders* in the plural. This pattern wasn’t accidental – it was designed to protect both the elders and the congregation. It’s important to remember that the authority of the elders comes when they act as a group.

    In my consulting work, I’ve witnessed the damage that occurs when individual elders start acting independently of their team. Sometimes it’s well-intentioned: an elder sees a problem and wants to address it quickly. Other times, it stems from an elder believing they have special insight or authority that others lack. Regardless of the motivation, unilateral action by elders almost always creates more problems than it solves.

    Consider the biblical model of decision-making we see in Acts 15. When the early church faced a major theological crisis about Gentile believers, the apostles and elders met together to seek God’s will. They listened to different perspectives, considered the evidence, and reached a decision as a unified body. This wasn’t just good governance – it was spiritual wisdom in action. Multiple godly leaders, seeking God’s will together, are far less likely to be led astray than a single leader acting alone.

    I often tell elder teams that unity doesn’t mean unanimity. You don’t need everyone to agree on every detail, but you do need a commitment to move forward together once a direction is set. When individual elders start circumventing the team’s decisions or implementing their own agenda, it creates confusion in the congregation and undermines the authority of the entire elder board.

    One particularly destructive form of unilateral action occurs when an elder forms private alliances with staff members or key volunteers, creating unofficial channels of authority that bypass the elder team’s oversight. I’ve seen this lead to divided loyalties, competing visions, and eventually, painful church splits. The solution isn’t to prohibit elders from building relationships throughout the church – that’s part of their role. Rather, it’s to ensure that significant decisions and direction always flow through the elder team as a whole.

    Remember, God’s design for plural leadership isn’t about efficiency – it’s about wisdom, accountability, and protection. When elders commit to working as a team, seeking God’s will together, and speaking with one voice to the congregation, they create an environment where both leaders and members can thrive. Individual giftedness should always serve to strengthen the team’s collective ministry, not substitute for it.

    Neglect Spiritual Care 

    The primary calling of an elder is to shepherd God’s people, yet in today’s church culture, it’s alarmingly easy for elders to become little more than a corporate board focused on budgets, buildings, and business decisions. While these practical matters certainly require attention, they should never overshadow the fundamental spiritual responsibility of eldership. The Greek word poimēn, meaning shepherd, gives us a vivid picture of the caring, protective, and nurturing role elders are meant to fulfill.

    In my years of church consulting, I’ve observed a disturbing pattern: elder meetings that spend 90% of their time on administrative issues and perhaps squeeze in a brief prayer at the beginning and end. When I ask these elders about their spiritual oversight of the congregation – their prayer life for the church, their mentoring relationships, their attention to doctrinal matters – I often receive uncomfortable glances or vague responses about delegating that to the pastoral staff.

    This neglect of spiritual care manifests in various ways. Some elder teams become reactive rather than proactive, only engaging in spiritual matters when there’s a crisis. Others maintain such busy schedules with committee work and administrative tasks that they have no margin left for the quiet, often unscheduled work of spiritual shepherding. Perhaps most concerning are the elders who feel ill-equipped for spiritual care, having been selected more for their business acumen or social standing than their spiritual maturity.

    Consider Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. He warns them to “keep watch over yourselves and all the flock” and to guard against wolves who would threaten the spiritual health of the church. This watching and guarding requires deep spiritual engagement – regular prayer, consistent study of Scripture, and intentional relationships with church members. It’s not something that can be accomplished through quarterly business meetings or annual planning retreats.

    In healthy churches I’ve worked with, elders prioritize spiritual care by having two, separate monthly meetings. One dedicated exclusively to prayer and Scripture, and a second one handling business matters. They maintain regular rhythms of fasting and prayer for the congregation. They may intentionally divide oversight of the church family among the elder team, ensuring every member has an elder who knows them and prays for them regularly (though this may not be scalable in larger churches). These elders understand that while staff may handle many day-to-day ministry functions, the ultimate spiritual responsibility for the congregation rests with them.

    The solution isn’t to ignore practical matters – they’re part of the elder’s oversight role too. Rather, it’s to restore spiritual care to its rightful place of primacy. Elders should be known first as people of prayer, students of Scripture, and spiritual mentors. Their business expertise and administrative skills should serve to support this primary calling, not replace it. When elders neglect spiritual care, they aren’t just failing to fulfill part of their role – they’re missing its very essence.

    Ultimately, effective elder ministry requires constant vigilance against these common pitfalls. When elders maintain their focus on big-picture oversight, commit to leading as a unified team, and prioritize spiritual care above administrative efficiency, they create an environment where both they and the congregation can thrive. The challenges of modern church leadership are real, but the biblical model of eldership remains as effective today as it was in the first century. The key lies not in reinventing the role, but in remaining faithful to its original design and purpose.

    Watch this episode on YouTube!



    Scott Ball is the Vice President and a Lead Guide with The Malphurs Group. He lives in East Tennessee with his wife and two children. (Email Scott).


    Got questions? Meet with our team for a free Discovery Call.

    Want to become a
     Healthy Church? 

    We believe getting churches healthy again is just as important as planting new ones. Here are our best tips to get you going in the right direction.

    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.