Elder Resources
Welcome to our Elder Resource page. This page is for the purpose of providing resources included in our study of Elder leadership in the congregational life of University Baptist Church. Our (pastors, Church Council) hope is that you will be informed of our process in the study, teaching, and discussion on elders with the goal to recommend the adoption of elders into the life and leadership of the church sometime later this year.
We will be teaching and discussing the Biblical foundations, qualifications, roles, functions, and structure on Wednesday nights in February. We invite you to participate in these times of learning and discussion.
With the resources below, please keep in mind that these are resources that have helped shape our understanding of elders in the life of a local congregation. Some of the articles are more theologically structured, with hardly any mention of application and structure, while others are overviews with examples of local church function. None of these articles are proposals for UBC. They are, however, influential to our understanding of the nature and work of elders.
As you learn more about elders you will understand that UBC is distinctly studying an elder-led model, as opposed to an elder-rule model. The primary different between the two is that an elder-led model sees the congregation as the final rule and authority for decisions in the church. Only the congregation can finally determine what decisions and authority elders will be vested with and what decisions demand congregational approval. Essentially, it’s a similar model we have now from an administrative point of view, with elders providing leadership.
By Whose Authority – Elders in Baptist Life (Mark Dever)
Who Are the Elders? (John Piper)
Wednesday Night Gathering: Elder Teaching (Mike Lumpkin)
