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Real Elders?

The question of why there seem to be few “real elders” in churches today is multifaceted, involving cultural, societal, and ecclesiastical shifts.

The term “real elders” refers to mature, wise, and spiritually grounded leaders who guide the church with spiritual maturity and real power, men who not only have some wisdom and experience, but great depth in Scripture, Doctrine, Theology and and Truth.

Men such as are described in biblical contexts (e.g., Titus 1:5-9, 1 Timothy 3:1-7). Below are some potential reasons for this perceived scarcity:

Changing Demographics and Aging Populations

1. • Many churches face an aging congregation, but not all older members are willing or able to take on leadership roles due to health, energy, or personal commitments. Meanwhile, younger generations may not be stepping into these roles, either due to disinterest or lack of preparation.
   • In some regions, younger people are leaving churches, reducing the pipeline of potential elders who would grow into these roles over time.

Shifts in Cultural Values

1. • Modern society often prioritizes youth, innovation, and charisma over age, experience, and wisdom. This can lead churches to favor younger, dynamic leaders over seasoned elders, even if the latter have deeper spiritual maturity.
   • Respect for elders, a value emphasized in many traditional cultures and scriptures, has waned in some modern contexts, diminishing the perceived importance of elder roles.

Lack of Mentorship and Training

1. • Many churches lack formal discipleship or mentorship programs to prepare individuals for elder roles. Without intentional training, potential elders may not develop the spiritual maturity, theological knowledge, or leadership skills required.
   • Current leaders may not prioritize identifying and nurturing future elders, leading to a gap in succession.

Changing Role Expectations

1. • The biblical role of an elder—overseeing, shepherding, and teaching—requires time, commitment, and often sacrifice. In today’s fast-paced world, many mature Christians may be busy with careers, family, or other obligations, leaving little time for such roles.
   • Some churches have redefined or diluted the elder role, blending it with administrative or less spiritually demanding positions, which may discourage those suited for true elder leadership.

Decline in Church Attendance and Engagement

1. • Studies (e.g., Pew Research Center, 2020) show declining church attendance in many Western countries, particularly among younger adults. This reduces the pool of committed, long-term members who might grow into elder roles over decades.
   • Disengagement or “church hopping” means fewer people remain in one congregation long enough to mature into the kind of seasoned, rooted leaders elders are meant to be.

Spiritual and Moral Challenges

1. • The biblical qualifications for elders (e.g., above reproach, self-controlled, able to teach) are rigorous. In a culture with increasing moral and ethical challenges, fewer individuals may meet these standards or feel confident to pursue such roles.
   • Scandals or failures among church leaders can also discourage potential elders, as the role comes with scrutiny and high expectations.

Structural and Denominational Variations

1. • Some modern churches, especially non-denominational or contemporary ones, may not use the traditional “elder” model, opting instead for staff-led or pastor-centric leadership. This can sideline the development of elders.
   • In denominations that do appoint elders, the selection process may be inconsistent, overly political, or focused on skills (e.g., business acumen) rather than spiritual maturity.

Reflections

This trend varies by region, denomination, and church size. For example, smaller, rural, or traditional churches may still have strong elder leadership, while larger, urban, or seeker-sensitive churches might prioritize professional staff.

The Bible emphasizes elders as vital for guidance and stability (1 Peter 5:1-5), so their absence impacts spiritual depth and community.

Titus Elders are difficult to Produce and Incorporate in The Modern Woke Age

Let’s look at the difficulty of producing and incorporating “Titus elders” in the “modern woke age.”

The passage from Titus 1:1-16 (NKJV) outlines Paul’s instructions to Titus for appointing elders in Crete, emphasizing their qualifications and tasks. Let’s break this down and explore why this might be challenging in today’s cultural context.

Biblical Context of Titus Elders on Crete

Paul’s charge to Titus in Crete focuses on:

Purpose (v. 5):

• Appoint elders in every city to “set in order the things that are lacking,” addressing disorganization and false teaching in the early church.

Qualifications (vv. 6-9):

• Elders must be:
  • Blameless, faithful in marriage, with well-behaved children.
  • Not self-willed, quick-tempered, addicted to wine, violent, or greedy.
  • Hospitable, loving good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled.
  • Holding fast to sound doctrine, able to teach and refute error.

