An Appeal to Elders

I was reminded by events elsewhere yesterday how much I rely on my elders.   The task of the elder is to pastor the pastor.  If they do not do it, nobody else will.  That means there will be times when the elder has to confront his pastor because he sees that his teaching, or his life, or maybe both, are starting to wander from the path of truth and godliness.   Whenever a pastor falls, one has to ask: Where were the elders?  Sometimes, of course, the pastor can be good at hiding his faults; At other times, elders just turn a blind eye to peccadilloes, assuming that the pastor is a good chap and could not possibly be heading in a  spiritually lethal direction. 

Unfortunately, ordination does not immunize one from total depravity and its consequences.  When a pastor falls, there but for the grace God goes every other Christian.

If you are a pastor, cultivate a culture where your elders are comfortable speaking frankly to you, where they feel part of a team of equals and not a subordinate part of a rigid hierarchy.  And if you are an elder and you do not have the backbone to confront your pastor, then for his sake and for the sake of the church you need to resign and find another role in the church.   I am privileged to have such men in my church.  If you do not, pray that the Lord will raise them up for you.  You need them.