Elders in the Christian Church

Paper Summary:

In the early Christian Church, the term "elder", while possibly influenced by the use of the title for secular magistrates in Asia Minor, was derived from the Israelites, who subsequently shared it with other Semitic peoples. Today, elders play an important role in many Christian denominations, most notably Presbyterian and the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. While their roles vary, the authority and responsibilities for such elders is clearly outlined in the Old and New Testaments. This paper provides a review of the relevant literature to identify the various roles and responsibilities for church elders, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

From the Paper:

"During the Reformation in the 16th century, the office of elder was renewed by certain churches, most notably the Presbyterians; in this regard, Presbyterian's maintain a dichotomy of church government concepts in which there are two classes of elders: 1) the teaching elders (called ministers, ordained and especially set apart to the pastoral office) and 2) the ruling elders (these are lay persons generally selected by the congregation and ordained to assist the minister in the oversight and government of the church) (Church Elders 2004). The role and importance of church elders to the Presbyterian Church is illustrated in a poll of Presbyterians that found pastors much more inclined than their congregations to believe that local churches should take stands on a variety of social issues."

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