Task (vv. 10-16):

• Confront insubordinate deceivers, especially those pushing false teachings (e.g., Jewish fables, human commandments), rebuking sharply to protect the faith and ensure sound doctrine.

These elders were to be spiritual leaders, stewards of God’s household, countering cultural and moral chaos in Crete, a place Paul quotes as known for liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons (v. 12).

Challenges in the “Modern Woke Age”

The term “woke” refers to sheltered employment.

People are appointed to jobs they cannot do and are not held accountable.

Here’s how the qualifications and tasks of Titus elders clash with modern cultural dynamics:

Stringent Qualifications vs. Cultural Relativism

1. • Biblical Standards: Traits like “blameless,” “just,” “holy,” and “self-controlled” (vv. 6-8) demand a high moral and spiritual bar. “Holding fast the faithful word” (v. 9) requires unwavering commitment to biblical truth.
   • Modern Tension: In some circles, absolute standards of truth or morality are questioned. Cultural relativism or “woke” perspectives might view rigid qualifications as exclusionary, especially if they conflict with modern values like inclusivity or personal autonomy. For example, insisting on “sound doctrine” to “convict those who contradict” (v. 9) could be seen as intolerant in a pluralistic, “live and let live” culture.

Rebuke vs. Sensitivity to Offense

1. • Biblical Call: Elders must “rebuke sharply” (v. 13) to correct false teaching and protect the church from deception, as seen with the “insubordinate, idle talkers and deceivers” (v. 10).
   • Modern Tension: Today’s emphasis on avoiding offense, often amplified in “woke” discourse, can make sharp rebuke unpopular. Confronting ideas—especially on divisive topics like sexuality, gender, or cultural practices—might be labeled as judgmental or harmful, discouraging potential elders from stepping into such a bold role.

Character vs. Societal Pressures

1. • Biblical Ideal: Traits like “not self-willed,” “not quick-tempered,” and “not greedy for money” (v. 7) require humility and integrity. “Hospitable” and “a lover of what is good” (v. 8) demand selflessness.
   • Modern Tension: Today’s culture often celebrates self-expression, ambition, and material success. The “woke” lens might prioritize personal identity or social advocacy over biblical virtues, making it hard to find leaders who align with Paul’s criteria. Additionally, the time and sacrifice needed for elder roles compete with busy, individualistic lifestyles.

Sound Doctrine vs. Diverse Beliefs

1. • Biblical Mandate: Elders must teach and defend “sound doctrine” (v. 9), countering “Jewish fables and commandments of men” (v. 14) or other distortions.
   • Modern Tension: The “woke age” often embraces pluralism, where all beliefs are seen as equally valid. This can clash with the elder’s task of refuting error, especially when cultural narratives (e.g., on morality, family, or authority) diverge from scripture. Potential elders might hesitate, fearing backlash or accusations of being “out of touch.”

Practical Challenges

1. • Scarcity of Candidates: Finding men (or women, in some denominations) who meet all criteria—blameless, faithful in family, spiritually mature, and doctrinally sound—is tough in any era, but modern distractions (career, media, etc.) and moral drift make it harder.
   • Church Structure: Some modern churches de-emphasize elder roles, favoring charismatic pastors or staff. The “woke” influence might also shift focus to social programs over doctrinal fidelity, sidelining Titus-like elders.
   • Cultural Hostility: The Cretan context (v. 12) mirrors today’s skepticism or hostility toward biblical authority. Elders willing to stand firm may face resistance, discouraging participation.

Reflections

Producing Titus elders requires intentional discipleship, theological training, and a church culture that values biblical leadership. Incorporating them in a “woke age” is challenging when cultural values—amplified by social media, education, or politics—sometimes oppose scriptural standards. Yet, Paul’s call to Titus suggests the church must persevere, appointing qualified elders to guide and protect the flock amid chaos, just as in Crete.

Pastor’s Career, Salary, and Mothering Style is Threatened

The tension between the role of pastors and the biblical model of Titus elders, particularly in how their careers, salaries, and personal ministries focused on nurture and control might be perceived as threatened by powerful elders as described in Titus 1:5-16. Let’s explore this dynamic.

Pastors’ Careers, Salaries, and Personal Ministries

• Careers: Pastors often serve as the primary leaders in modern churches, especially in non-denominational or pastor-centric models. Their career involves preaching, counseling, administration, and vision-casting, often built on education (e.g., seminary degrees), experience, and personal charisma. Their role can be a full-time vocation, central to their identity and livelihood.
• Salaries: Many pastors rely on church salaries, which vary widely. In the U.S., for example, a 2022 survey by ChurchSalary (Lifeway Research) reported median pastor salaries ranging from $30,000 to $80,000 annually, depending on church size, location, and denomination. Larger churches or megachurches may pay six-figure salaries, often tied to the pastor’s ability to grow attendance and giving.

Personal Ministries (Nurture and Control):

• • Nurture: Pastors often focus on shepherding—counseling, discipling, and caring for the congregation’s spiritual and emotional needs. This aligns with biblical calls to feed the flock (John 21:17).
  • Control: Some pastors centralize authority, shaping church vision, programs, and doctrine. This can stem from a desire to unify or protect the church but may also reflect a personal need for influence, sometimes leaning on charisma or administrative power rather than shared leadership.

Titus Elders: Biblical Role and Power

Based on Titus 1:5-16:

• Qualifications: Elders must be blameless, faithful in family, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not greedy, but hospitable, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to sound doctrine to teach and refute error (vv. 6-9).
• Role: Appointed to “set in order” the church, they oversee, shepherd, and protect against false teaching, rebuking sharply when needed (vv. 5, 10-13). This implies spiritual authority, rooted in character and truth, not personal ambition.
• Power: In the plural elder model, multiple elders share leadership, providing accountability and collective wisdom, contrasting with a single pastor’s dominance.

Why Titus Elders Might Threaten Pastors

Authority Clash

1. • Titus elders, with their biblical mandate to oversee and correct (Titus 1:5, 9), could challenge a pastor’s centralized control. A strong elder team might question the pastor’s vision, decisions, or teaching, especially if they prioritize sound doctrine over popularity.
   • In churches where pastors are accustomed to unilateral leadership, this shared power feels threatening to their role and career stability.

Salary and Livelihood Concerns

1. • Pastors often depend on church funds, tied to attendance and tithing. If powerful elders push for doctrinal rigor or rebuke (Titus 1:13), it might alienate members, reducing giving and jeopardizing the pastor’s salary.
   • Elders, often unpaid and part-time in modern churches, may not face the same financial stakes, creating tension if they advocate changes (e.g., less focus on growth, more on truth) that impact revenue.

Nurture and Control Dynamics

1. • Nurture: Pastors’ nurturing role—counseling, preaching, building community—might be overshadowed if elders take on shepherding tasks (1 Peter 5:2). A pastor might feel their personal ministry is diminished if elders share or redirect this focus.
   • Control: Titus elders, tasked with stopping deceivers and ensuring sound faith (Titus 1:10-11), wield authority that could curb a pastor’s control. If a pastor leans on charisma or a personal agenda, elders’ insistence on biblical standards might feel like a threat to their influence.

Cultural and Structural Misalignment

1. • Many modern churches favor a CEO-style pastor model, borrowed from secular leadership, over the plural elder model of the New Testament. Titus elders, with their focus on character, doctrine, and accountability, challenge this, potentially unsettling a pastor’s career path or public image.
   • If elders are “powerful”—mature, bold, and doctrinally grounded—they might expose weaknesses in a pastor’s leadership, theology, or priorities, risking conflict.

Balancing the Tension

• Biblical Model: Scripture (Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3) envisions elders (often interchangeable with “overseers” or “bishops”) and pastors (shepherds) working together, not in opposition. A pastor might be an elder, but not the sole authority.
• Solution: Churches could foster collaboration—pastors nurturing and preaching, elders overseeing and guarding doctrine. This requires humility, clear roles, and a shared commitment to God’s design over personal ambition.
• Challenge: Cultural emphasis on individualism, charisma, and growth can make pastors feel threatened by elders who prioritize accountability and truth over comfort or numbers.

Reflections

The threat perception often stems from a departure from the New Testament model, where plural elders balanced power and ensured spiritual health. Pastors’ careers, salaries, and ministries need not be at odds with Titus elders if both align with biblical goals—nurturing the flock and upholding truth.

Yes-Men Young career pastors Exacerbate the Problem

Appointing young, zealous “yes-men” as leaders in churches can alienate potential Titus elders and hinder their development. Let’s unpack this in light of Titus 1:5-16 and modern church dynamics.

Understanding the Issue

• “Young Zealous Yes-Men”: This refers to younger individuals, enthusiastic and eager, but often chosen for their agreement with a pastor or leadership rather than their spiritual maturity, character, or doctrinal soundness. They may prioritize loyalty, energy, and compliance over the rigorous qualifications of Titus elders.
• Titus Elders (Titus 1:5-9): Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders who are blameless, faithful in family, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not greedy, but hospitable, just, holy, self-controlled, and able to teach and defend sound doctrine. This requires maturity, experience, and a steadfast commitment to truth.

How Appointing Yes-Men Alienates Potential Titus Elders

Undermining Maturity and Experience

1. • Titus elders require seasoned character—qualities like self-control, holiness, and wisdom often develop over time through life experience, trials, and spiritual growth.
   • Appointing young, zealous yes-men, who may lack depth or proven character, signals that age, wisdom, and maturity are less valued. Potential elders—often older, seasoned believers—may feel overlooked or dismissed, alienating them from leadership roles.

Prioritizing Compliance Over Conviction

1. • Yes-men are often chosen for their willingness to support a pastor’s vision or agenda without question, rather than their ability to “hold fast the faithful word” and “convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9).
   • This discourages potential Titus elders, who are called to boldly uphold sound doctrine and rebuke error (Titus 1:13). Such individuals might feel their principled stance is unwelcome in a church that favors unquestioning loyalty.

Erosion of Accountability

1. • Titus elders are stewards of God, tasked with setting the church in order and protecting it from false teaching (Titus 1:5, 10-11). This requires independence and courage.
   • Young yes-men, eager to please, may not challenge poor decisions or false ideas, creating a culture of flattery. Potential elders, who value accountability, may feel marginalized or unwilling to serve in such an environment.

How This Prevents Titus Elders from Being Produced

Lack of Mentorship and Discipleship

1. • Producing Titus elders requires intentional training—teaching sound doctrine, modeling character, and guiding believers into maturity (Titus 1:9).
   • If churches prioritize young yes-men, they may neglect discipleship programs that cultivate the depth, wisdom, and theological grounding needed for elder roles. Potential elders are left unprepared, stunting their growth.

Cultural Misalignment

1. • A church culture that rewards zeal and agreement over substance can deter the slow, steady development of Titus elders. Qualities like “sober-minded” and “self-controlled” (Titus 1:8) take time and testing, but a focus on youthful energy or quick results sidelines this process.
   • Potential elders may disengage, feeling their slower, principled path doesn’t fit the church’s fast-paced, pastor-pleasing model.

Discouragement and Exodus

1. • Mature believers, who could grow into Titus elders, may leave if they see leadership roles filled by less-qualified yes-men. They might perceive the church as unserious about biblical standards, driving them to other congregations or away from active involvement.
   • This reduces the pool of candidates, making it harder to produce elders who meet Paul’s criteria.

Weakened Doctrinal Foundation

1. • Titus elders must combat “insubordinate, idle talkers and deceivers” (Titus 1:10) with sound doctrine. Young yes-men, lacking depth or experience, may not be equipped to do this, allowing error to spread.
   • Without strong examples or training, potential elders aren’t developed, as the church fails to prioritize the “faithful word” (Titus 1:9).

Broader Implications

• Church Health: Appointing yes-men over Titus elders risks a lack of balance, accountability, and spiritual depth, leaving the church vulnerable to chaos or false teaching, much like in Crete (Titus 1:12-14).
• Long-Term Impact: Without Titus elders, churches miss out on wise, godly leadership to “set in order” what’s lacking (Titus 1:5), stunting growth and stability.

Potential Solutions

• Mentorship: Pastors could disciple mature believers, preparing them for elder roles with training in doctrine, character, and leadership.
• Biblical Priorities: Churches could realign with Titus 1, valuing character and conviction over compliance or charisma.
• Balance: Integrate young zeal with seasoned wisdom, ensuring leadership reflects both energy and maturity.

Who is Titus?

Qualified Elders

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
” (Titus 1:5, NKJV)

About Post Author

Rolf Thielen

rolf.thielen@gmail.com

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